The album 'If We Make It Through December' was released in January 1974 by Capitol Records. The title track, written by Merle Haggard, became a number-one hit on the Billboard country charts, reflecting the economic hardships of the working class during the early 1970s recession.
The album was produced by Fuzzy Owen, Haggard's longtime collaborator, and recorded at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California. It includes a mix of Haggard's original compositions and covers of other artists, such as 'I'm a Lonesome Fugitive' by Casey Anderson and Liz Anderson.
Although not one of Haggard's most acclaimed albums, 'If We Make It Through December' solidified his reputation as a chronicler of rural and working-class American life. The title track remains one of the most remembered in his holiday repertoire, though the album is not entirely a Christmas-themed work.