Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ~ Isaiah 7:14
Christmas Song Lyrics Compiled by Charles P. Scott
Jingle Bells
Lyrics
Dashing through the snow,
In a one-horse open sleigh.
Over the fields we go,
Laughing all the way. (Hey!)
Bells on bob-tails ring,
Making spirits bright.
What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight.
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh. Hey!
A day or two ago,
I thought I'd take a ride.
And soon Miss Fanny Bright,
Was seated by my side.
The horse was lean and lank,
Misfortune seemed his lot.
He got into a drifted bank
And soon we got upsot.
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh. Hey!
A day or two ago,
the story I must tell.
I went out on the snow,
And on my back I fell.
A gent was riding by,
In a one-horse open sleigh.
He laughed as there I sprawling lie
but quickly drove away.
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh. Hey!
Now the ground is white,
go it while you're young.
Take the girls tonight,
And sing this sleighing song.
Just get a bob-tailed bay,
Two-forty as his speed.
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack! You'll take the lead.
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh. Hey!
About This Song
Legend says that this song made its debut in 1850 in Medford, Massachusetts, composed by James Lord Pierpont. Pierpont was a native of the town and wanted to write something to commemorate the town’s annual sleigh races around Thanksgiving.
He published the song in 1857 under the title “One Horse Open Sleigh.” It details a young couple who go riding and tip their sleigh in a snowdrift. As its popularity increased, the song became simply known as “Jingle Bells,” referring to the jolly refrain.
Since then, artists such as Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, (and more recently Gwen Stefani and Lauren Daigle) have all put their signature spins on the ubiquitous tune. In 1965, “Jingle Bells” became the first song broadcast from space when the astronauts aboard Gemini 6 decided to play a prank on Mission Control and performed the song on a harmonica and actual jingle bells they had smuggled on board.
