| "Jingle Bells" | |
|---|---|
 Title page of "The One Horse Open Sleigh" | |
| Song | |
| Language | English |
| Published | September 16, 1857, byOliver Ditson & Co., Boston |
| Genre | Christmas |
| Songwriter(s) | James Lord Pierpont |
| Originally titled as "The One Horse Open Sleigh" | |
"Jingle Bells" is one of the most commonly sung[1]Christmas songs in the world. It was written byJames Lord Pierpont. It is an unsettled question where and when Pierpont originally composed the song that would become known as "Jingle Bells".[2] It was published under the title "The One Horse Open Sleigh" in September 1857. Although it has no original connection to Christmas,[3] it became associated with winter and Christmas in the 1860s and 1870s, and it was featured in a variety ofparlor song and college anthologies in the 1880s.[4] It was first recorded in 1889 on anEdison cylinder; this recording, believed to be the first Christmas record, islost, but an 1898 recording—also from Edison Records—survives.[5]
It has been claimed that the song was originally written to be sung by aSunday school choir forThanksgiving, or as a drinking song.[6] However, these claims are not supported by any primary sources. According to more recent research, the song was originally written as aminstrel song satirizingBlack participation in northern winter activities.[2][7]
James Lord Pierpont originally copyrighted the song with the name "The One Horse Open Sleigh" on September 16, 1857.[8] The songwriting credit given was "Song and Chorus written and composed by J. Pierpont." Possibly intended as a drinking song, it did not become a Christmas song until decades after it was first performed. Pierpont dedicated the song toJohn P. Ordway, Esq., an organizer of atroupe called "Ordway's Aeolians".[9]
It is an unsettled question where and when Pierpont originally composed the song that would become known as "Jingle Bells". A plaque at 19 High Street in the center of Medford Square inMedford, Massachusetts, commemorates the "birthplace" of "Jingle Bells", and claims that Pierpont wrote the song there in 1850, at what was then the Simpson Tavern. Previous local history narratives claim the song was inspired by the town's popularsleigh races during the 19th century.[10] Researcher Kyna Hamil proposes that the song was composed in Boston, before Pierpont moved to Savannah in the fall of 1857.[2]
The song was republished in 1859 by Oliver Ditson and Company, 277 Washington Street, Boston, with the new title "Jingle Bells; or, The One Horse Open Sleigh". Its sheet music cover featured a drawing ofsleigh bells around the title.[11] Sleigh bells were strapped across the horse to make the jingle, jangle sound.[citation needed]
"Jingle Bells" was first performed on September 15, 1857, atOrdway Hall in Boston by blackface minstrel performer Johnny Pell.[7] The song was in the then-popular style or genre of "sleighing songs". Pierpont's lyrics are strikingly similar to lines from many other popular sleigh-riding songs of the time; researcher Kyna Hamill argued that this, along with his constant need for money, led him to compose and release the song solely as a financial enterprise: "Everything about the song is churned out and copied from other people and lines from other songs—there's nothing original about it."[4][7]
By the time the song was released and copyrighted, Pierpont had relocated toSavannah, Georgia, to serve as organist and music director of that city'sUnitarian Church (now Unitarian Universalist), where his brother, Rev. John Pierpont Jr., served as minister. In August 1857, Pierpont married Eliza Jane Purse, daughter of the mayor of Savannah. Pierpont remained in Savannah and never returned north.[7][12]
Thedouble meaning of "upsot" (an old variant of the past tense of "upset") was thought humorous, as a sleigh ride gave an unescorted couple a rare chance to be together, unchaperoned, in distant woods or fields, with all the opportunities that afforded.[7] This upset became the climactic component of a sleigh-ride outing within the sleigh narrative.[7]
James Lord Pierpont's 1857 composition "Jingle Bells" became one of the most performed and most recognizable secular holiday songs ever written, not only in the United States, but around the world. In recognition of this achievement, James Lord Pierpont was voted into theSongwriters Hall of Fame.[citation needed]
"Jingle Bells" was first recorded by banjoist Will Lyle on October 30, 1889 (attested A T E Wangemann Logbook, p. 114), on anEdison cylinder, but no surviving copies are known to exist.[5] The earliest surviving vocal recording was made by the Edison Male Quartette in 1898, also on an Edison cylinder (and 1898 Columbia brown wax 4090), as part of a 'Christmas' medley titled "Sleigh Ride Party".[5] There is a version by the Hayden Quartet called Sleigh Ride Party recorded in 1901.[13] In 1902, theHayden Quartet recorded "Jingle Bells". The song became a Christmas favorite in the early twentieth century.[4]
In 1935,Benny Goodman and His Orchestra reached No. 18 on the charts with their Swing or big band recording of "Jingle Bells". In 1941,Glenn Miller and His Orchestra withTex Beneke,Marion Hutton,Ernie Caceres, and theModernaires on vocals had a No. 5 hit on theBillboard pop singles chart with a big band arrangement of "Jingle Bells" onRCA Victor as Bluebird 11353-A. In 1943,Bing Crosby andthe Andrews Sisters recorded "Jingle Bells" as Decca 23281[14] which reached No. 19 on the charts[15] and sold over a million copies. In 1951,Les Paul had a No. 10 hit with amulti-tracked version on guitar. In 2001,House of Mouse version, sung byWayne Allwine,Russi Taylor, andBill Farmer. In 2006,Kimberley Locke had a No. 1 hit on theBillboard Adult Contemporary chart with a recording of the song.[citation needed]
"Jingle Bells" was one of the first songs to bebroadcast from space, in a Christmas-themed prank byGemini 6 astronautsTom Stafford andWally Schirra. While in space on December 16, 1965, they sent this report toMission Control:
C6: Gemini VII, this is Gemini VI. We have an object, looks like a satellite going from north to south, probably in a polar orbit. He's in a very low trajectory traveling from north to south and has a very high climbing ratio. It looks like it might even be a ... Very low. Looks like he might be going to reenter soon. Stand by one ... You might just let me try to pick up that thing. (Music – Jingle Bells – from Spacecraft VI) P7: We got the tune, VI. C6: That was live, VII, not tape. CC: You're too much, VI.[16]
The astronauts then produced a smuggled harmonica and sleigh bells, and with Schirra on the harmonica and Stafford on the bells, broadcast a rendition of "Jingle Bells".[17][18] The harmonica, shown to the press upon their return, was aHohner "Little Lady", a tiny harmonica approximately one inch (2.5 cm) long, by3⁄8 of an inch (0.95 cm) wide.[17] From 1967,Smithsonian kept this historical relic.[19]
Music historian James Fuld notes that (as opposed to anadjective), "the wordjingle in the title and opening phrase is apparently animperative verb."[20] In the winter inNew England in pre-automobile days, it was common to adorn horses'harnesses with straps bearing bells as a way to avoid collisions at blind intersections, since a horse-drawn sleigh in snow produces almost no audible noise. Therhythm of the tune apparently mimics that of a trotting horse's bells; however, "jingle bells" is commonly interpreted to mean a certain kind of bell.
Jingle Bells
Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way
Bells onbob tail ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight!
Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
Oh! what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh. Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way;
Oh! what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.
Although less well-known than the opening, the remaining verses depict high-speed youthful fun. In the second verse, the narrator takes a ride with a girl and loses control of the sleigh:
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 then we got upsot.[a]
|: chorus :|
In the next verse (which is often skipped), he falls out of the sleigh and a rival laughs at him:
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. Ah!
|: chorus :|
In the last verse, after relating his experience, he gives advice to a friend to pick up some girls, find a faster horse, and take off at full speed:
Now the ground is white
Go it while you're young,
Take the girls tonight
and sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bobtailedbay
Two forty as his speed[b]
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And snap! You'll take the lead.
|: chorus :|
Notes to lyrics
The two firststanzas andchorus of the original 1857 lyrics differed slightly from those known today. It is unknown who replaced the words with those of the modern version.[20] Underlined lyrics are the removed lyrics from the original version. Bold lyrics are the new lyrics in the current version.
Dashing thro' the snow,
In a one-horse open sleigh,
O'er thehills (fields) we go,
Laughing all the way;
Bells on bob tail ring,
Making spirits bright,
Oh what sport (What fun it is) to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight.
|: chorus :|
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way;
Oh! whatjoy (fun) it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.
A day or two ago
I tho't I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fannie Bright
Was seated by my side.
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank
Andwe— (then) we got upsot.
The original 1857 version of "Jingle Bells" featured a substantially differentchorus. Theprogression of descending chords in the original refrain (A♭–E♭/G–Fm–C–D♭–A♭/E♭–E♭7–A♭; in Roman numeral analysis, I–V6–vi–V/vi–IV–I6
4–V7–I) bears some resemblance to that ofPachelbel's Canon. The verses, on the other hand, have mostly the same melody (with some minor simplifications) in modern renditions as they did in 1857. The origin of the simpler, modern refrain is unknown, but it dates back at least 1898, when the oldest surviving phonograph recording of the song was released throughEdison Records.
The "Jingle Bells" tune is used in French and German songs, although the lyrics are unrelated to the English lyrics. Both songs celebrate winter fun, as in the English version. The French song, titled "Vive le vent" ("Long Live the Wind"), was written by Francis Blanche[21][22] and contains references toFather Time,Baby New Year, andNew Year's Day. There are several German versions of "Jingle Bells", includingRoy Black's "Ein kleiner weißer Schneemann".[23]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Results from a survey of over 64,000 people for most common variations of the parody. | |
 I Asked 64,182 People About “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells”. Here's What I Found Out.Tom Scott (presenter), June 2020 |
Like many simple, catchy, and popular melodies, "Jingle Bells" is often the subject ofparody. "Jingle Bells,Batman Smells" has been a well-known parody since the mid-1960s,[24] with many variations on the lyrics.[25] It has been referenced several times in official Batman media, notably appearing in the second episode ofBatman: The Animated Series, "Christmas with the Joker". It also appears in the first episode ofThe Simpsons, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", which led the series to be misattributed with creating the parody.[26]
Parodies or novelty versions of "Jingle Bells" have been recorded by many artists, and includeYogi Yorgesson's "Yingle Bells",Da Yoopers' "Rusty Chevrolet",[27]Bucko andChamps' "Aussie Jingle Bells",The Three Stooges' "Jingle Bell Drag", andJeff Dunham's "Jingle Bombs", performed in his "Achmed the Dead Terrorist" sketch. Another popular spoof of the song is "Pumpkin Bells", a "Pumpkin Carol" which celebratesHalloween and the "Great Pumpkin". It originated inThe Peanuts Book of Pumpkin Carols,[28] a booklet based on thePeanuts comic strip and published byHallmark Cards in the 1960s.[29]
TheAustralian "Aussie Jingle Bells" written byColin Buchanan, broadly translates the idea of the original song to the summertime Christmas of theSouthern hemisphere, making reference to aHoldenute andKelpie.
"Jingle Bell Rock" byBobby Helms pays homage to "Jingle Bells", directly referencing the source song's lyrics, but with a different melody. Originally recorded and released by Helms in arockabilly style, "Jingle Bell Rock" has itself since become a Christmas standard.[30]
"Tintinabulations" is a novelty arrangement of the song for full orchestra by American Katherine W. Punwar.[31] It consists of 19th and 20th century stylistic variations of "Jingle Bells"[31] and is sometimes performed by classical orchestras for their Christmas concerts.[citation needed]
The first notes in the chorus have become amotif that has been inserted into recordings of other Christmas songs, most notably at the beginning and end ofBing Crosby's "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"; a guitar passage at the end ofNat King Cole's "The Christmas Song"; andClarence Clemons performing a saxophone solo in the middle ofBruce Springsteen's "Merry Christmas Baby". A piano is also heard playing these notes at the end of Springsteen's version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town". A slow version of the chorus opening forms the conclusion ofStan Freberg's 1957 "Green Chri$tma$", interspersed with cash-register noises.Mariah Carey utilizes a bit of the melody in her song "When Christmas Comes".Joni Mitchell's 1971 song "River" begins with a melancholy version of the chorus on piano.[32]
Frank Sinatra version[edit]
Peter Alexander version[edit]
Judge Dread version[edit]
Moustache version[edit]
Hysterics version[edit]
Confetti's version[edit]
Yello version[edit]
Johann K. version[edit]
Crazy Frog version[edit]
| Kimberley Locke version[edit]
Basshunter version[edit]
Glee Cast version[edit]
Michael Bublé and the Puppini Sisters version[edit]
3js version[edit]
Jim Reeves version[edit]
Lauren Daigle version[edit]
Sam Ryder version[edit]
Meghan Trainor version[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Germany (BVMI)[93] | Gold | 300,000‡ |
| Italy (FIMI)[94] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[95] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[96] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Italy (FIMI)[97] | Platinum | 70,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[98] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
, 1941 film withGloria Jean| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
