branched out into music, but that is the opposite of how they began. After first being brought to life in Bagdasarian's 1950s novelty recordings under the name David Seville and the Chipmunks, the characters were an unprecedented success, and the singing Chipmunks and their manager were given life in several animated cartoon series and motion pictures.
The voices of the group were all performed by Bagdasarian, who sped up the playback to create the higher pitched, squeaky voices. This process was not entirely new; Bagdasarian had also used it for a previous novelty song project, "The Witch Doctor", but it was so unusual and well executed it earned the "trio" two Grammy Awards for engineering. Although the characters were fictional, they did release a long line of "real" albums and singles, with "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" becoming a number-one hit single in the United States. After his death in 1972, the voices of the Chipmunks were subsequently recorded by his son, Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., and his wife, Janice Karman, in all subsequent incarnations to date.
Ho Ho Ho
Alvin and The Chipmunks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And jingle jingle
Bells are ringing all around
Snowflakes fall and lights adorn our
Very merry tinsel town
Ho ho ho
And jingle jingle
Christmas gifts lie patiently
Beneath our decorated tree
Fa ya la la ya la la la leee
Merry Christmas!
Happy Hannukah!
It's that time
To send a gift
To those of us less fortunate
Alvin: Dave, if Christmas is so merry
Why did you say, it makes you uptight?
Uh, I never said that Alvin
Yes you did
I don't need this from you, Theodore
You said you can't wait for it to be over and that
Ho ho ho, Alvin, that's your line, ho ho ho
Ho ho ho
And jingle jingle
Carolers sing merrily
Presents promise happiness
If only temporarily
Ho ho ho
And jingle jingle
Grandma sends a baby truck
We are way to old for that
But Dave tells us to suck it up
Fa ya la la ya la la la yup!
Merry Christmas!
Happy Hannukah!
It's that time
To send a gift
To those of us less fortunate
Like, cash Grandma, send us cash
Alvin!
No more trucks grandma
Yeah
Uh-shall we just stick to the lyrics I wrote, PLEASE!
Alvin: Aw- well you're in a bad mood anyway, and just be
I am NOT IN A BAD MOOD!
Dave, you always said to be honest with our feelings
So!
Just admit your stressed
I am NOT STRESSED!
Ho ho ho
And jingle jingle
Cars are honking constantly
Giving David headaches
And increasing his anxiety
Ho ho ho
And jingle jingle
Grown-ups seem to go beserk
Why are parents so wigged-out
When Santa Claus does all the work?
Fa ya la la ya la la beserk!
Uh-okay hold it right there guys
This is not what I wrote and I never said to suck it up!
Yes you did
Suck it up fellas, just quit your whining and suck it up
That's what you said, Dave
Uh- can we just stick to the song!
We're just trying to express our feelings
And just because we want iPods and cash, AND YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND
Oh just suck it up, Alvin
Ha ha gotcha!
Alvin!
You are so busted!
Alvin!
Oh just admit that-
Dave: ALVIN!
Ho ho ho
And jingle jingle
Bells are ringing all around
Snowflakes fall and lights adorn our
Very merry tinsel town
Ooh yeah
Oh
Oh yeah yeah
Ooh yeah
Oh
In the beginning of the song, the lyrics describe the atmosphere of the holiday season - the sound of bells ringing and snowflakes falling, as well as the decorations and lights that adorn the town. This sets the scene for the holiday cheer that the song is meant to convey. It then goes on to talk about the tradition of sitting on Santa's lap and receiving gifts beneath the decorated tree, emphasizing the idea of family and togetherness during the holidays.
However, as the song progresses, tensions begin to rise between Dave and The Chipmunks. Dave is accused of not enjoying the holiday season and wanting it to be over, which causes him to become defensive and deny these claims. The Chipmunks express their desire for monetary gifts rather than toys, which leads to a comedic interaction between them and Dave as they continue to deviate from the original lyrics he wrote. The song ends with Dave attempting to get everyone back on track and sticking to the original lyrics, while The Chipmunks continue to tease him about his supposed lack of holiday cheer.
Line by Line Meaning
Ho ho ho
This is the repeated chorus of the song
And jingle jingle
This is the repeated chorus of the song
Bells are ringing all around
Everyone is getting festive and spreading Christmas cheer
Snowflakes fall and lights adorn our
Very merry tinsel town
The town is decorated with lights and tinsel, and it looks very festive
Santa sits us on his knee
Christmas gifts lie patiently
Beneath our decorated tree
Fa ya la la ya la la la leee
The children are excited to see Santa and the wrapped presents under the Christmas tree
Merry Christmas!
Happy Hannukah!
It's that time
To send a gift
To those of us less fortunate
It's the holiday season and a time to give back to those who are less fortunate
Dave, if Christmas is so merry
Why did you say, it makes you uptight?
Alvin is questioning Dave's statements about Christmas
Uh, I never said that Alvin
Yes you did
Dave is denying that he said anything negative about Christmas, but Alvin is insisting that he did
I don't need this from you, Theodore
Dave is frustrated with Alvin's behavior and taking it out on Theodore
You said you can't wait for it to be over and that
Ho ho ho, Alvin, that's your line, ho ho ho
Alvin is teasing Dave by repeating his earlier remarks and making fun of him
Carolers sing merrily
Presents promise happiness
If only temporarily
People are caroling and exchanging presents, which bring temporary happiness
Grandma sends a baby truck
We are way to old for that
But Dave tells us to suck it up
Fa ya la la ya la la la yup!
Dave is telling the children to be grateful for the gifts they receive, even if they are not what they wanted
Like, cash Grandma, send us cash
Alvin!
No more trucks grandma
Yeah
The children are hoping for cash as a gift instead of toys from their Grandma
Uh-shall we just stick to the lyrics I wrote, PLEASE!
Alvin: Aw- well you're in a bad mood anyway, and just be
Dave is getting frustrated with the children's behavior and wants them to stick to the original lyrics of the song
Ho ho ho
And jingle jingle
Cars are honking constantly
Giving David headaches
And increasing his anxiety
Dave is stressed out by the noise and chaos of the holiday season
Grown-ups seem to go beserk
Why are parents so wigged-out
When Santa Claus does all the work?
Fa ya la la ya la la beserk!
The children are confused as to why adults get so stressed during the holiday season despite Santa Claus doing all the work
Uh-okay hold it right there guys
This is not what I wrote and I never said to suck it up!
Yes you did
Suck it up fellas, just quit your whining and suck it up
That's what you said, Dave
Uh- can we just stick to the song!
The children are not sticking to the original lyrics of the song and Dave is getting frustrated with them for not doing so
We're just trying to express our feelings
And just because we want iPods and cash, AND YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND
Oh just suck it up, Alvin
Ha ha gotcha!
Alvin!
You are so busted!
Alvin!
Oh just admit that-
Dave: ALVIN!
The children are upset with Dave because they feel like he doesn't understand what they want for Christmas, and Dave is getting annoyed with their behavior
Ooh yeah
Oh
Oh yeah yeah
Ooh yeah
Oh
These last few lyrics are just the melody of the song
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Janice Karman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind