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.
Jingle Bells
Alvin and The Chipmunks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way
Bells on bob tails ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to laugh 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
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open 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
We got into a drifted bank
And then we got upsot
Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh yeah
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
The song "Jingle Bells" is a classic Christmas carol that has been popular since the mid-19th century. The lyrics describe the experience of riding in a one horse open sleigh through the snow, enjoying the bells on the horse's bob tail ringing and laughing all the way. The first verse sets up the main theme of the song, which is the fun and joy of sleigh riding. The second verse continues this theme, emphasizing the merriment of the experience with the added joy of singing and laughing together.
The third verse introduces a personal anecdote about the singer's own experience riding in a one horse open sleigh with a companion named Miss Fanny Bright. Unfortunately, the horse runs into trouble and the sleigh crashes into a snowbank, causing them to become "upsot." Despite this mishap, the song ends on a positive note with the repeated refrain of jingle bells and the fun of sleigh riding.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
The song starts with an exclamation to the sound of jingle bells which is a popular Christmas tune.
Jingle all the way
The bells keep jingling all the way and it shows the excitement and joy of the singer.
Oh, what fun it is to ride
The singer finds it exhilarating to ride in a one horse open sleigh listening to the sound of the jingle bells.
In a one horse open sleigh
The singer emphasizes that they are riding in a one horse open sleigh, which adds to the Christmasy feel of the song.
Dashing through the snow
The singer depicts the act of moving through the snow at a high speed.
O'er the fields we go
The singer depicts the image of snow fields in which they are dashing through.
Laughing all the way
The singer is filled with joy and excitement while riding the open sleigh through the snow.
Bells on bob tails ring
The bells attached to the horse's tail rings while they are dashing through the snow.
Making spirits bright
The sound of bells enlightens the mood and brings happiness to the people around, making their spirits bright.
What fun it is to laugh and sing
The singer is enjoying the moment so much that they can't help but laugh and sing, expressing their excitement and joy.
A sleighing song tonight
The song is meant to be a tribute to the act of sleighing and the joy it brings on a winter's night.
A day or two ago
The singer reflects back on an incident that happened a day or two ago.
I thought I'd take a ride
The singer decides to take a ride in a sleigh on a whim.
And soon Miss Fanny Bright
The singer has a companion named Miss Fanny Bright who joins them on the ride.
Was seated by my side
Miss Fanny Bright sits beside the singer on the ride.
The horse was lean and lank
The horse pulling the sleigh was thin and had a frail appearance.
Misfortune seemed his lot
The horse's fate doesn't seem favourable.
We got into a drifted bank
The sleigh got stuck in a pile of snow that has been blown by the wind.
And then we got upsot
The sleigh got overturned when it got stuck in the snow.
In a one horse open sleigh yeah
The song ends with the same phrase it started with, which is to remind the listener that this song is about the joy of riding in a one horse open sleigh listening to the sound of jingle bells.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHUCK HOWARD, EDDY ARNOLD, JAMES PIERPONT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind