I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day
Bing Crosby/Frank Sinatra/Fred Waring & His Pennsylvanians Lyrics
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Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th' unbroken song
And in despair I bowed my head
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men."
Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
The lyrics of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" describe a moment of despair and hope. The singer initially hears the familiar sound of Christmas bells ringing, the words of the carols repeating the message of peace on earth and goodwill to all humanity. However, the singer's thoughts turn to the reality of the world they live in, one where hate and violence seem to hold sway. This realization leads the singer to briefly lose hope, declaring that there can be no peace on earth when such darkness reigns.
Yet, the bells continue to peal, growing louder and more intense until the singer can hear a voice that proclaims that God is not dead and the wrong shall fail. This voice reassures the singer that the right shall prevail, and that despite the temporary darkness, peace on earth and goodwill to all will ultimately triumph.
The song's lyrics are based on a poem called "Christmas Bells" written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on December 25, 1863, during the American Civil War, after he had heard church bells ringing in celebration of Christmas. The poem was later set to music by John Baptiste Calkin.
Longfellow was inspired to write the poem after his son, Charles, was severely wounded in battle. He had also recently lost his wife, who had died in a fire, and was mourning the general sense of division and strife in the country.
The song has been covered by numerous artists, including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Johnny Cash. The version by Johnny Cash features additional verses that address social issues such as war and poverty.
The song was also featured in several holiday-themed films, including "Home Alone 2" and "The Polar Express."
In 1956, Bing Crosby's rendition of the song peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard charts, making it the highest-charting version of the song in history.
The song has also been adapted for the stage and was featured in the Broadway musical "Hallelujah, Baby!"
In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the song's message of hope and peace became even more resonant, with many artists incorporating it into their concerts and performances.
The song's message of peace and hope continues to make it a popular addition to holiday playlists and church services around the world.
Chords (in the key of C): C, Am, F, G, Dm, Em, G7.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard the bells on Christmas day
I perceive the sound of the bells ringing on Christmas day.
Their old familiar carols play,
The bells are playing the same traditional carols as they do every year.
And wild and sweet the words repeat
The lyrics of the carols are both lively and delightful.
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
The lyrics promote an ideal of a world where all humans coexist in a peaceful and benevolent manner.
I thought how, as the day had come,
As the day progressed, I meditated on...
The belfries of all Christendom
I pondered on the bell towers of all the Christian churches.
Had rolled along th' unbroken song
which continued to play the uninterrupted melody
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
that advocates for the oneness and benevolence of all humanity.
And in despair I bowed my head
But then, I became overcome with negativity and lowered my head in sadness.
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
I concluded that the world had no hope for peace and made that declaration.
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
I attributed the hateful nature of our surroundings to overpowering the peaceful message.
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
That acts as a force which ridicules the song that advocates for harmony and compassion among humanity.
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
Suddenly, the bells started ringing with an even greater intensity and depth.
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
A voice from within, as if in response to my despondency, echoed to remind me that God is not inactive or inaccessible.
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
It spoke to the universality of humanity and ensured that eventually, justice will triumph over injustice.
With peace on earth, good will to men."
This message promotes the ideal of a peaceful world where all humans coexist in harmony and benevolence.
Till ringing, singing on its way
Then, the bells kept on ringing and singing out loud and persistent even as time passed.
The world revolved from night to day,
And the world continued to move, transitioning from one state of being to another.
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
The sound of the bells was more than just a song, but a call to all humanity.
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
It exhorted for a world patterned in peace and goodwill amongst all humans.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JUSTIN ROBERT CASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jimhilliker2450
Love Frank's voice. Thank you. This was in our Christmas music rotation in the 1990s at the station I worked for.
@oldbeatpete
ah, you're a dj.
@musiccollector
One of my all-time favorites. THANK YOU!
"There is no peace on earth...". Nothing has changed, sadly. :-(
@mrob75
Very nice...beautiful!
@wmbrown6
There was a promo copy of this issued in, of all years, 1970. It was pressed by the Columbia plant in Pitman, NJ, and bore, incredibly enough, their own label fonts, rather than Santa Maria's or even the Bert-Co label fonts seen here.
@oldbeatpete
(There's Mr. Brown, he's awesome ((and a Merry Cmas sir!))..... very knowledgeable).
@john111257
The mafia man singing Christmas doesnt cut with me