"Jingle Bell Rock" is a popular Christmas song first recorded by Bobby Helm… Read Full Bio ↴"Jingle Bell Rock" is a popular Christmas song first recorded by Bobby Helms in 1957. Since its release, it has received frequent airplay in the United States during every Christmas season since then. “Jingle Bell Rock" was composed by Joseph Carleton Beal and James Ross Boothe, however Bobby Helms and his guitarist Hank Garland dispute this, saying they changed up the song enough that it did not resemble what the former songwriters produced. Despite this, they did not receive any songwriting credits.

Now, “Jingle Bell Rock" has been performed by many, but Helms' first version from 1957 produced by Paul Cohen is the most well known. Other significant examples are The Beach Boys and Brenda Lee’s versions.
The song's title and some of its lyrics are an extension of the old Christmas standard, "Jingle Bells".

Jingle Bell Rock
Bobby Helms Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
Snowin' and blowin' up bushels of fun
Now the jingle hop has begun

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancin' and prancin' in Jingle Bell Square

In the frosty air

What a bright time, it's the right time
To rock the night away
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go glidin' in a one-horse sleigh

Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock
Mix and a-mingle in the jinglin' feet
That's the jingle bell rock

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bell chime in jingle bell time
Dancin' and prancin' in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air

What a bright time, it's the right time
To rock the night away
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go glidin' in a one-horse sleigh

Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock
Mix and a-mingle in the jinglin' feet
That's the jingle bell

That's the jingle bell
That's the jingle bell rock

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Bobby Helms's "Jingle Bell Rock" are a lively and upbeat celebration of Christmastime fun. The jingling of bell sounds accompanies the swinging of the bells and ringing, as well as the rhythm of the song itself. The atmosphere is jovial and exciting, snowing and blowing "bushels of fun," and the "jingle hop" has begun. The setting is in Jingle Bell Square, with people dancing and prancing, and the air is frosty. The lyrics evoke a feeling of joy and excitement associated with holiday festivities.

The lyrics also make use of seasonal motifs such as the one-horse sleigh, which is a traditional mode of transportation during winter in snowy weather. The jingle horse is urged to "giddy-up" while the jingle bells continue to ring, mix and mingle with the feet shuffling in harmony. The song expresses that Jingle Bell Time is a fantastic time to rock the night away, with friends, loved ones, or during celebrations. A unique aspect of the song is that it includes both the words "Jingle Bell" and "Rock" in the title, which ties together the sound of the instruments with the lively rhythm of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Let's make merry and jingle while we rock!

Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
The bells are swinging and ringing, spreading joy everywhere.

Snowin' and blowin' up bushels of fun
While it's snowing and blowing outside, let's have some fun together.

Now the jingle hop has begun
The festive jingle hop has commenced, let's join in.

Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
The bells are chiming at the perfect jingle bell moment.

Dancin' and prancin' in Jingle Bell Square
Let's dance and prance around in the beautiful Jingle Bell Square.

In the frosty air
With the chilly winter air all around us.

What a bright time, it's the right time
It's the ideal time for some gleeful festivities.

To rock the night away
Let's party all night and enjoy ourselves.

Jingle bell time is a swell time
The jingle bell time is terrific and full of fun.

To go glidin' in a one-horse sleigh
Let's enjoy the snowy ride in a cozy one-horse sleigh.

Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
The jingle horse needs to hurry up and lift its feet up in excitement.

Jingle around the clock
Keep jingling around the clock, never stop partying.

Mix and a-mingle in the jinglin' feet
Get together, mingle and dance with the jingling sounds of the bells.

That's the jingle bell rock
This is what the jingle bell rock feels like and sounds like, let's enjoy it.

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Joseph Beal, James Boothe

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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