Born in Bloomington, Indiana into a musical family, he began performing as a duo with his brother before going on to a successful solo career in country music. In 1956, Helms made his way to Nashville, Tennessee where he signed a recording contract with Decca Records. The following year would be filled with astonishing successes. Helms' first single in 1957 titled "Fraulein" went to No. 1 on the country music charts and made it into the Top 40 on the pop music charts. Later that same year he released "My Special Angel" that also went to No. 1 on the country charts and entered the Top 10 on Billboard magazines pop music charts, peaking at No. 7.
Released just a few days before Christmas of 1957, his song "Jingle Bell Rock" was a big hit but uniquely, it re-emerged four out of the next five years and sold so well that it repeated each time as a top hit and became a Christmas classic still played to this day.
Bobby Helms continued touring and recording for the next three decades. His pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Helms spent most of his later years living just outside of Martinsville, Indiana, until the time of his death from emphysema and asthma in 1997.
Silver Bells
Bobby Helms Lyrics
Jump to: Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind
Wanting to start again
Do you ever feel
Feel so paper-thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in
Already buried deep
Six feet under
Screams but no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's
Still a chance for you
'Cause there's a spark in you
You just gotta
Ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
'Cause baby, you're a firework
Come on show them what you're worth
Make them go, "Oh, oh, oh"
As you shoot across the sky
Baby, you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make them go, "Oh, oh, oh"
You're gonna leave them all in awe
You don't have to feel
Like a waste of space
You're original
Cannot be replaced
If you only knew
What the future holds
After a hurricane
Comes a rainbow
Maybe the reason why
All the doors are closed
So you could open one
That leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt
Your heart will glow
And when it's time you know
You just gotta
Ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
'Cause baby, you're a firework
Come on show them what you're worth
Make them go, "Oh, oh, oh"
As you shoot across the sky
Baby, you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make them go, "Oh, oh, oh"
You're gonna leave them all in awe
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through
'Cause baby, you're a firework
Come on show them what you're worth
Make them go, "Oh, oh, oh"
As you shoot across the sky
Baby, you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make them go, "Oh, oh, oh"
You're gonna leave them all in awe
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Do you ever feel
Have you ever experienced a sensation
Like a plastic bag
Similar to a disposable shopping bag made of plastic
Drifting through the wind
Moving aimlessly with the airflow
Wanting to start again
Desiring to begin anew
Feel so paper-thin
Being very thin and fragile
Like a house of cards
As easily toppled as a stack of playing cards
One blow from caving in
On the brink of collapse
Already buried deep
Already covered and surrounded
Six feet under
Underground, at a depth of six feet
Screams but no one seems to hear a thing
Shouting but nobody appears to listen
Do you know that there's
Are you aware that there exists
Still a chance for you
There is still an opportunity for you
'Cause there's a spark in you
Because there is an inner potential within you
You just gotta
You simply need to
Ignite the light
Illuminate your spirit
And let it shine
And allow it to radiate outwardly
Just own the night
Take full control of the moment
Like the Fourth of July
Like a national holiday with fireworks
'Cause baby, you're a firework
You are a strong and dazzling presence
Come on show them what you're worth
Demonstrate to others your true value
Make them go, "Oh, oh, oh"
Elicit a notable reaction in observers
As you shoot across the sky
Like flying through the air
You don't have to feel
You are not required to be full of emotion
Like a waste of space
As if you have no purpose or value
You're original
You are unique and one of a kind
Cannot be replaced
There is no substitute for your individuality
If you only knew
If you just had the knowledge
What the future holds
What events are in store for the future
After a hurricane
Following a violent storm
Comes a rainbow
A colorful arch is produced
Maybe the reason why
Possibly the explanation for why
All the doors are closed
Every opportunity seems to be unavailable
So you could open one
So you are able to discover an opportunity
That leads you to the perfect road
That guides you on the ideal path
Like a lightning bolt
Similar to a sudden and electrifying flash
Your heart will glow
Your inner light will radiate outwardly
And when it's time you know
And when the moment is right, you will realize
Boom, boom, boom
The sound of fireworks exploding
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Exhibiting more radiance than the moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
It has always been a part of your essence
And now it's time to let it through
And now is the moment to expose it to the world
Writer(s): JAY LIVINGSTON, RAY EVANS
Contributed by Alyssa Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.