Carol of the Bells
Christmas Songs Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hark! how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say,
"Throw cares away."
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old
Meek and the bold

Ding, dong, ding, dong
That is their song
With joyful ring
All caroling
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From ev'rywhere
Filling the air

Oh how they pound,
Raising the sound,
O'er hill and dale,
Telling their tale,
Gaily they ring
While people sing
Songs of good cheer
Christmas is here
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas

On, on they send
On without end
Their joyful tone
To ev'ry home

[Repeat from the beginning]





Ding, dong, ding, dong

Overall Meaning

The Carol of the Bells is a holiday classic that has been around for over a century. The song's opening line "Hark! how the bells" alludes to the sound of Christmas bells ringing joyfully in the air. The sweet silver bells "throw cares away" and signal the arrival of Christmas, bringing good cheer to "young and old, Meek and the bold." It's a song of celebration, of people coming together to spread joy and love during the holiday season.


The lyrics then go on to describe the bells' ringing, with their joyful tone spreading to every home. The chorus repeats the message of Christmas as a time of joy, and the song ends with the phrase "Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas." The Carol of the Bells is a simple yet powerful ode to the joys of the holiday season, reminding us of the importance of family, love, and the magic of Christmas.


Line by Line Meaning

Hark! how the bells
Listen! The sound of the bells is calling our attention


Sweet silver bells
The bells have a pleasing, soft and metallic sound


All seem to say, "Throw cares away."
The sound of the bells encourages us to forget our worries and enjoy the moment


Christmas is here, Bringing good cheer
The holiday season arrives bringing joy and happiness


To young and old, Meek and the bold
Everyone, regardless of their age or personality, can experience the Christmas spirit


Ding, dong, ding, dong, That is their song
The sound of the bells, ringing repetitively, creates a musical and festive tune


With joyful ring, All caroling
The bells echo in high pitch, accompanied by songs and carols


One seems to hear, Words of good cheer
The bells' sound carries a message of happiness and hope


From ev'rywhere, Filling the air
The bells' sound can be heard everywhere, spreading the Christmas spirit


Oh how they pound, Raising the sound, O'er hill and dale, Telling their tale
The bells' sound intensifies, loud enough to be heard across the fields, telling the story of the holiday season


Gaily they ring, While people sing, Songs of good cheer, Christmas is here
The bells ring with enthusiasm, complemented by the singing of the people, celebrating the arrival of Christmas


Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas, Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
A cheerful and festive greeting, wishing everyone a happy and merry Christmas


On, on they send, On without end, Their joyful tone, To ev'ry home
The bells' sound continues, without stopping, sending their joyful message to every home


Ding, dong, ding, dong
The bells continue to ring, creating a festive atmosphere




Contributed by Ellie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@positivevibes555

Since the composition was written by Ukrainian composer, called โ€œShchedrykโ€ hereโ€™re the original lyrics in Ukrainian โค๏ธ โ€œSwallow has flownโ€ symbolizes good news (The birth of Jesus)
Shchedryk, shchedryk,
shchedrivochka,
A swallow has flown,
It began to twitter,
And call the master:
"Come out, come out, O Master,
Take a look at the sheep pen,
There the ewes have given birth,
And the lambkins have been born,
All your goods are great,
And you will be rich
Though not money, it is chaff โ€”
You have a dark-eyebrowed wife
A swallow has flown.



@_.STAR_

Pug Mommy : I agree ! Based on an old Ukrainian folk song, the ORIGINAL lyrics describes a swallow ~ a herald of Spring ~ flying into a household to proclaim the plentiful & lucky year that the family will have with the coming of Spring .

The folk song, believed to have magical powers, was sung in many Ukrainian villages on the night of Jan. 13 ~ New Year's Eve on the Julian calendar ~ usually by adolescent girls going house to house in celebration of the new year. In Ukraine, the song is STILL sung on THAT night ~ January 13 .

The melody was arranged in 1904 by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych ( 1877~1921 ) & titled " Shchedryk ", a Ukrainian word which means " bountiful ". Throughout the composition Leontovych used a four note motif as an ostinato which was taken from an ancient pagan Ukrainian New Year's chant .

When American choir director & arranger Peter Wilhousky ( 1902~1978 ) heard Leontovych's choral work, it reminded him of ringing bells , so he wrote NEW lyrics to convey that imagery . He copyrighted & published the new lyrics in 1936, along with the title "Carol of the Bells", which was harmonious with the old Slavic legend that at midnight on the evening Jesus was born all the bells on Earth started to ring of their own accord in his honor. Since then the song has become a popular Christmas carol , especially in the US & Canada where it is also known as " Ukrainian Bell Carol ".

During the night of January 22~23, 1921, Mykola Leontovych, ( recognized worldwide today ) , was murdered by a soviet agent for his pro Ukrainian independence views ( many of Ukraine's creative genius & intelligentsia were murdered for the same reason ) .

By the way , I'm of Ukrainian descent . Cheers from Vancouver, B. C. , Canada ! : )



All comments from YouTube:

@essianmavex7549

This carol feels like im running for my life from christmas ghosts, I love it.

@jadetheslime3140

The Snow Spirits will find you...

@stalkrr3074

@Jade the Slime its a Ukrainian song. there are no ghosts

@jadetheslime3140

@Stalkrr i was joking.

@canned_crickets

The ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future are coming for you..

@mancave10369

Speed up the song increasingly while running around a decorated dark mansion lol. ๐Ÿ‘ป ๐ŸŽ

38 More Replies...

@GlassesnMouthplates

Possibly the only song that has "Ding Dong Ding Dong" in its lyrics yet still sounds badass.

@kreton4280

what about you touch my tralala?

@Scarlett.Granger

I'd like to add the "bells" of Notre Dame, in The Hunchback of Notre Dame...

@mfjosh6422

Maybe apart from the Dr Dre song ๐Ÿ˜…

More Comments

More Versions