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From 1923 until late 1932, "Waring's Pennsylvanians" were among Victor Records best-selling bands. In late 1932, he abruptly quit recording, although his band continued to perform on radio. In 1933, "You Gotta Be A Football Hero" was performed on radio to great acclaim, and some recordings of this still exist.
Adding a men's singing group to his ensemble, he recruited Robert Shaw, recently out of the Pomona College glee club, to train his singers. Shaw later founded the Robert Shaw Chorale, directed the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and became America’s preeminent conductor of serious choral music. The Waring glee club sound can be detected in some Robert Shaw Chorale recordings.
During World War II, Waring and his ensemble appeared at war bond rallies and entertained the troops at training camps. He also composed and/or performed dozens of patriotic songs, his most famous being "My America." Throughout the 1940s and early 1950s, Waring and His Pennsylvanians produced a string of hits, selling millions of records. A few of his many choral hits include "Sleep," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "Button Up Your Overcoat," "White Christmas," "Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor" and "Dancing In The Dark."
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Fred Waring Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Their old familiar carols play
And wild and sweet, the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men
I thought as now this day had come
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rung so long the unbroken song
(Peace on earth, good will to men)
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 peeled 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
(Ding dong, ding dong)
(Ding dong, ding dong)
(Ding)
In Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians' song "I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day", the lyrics describe the experience of hearing the bells on Christmas day and being reminded of the old familiar carols that play. The words of the carols repeat and emphasize the message of peace on earth and goodwill towards all men. However, the singer is filled with despair and doubt about the possibility of peace on earth because of the strong presence of hate in the world.
As the bells continue to ring, they become more loud and deep, and the singer hears a reassuring message that God is not dead and the wrong shall fail while the right shall prevail, ultimately resulting in peace on earth and goodwill towards all. The bells serve as a symbol of hope and the belief that peace and goodwill can be achieved despite the world's problems.
The song's lyrics were written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863 during the American Civil War, a difficult time for the country with widespread violence and hate. Longfellow wrote this poem to express his despair and hopelessness about the war and his own personal losses, but also his hope for peace and the end of violence. Through the lyrics of the song, Longfellow expresses his belief in the resilience of humanity and the possibility of peace even in times of great turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard the bells on Christmas day
The singer listened to the ringing bells on Christmas day.
Their old familiar carols play,
The bells played traditional Christmas carols that were well-known to the listener.
And wild and sweet the words repeat
The words of the carols were passionate and pleasing to the listener.
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
The message of the carols was about peace and goodwill to all people.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The listener reflected upon the day's importance.
The belfries of all Christendom
Church bells across the Christian world
Had rolled along th' unbroken song
The Church's song about peace and goodwill has echoed through the world.
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
The Church's song was about peace and goodwill to all people.
And in despair I bowed my head
The artist became hopeless and sad.
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
The artist concluded that there was no real peace on the earth.
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Hatred is powerful and it undermines the message of peace.
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
The message of peace and goodwill is contradicted by the existence of hate.
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
The bells became louder and stronger.
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
God is not absent or inactive.
The wrong shall fail,
Evil and injustice will come to an end.
The right prevail
Goodness and justice will triumph.
With peace on earth, good will to men."
The outcome of the struggle between good and evil will be peace and goodwill to all people.
Till ringing, singing on its way
As the bells rang on, singing could be heard.
The world revolved from night to day,
The world transitioned from darkness to light.
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
The sound of the bells was beautiful and inspiring.
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
The message of peace and goodwill continued to be celebrated through the bells' ringing.
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., ST. NICHOLAS MUSIC INC., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Johnny Marks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind