Jingle Bells
Jan Garber And His Orchestra Lyrics

Dashing through the snow
Moving quickly and energetically across the snow-covered ground

In a one-horse open sleigh
Riding on a type of carriage pulled by a single horse, which has no roof or sides

O'er the fields we go
Going over and across the wide open fields

Laughing all the way (ha ha ha)
Enjoining a good laugh among companions along this fun ride

Bells on bob-tails ring
The bell rings are tied to the tail end of the horses pulling the sleigh

Making spirits bright
The jingling sounds of bells awaken positive energy and cheerfulness to all involved

Oh what fun it is to ride and sing
Expressing how much fun it is to enjoy this ride and sing along with friends

A sleighing song tonight
Singing this specific song on this night of sleighing makes it more festive

Oh jingle bells, jingle bells
Expressing enthusiasm for the sound made by the bells

Jingle all the way
Hoping the merry sound of jingling bells continue to sound along this ride

Oh what fun it is to ride
Reaffirming the pleasures of riding in a sleigh pulled by horses

In a one-horse open sleigh
Emphasizing the particular type of sleigh being ridden

A day or two ago
Starting to reminisce about an event that happened recently

I thought I'd take a ride
Had the idea and impulse to take a ride

And soon Miss Fanny Bright
Introduced the presence of a woman named Fanny Bright

Was seated by my side
She was invited to join in the ride

The horse was lean and lank
'Lean and lank' describes the body condition of a horse, looking thin and gaunt

Misfortune seemed his lot
The horse had an unlucky fate based on its appearance

We ran into a drifted bank
Describing an accident that occurred, crashing into a pile of snow that was drifted by the wind

And there we got upshot
This collision was the final / only result til that time

The story I must tell
Returning to the story that was teased at the beginning

I went out on the snow
Describing the weather conditions when this event happened

And on my back I fell
Describing the unfortunate event of slipping on the snow and falling on the back

A gent was riding by
Introducing the presence of a gentleman, who was passing by and happened to see the fall

In a one-horse open sleigh
Showing the similarity between the gentleman's ride and the one in which the song began

He laughed at me as I there sprawling laid
Sharing the gentleman's reaction upon witnessing the fall, mocking the singer lying there helpless

But quickly drove away
The gentleman left without offering help, although he stopped for a short while to witness the scene

Now the ground is white
Moving forward, describing the current weather and ground cover

Go it while you're young
Expressing the need to take advantage of the youth and spirit of adventure

Take the girls along
For the men to bring along their female companions or friends

And sing this sleighing song
Encouraging the group to continue with the festive mood and enjoy singing along the sleigh ride

Just bet a bob-tailed bay
Suggesting to use a horse with a trimmed tail, which is typically associated with increased speeds

Two-forty as his speed
An impressive speed that can be achieved by the type of horse suggested earlier

Hitch him to an open sleigh
Attach the horse to the open sleigh mentioned throughout the whole story

And, crack, you'll take the lead
The speed and timing will generate a crisp sound and one can become the leader of the ride