He was one of the most… Read Full Bio ↴Move over,the "Ol' Professor", Kay Kyser is BACK!
He was one of the most outrageous, over the top performers of the whole swing era. From the late 30s to the late 40s he was the physical embodiment of the word success, with eleven #1 records and thirty-five top tens! He starred in seven feature films with such co-stars as Lucille Ball, John Barrymore, Karloff, Lugosi, Lorre. Kyser kept his radio show, Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge in the top ten for eleven years on NBC, yet if you ask the average swing fan about him today, they'll likely reply, "Kay Kyser. Who's she?"
You see, Kay Kyser disappeared from the general public in 1950. Quit. Went home. Never came back. Made his million, then left without even making an announcement. In contrast to his zany character onstage, he was equally as serious off. "As exuberant as he was while performing, at a party you couldn't get him aroused..." said KK orchestra singer, "Handsome" Harry Babbitt to this writer in a 1995 interview for the upcoming 1 hour TV retrospective on Kay & the band, KAY KYSER- the OL' PROFESSOR of SWING!
"But those were magic days..." says Babbitt who, along with Sully Mason, Ginny Simms, Ish Kabibble (real name Merwyn Bogue) helped make the Kyser band a solid, first-rate performing unit. The duets Babbitt performed w/ Simms were "like buttah", whether they were beautiful ballads like YOU & I or spoofing Romeo & Juliet in WAY BACK IN 1939 A.D. THIS band was secure enough to be downright silly, something the Millers and Goodmans would never have done. But for any detractors, let it be known that the silliness was ONE side of this incrediby gifted bunch of people whom KK guitarist/composer Roc Hillman called a "functional family.""Everyone got along, and it was happy times all the time," says Roc. "Kay believed if HE didn't have fun- no one had fun." One can't forget the enormous contributions of arranger/ composer George Duning, who gave the band its sound, and eventually went on to score many well known films.
Jingle Jangle Jingle
Kay Kyser & His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There'll be no wedding bells for today
'Cause I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle (jingle, jangle)
As I go ridin' merrily along (jingle, jangle)
And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single" (jingle, jangle)
And that song ain't so very far from wrong (jingle, jangle)
Oh, Lillie Belle (oh, Lillie Belle)
Though I may have done some foolin'
This is why I never fell
'Cause I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle (jingle, jangle)
As I go ridin' merrily along (jingle, jangle)
And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single" (jingle, jangle)
And that song ain't so very far from wrong (jingle, jangle)
Oh, I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle
(I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle)
As I go ridin' merrily along
(As I go ridin' merrily along)
And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single"
(And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single")
And that song ain't so very far from wrong
(And that song ain't so very far from wrong)
Oh, Lillie Belle
Oh, Lillie Belle
Though I may have done some foolin'
This is why I never fell (why I never fell)
'Cause I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle
(I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle)
As I go ridin' merrily along
(As I go ridin' merrily along)
And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single"
(And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single")
And that song ain't so very far from wrong
(And that song ain't so very far from wrong)
The lyrics of Kay Kyser's song "Jingle Jangle Jingle" express the joys of being a free and single man riding happily through life. The first line, "Yippee-yay, there'll be no wedding bells for today," clearly sets the tone for the song, indicating that the singer is glad to be unattached to any romantic obligations. The next few lines, "Cause I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle, as I go ridin' merrily along, and they sing 'Oh, ain't you glad you're single'," further reinforce this message, as the singer revels in the joyful sound of his spurs and the recognition that being single is a lucky coincidence.
The line, "And that song ain't so very far from wrong," at the end of each verse, solidifies the singer's conviction that being single is the best way to live life. The repeated phrase "Oh, Lillie Belle," in each verse, may refer to a former love interest, but the line "Though I may have done some foolin', this is why I never fell," suggests that the singer has learned from past romantic experiences and is content with his current state. Overall, the song celebrates the sense of freedom and independence that many people treasure, especially those who favor the cowboy lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
Yippee-yay
Expressing excitement or joy
There'll be no wedding bells for today
There will be no marriage today
'Cause I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle (jingle, jangle)
I have spurs on my boots that make a jingling sound
As I go ridin' merrily along (jingle, jangle)
I am riding my horse happily and the spurs are jingling
And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single" (jingle, jangle)
People sing a song and say that being single is great while my spurs are jingling
And that song ain't so very far from wrong (jingle, jangle)
The song is quite accurate and being single is enjoyable while my spurs jingle
Oh, Lillie Belle (oh, Lillie Belle)
Addressing someone named Lillie Belle
Oh, Lillie Belle (oh, Lillie Belle)
Again addressing someone named Lillie Belle
Though I may have done some foolin'
I may have indulged in some mischief
This is why I never fell
However, I have never been in love
'Cause I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle (jingle, jangle)
My spurs make a jingling sound which is one of the reasons I never fell in love
As I go ridin' merrily along (jingle, jangle)
I am happy while riding my horse and the jingling sound of my spurs reinforces my lack of attachment
And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single" (jingle, jangle)
People still sing the song about the benefits of being single as I ride along with my spurs jingling
And that song ain't so very far from wrong (jingle, jangle)
The song is not wrong at all which my spurs jingling imply
Oh, I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle (I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle)
Reiteration of the fact that I have spurs on my boots that make a jingling sound
As I go ridin' merrily along (As I go ridin' merrily along)
Reiteration that I am happily riding my horse
And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single" (And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single")
Reiteration that people are still singing the song about the advantages of being single
And that song ain't so very far from wrong (And that song ain't so very far from wrong)
Reiteration that the song is accurate and being single is enjoyable
Oh, Lillie Belle
Addressing Lillie Belle again
Oh, Lillie Belle
Once again addressing Lillie Belle
Though I may have done some foolin'
Repeating that I may have played some pranks
This is why I never fell (why I never fell)
Reiteration that I have never fallen in love because of my playful nature
'Cause I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle (I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle)
Once again stating that my spurs make a jingling sound which reinforces my single status
As I go ridin' merrily along (As I go ridin' merrily along)
Reiteration that I am still enjoying my ride on the horse
And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single" (And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single")
The people are still singing that being single is great
And that song ain't so very far from wrong (And that song ain't so very far from wrong)
And that song is quite accurate
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joseph Lilley, Frank Loesser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind