The trio originally formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006 by Charles Kelley (lead and background vocals), Dave Haywood (background vocals, guitar, piano, mandolin) and Hillary Scott (lead and background vocals).
Scott is the daughter of country music singer Linda Davis, and Charles Kelley is the brother of pop artist Josh Kelley. It was these family connections and music industry ties that helped launch the band. Kelley moved to Nashville in mid-2005 from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he had been working construction with his brother John. Trying to become a successful solo country artist, Kelley convinced his old middle-school classmate, Haywood, to move to Nashville from Georgia in 2006 so they could write music together. Shortly thereafter, Scott recognized Kelley from MySpace, and they started to talk at a Nashville music club. Kelley later invited Scott to join him and Haywood in the new group, which assumed the name Lady Antebellum. The name Antebellum comes from when the group were photographing "antebellum" homes. The antebellum ('pre-war') architectural style describes the large plantation homes in the American South. While photographing the houses one of the group said that there's a great band name in there, and they adopted the Lady Antebellum name shortly after. The trio then began performing at local venues in Nashville before being signed in July 2007 to a recording contract with Capitol Records Nashville. In an interview with Sirius Satellite Radio, Scott claimed she was rejected from the hit show American Idol two times, not even making it past the first round.
Shortly after the trio signed to the label, adult contemporary artist Jim Brickman chose Lady Antebellum to sing on his 2007 single Never Alone, which reached #14 on the Billboard adult contemporary charts. In mid-2007, Lady Antebellum also wrote a song for the MTV reality television series The Hills.
Their solo debut single Love Don't Live Here was released in September of 2007, with a music video for the song following in December. This song was the lead-off single to the band's self-titled debut album. Released on April 15, 2008, Lady Antebellum was produced by Paul Worley and Victoria Shaw, a Nashville songwriter and former solo artist. Love Don't Live Here reached #3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. The album itself was the first album by a new duo or group to debut at Number One on the Billboard Top Country Albums charts.
A second single, Lookin' for a Good Time, was issued in June 2008 and peaked at #11 in December. In addition, Lady Antebellum was signed as an opening act on Martina McBride's "Waking Up Laughing Tour" in 2008. Lady Antebellum also contributed the song I Was Here to the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack, a song which peaked at #24 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 based on downloads. In December 2008, their rendition of Baby, It's Cold Outside peaked at #3 on the same chart. Their third official single, I Run to You, was released in January 2009. It eventually became the trio's first Number One in July 2009.
On October 7, 2009 their debut album was certified platinum by the RIAA for shipments of one million copies in the United States.
In August 2009, the group released their fourth single, Need You Now, the lead-off single and title track to their second studio album. It debuted at #50 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and became their second Number One hit on the charts for the week of November 28, 2009. The song also reached a peak of #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a number-one hit on the Hot Adult Contemporary chart, making it a crossover hit. A second single, American Honey, was released to radio on January 11, 2010 and would become their third #1 hit. Our Kind of Love was released as the third single from the album on May 31, 2010 and became a #1 single in September, 2010.
The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts for the week of Feb. 2, 2010, selling 480,922 copies in the first week. Four weeks after the album's release, it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
The week of January 9, 2011, the group ventured into the studio to begin recording for their third studio album. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kelley said, "We actually just went ahead and decided we’re gonna take two, two and a half months straight in the studio to create this thing and not have all this distraction. Hopefully that will be a good thing". He goes on to say that the group has around 50 songs which they plan to choose from along with songs from other songwriters. However, he singles out a song called Dancing Away With My Heart as one the band is particularly excited about, a song that the group co-wrote with Josh Kear, who previously wrote with the group on their hit Need You Now.
On May 2, 2011, the group released the first single from their upcoming album, titled Just a Kiss. The group performed the single on stage on American Idol's result show on May 5, 2011.
On June 11, 2020, amid the George Floyd protests, the band announced they would rename themselves "Lady A" in order to avoid racist connotations with Civil War history, as the original name was based on the Antebellum South. The band stated on social media that they were "deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued."
Silver Bells
Lady Antebellum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dressed in holiday style
In the air there's a feeling
Of Christmas
Children laughing, people passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you'll hear
Silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling
Hear them sing
Soon it will be Christmas Day
Strings of streetlights, even stoplights
Blink of bright red and green
As the shoppers rush home with their treasures
Hear the snow crunch
See the kids bunch
This is Santa's big scene
And above all this bustle you'll hear
Silver bells
Silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, hear them sing
Soon it will be Christmas Day
Ooh
Ooh
Ooh
Children laughing, people passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you'll hear
Silver bells
Silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling
Hear them sing
Soon it will be Christmas Day
Soon it will be Christmas Day
The song 'Silver Bells' by Lady Antebellum captures the essence of Christmas in a bustling city. As city sidewalks are filled with people rushing around for the holiday season, there is a feeling of excitement and cheer all around. The lyrics brilliantly paint a picture of the city streets, characterized by bright lights, decorations, and the sound of laughter from children and adults alike.
The chorus of the song, 'Silver Bells', refers to the sound of the jingling bells that are commonly associated with Christmas. The lyrics suggest that the sound of these bells is heard from every street corner, which further emphasizes the festive atmosphere of the city. Throughout the song, Lady Antebellum depicts a beautiful image of the city coming to life during this time of year.
Overall, the song 'Silver Bells' is a beautiful reminder of the joy and cheer that Christmas brings. It highlights the importance of spending time with loved ones and taking a moment to appreciate the beautiful sights and sounds that come with the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
Crowded passages filled with holiday cheer
Dressed in holiday style
Adorned with colorful decorations
In the air there's a feeling
A sense of Christmas spirit is circulating
Of Christmas
Festive season of celebration
Children laughing, people passing
Sounds of merry laughter and bustling crowds
Meeting smile after smile
Greeted by happy faces at every turn
And on every street corner you'll hear
Every intersection echoing with
Silver bells
Jingling chimes of bells in the wind
Silver bells
Chimes of bells ringing out
It's Christmas time in the city
The enchanting season has arrived in the metropolis
Ring-a-ling
Melodic ringing sound of the bells
Hear them sing
The bells harmoniously resonate
Soon it will be Christmas Day
The grand occasion will soon be upon us
Strings of streetlights, even stoplights
Lining the sidewalks are shimmering holiday lights, old and new
Blink of bright red and green
Bright and colorful flashes of red and green lights
As the shoppers rush home with their treasures
As shoppers hurry along carrying their cherished items
Hear the snow crunch
Audible sound of snow getting compressed underfoot
See the kids bunch
Children huddle into groups, often to watch a spectacle
This is Santa's big scene
This is the grand appearance site of Santa Claus
And above all this bustle you'll hear
Above the clamor of the busy street you can still hear
Ooh
Exclamation of overwhelming emotion
Ooh
Expressing great surprise, admiration or pleasure
Ooh
Exclamation to indicate feeling of excitement or wonder
Children laughing, people passing
Sounds of lively laughter and energetic commotion
Meeting smile after smile
Encountering recurrent friendly grins
And on every street corner you'll hear
At every crossway you'll perceive
Silver bells
The harmonious jingling of metallic bells
Silver bells
The sweet intermingling sound of the ringing bells
It's Christmas time in the city
It's the time of the year when the city is transformed into a winter wonderland
Ring-a-ling
The noise of the festive bells ringing distinctively
Hear them sing
The gentle sound of the bells singing a lovely chorus
Soon it will be Christmas Day
Very soon our favorite holiday will be here with us
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ray Evans, Jay Livingston
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dj Gerry - Special Videos #DjGerrySpecialVideos
Absolutely fantastic!
Debbie Jasmin
My FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG! LOVE it!
Gregory AW Smith
I love the guitar on this track. Such a great rendition
brandon jodrey
Great voices
Zandrix Funesto
Angelic Voices🙌🏻😍 so relaxing🤗
Merry Christmas🎄🎁💖
Christy McDaniel
My favorite version! Oh oh oh oh
Sherb Johnson
Best version
Roma Dobson
Interesting arrangement of the music.
Nem Sandou C
❤️❤️❤️
Мария Горюнова
❄️💙🎶😍💜👍