Jingle Bells
Les Paul & Mary Ford Lyrics


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Dashing through the snow
On a one-horse open sleigh,
Over the fields we go,
Laughing all the way;
Bells on bob-tail ring,
Making spirits bright,
What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh

A day or two ago,
I thought I'd take a ride,
And soon miss fanny bright
Was seated by my side;
The horse was lean and lank;
Misfortune seemed his lot;
He got into a drifted bank,
And we, we got upsot.

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
What fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.

A day or two ago,
The story I must tell
I went out on the snow
And on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by
In a one-horse open sleigh,
He laughed as there
I sprawling lie,
But quickly drove away.

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
What fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.

Now the ground is white
Go it while you're young,
Take the girls tonight
And sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bob-tailed bay
Two-forty as his speed
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack! you'll take the lead.

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!




What fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.

Overall Meaning

"Jingle Bells" is a classic Christmas song and probably one of the most recognizable of all Christmas tunes. It was originally published under the title "One Horse Open Sleigh" in 1857, and it was written by James Lord Pierpont. The lyrics describe a joyous ride through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh, with the bells on the horse's bob-tail ringing out to make "spirits bright." The song celebrates the fun of winter sports and holiday festivities.


The second verse tells the story of the singer's own experience on a sleigh ride that went awry when the horse hit a snow bank and caused the sleigh to tip over. However, the humor of the situation is not lost as the bells still jingle while they are upside down in the snow. The final verse is an invitation to all to join in on the fun, with the suggestion of finding a fast horse, hitching it to an open sleigh, and taking the lead as they race through the snowy fields all night long, jingling all the way.


Overall, "Jingle Bells" is a timeless classic that perfectly captures the joy, excitement, and sense of adventure that comes with the holiday season. It's a fun and lively tune that has been enjoyed by generations of people all around the world.


Line by Line Meaning

Dashing through the snow
Rushing energetically through the snow


On a one-horse open sleigh,
Riding a sleigh that's open and led by only one horse


Over the fields we go,
Traveling across fields


Laughing all the way;
Having a joyful time and laughing throughout the journey


Bells on bob-tail ring,
The bells on the horse's tail make noise when it moves


Making spirits bright,
The bells add to the lively and uplifting atmosphere


What fun it is to ride and sing
It's great enjoyment to ride and sing along to the song


A sleighing song tonight
The song is about sleighing and is meant to be sung tonight


Jingle bells, jingle bells,
The sound of the bells ringing


Jingle all the way!
The bells keep jingling continuously


O what fun it is to ride
Riding is so enjoyable


In a one-horse open sleigh
Being on the sleigh with only one horse feels exciting


A day or two ago,
This happened only recently


I thought I'd take a ride,
I had the idea to go out for a ride


And soon miss fanny bright
A woman named Fanny bright was with me shortly after


Was seated by my side;
Fanny was sitting next to me


The horse was lean and lank;
The horse was skinny and long


Misfortune seemed his lot;
Bad luck appeared to be the horse's fate


He got into a drifted bank,
The horse went into a pile of snow


And we, we got upsot.
As a result, we fell over


The story I must tell
I have an amusing story to share


I went out on the snow
I went outside into the snow


And on my back I fell;
But I slipped and fell on my back


A gent was riding by
A man was going by on a sleigh


In a one-horse open sleigh,
He was on a sleigh that was open and led by only one horse


He laughed as there I sprawling lie,
He chuckled at me as I lay sprawling on the ground


But quickly drove away.
He didn't stick around to help me up and drove off quickly


Now the ground is white
With snow on the ground


Go it while you're young,
Make the most of life while you are still young


Take the girls tonight
Bring the ladies for this night's ride


And sing this sleighing song;
Sing this song while sleighing


Just get a bob-tailed bay
Use a horse with a bobbed tail


Two-forty as his speed
It should be a horse that can run fast at 240 meters per minute


Hitch him to an open sleigh
Attach the horse to an open sleigh


And crack! you'll take the lead.
Start off and you'll take the lead with a loud crack of the whip




Lyrics ยฉ BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JAMES S. PIERPONT, SKIPPY MARTIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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