Carol of the Bells
Mathis - Johnny Lyrics

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Hark how the bells,
Sweet silver bells,
All seem to say,
Throw cares away

Christmas is here,
Bringing good cheer,
To young and old,

Meek and the bold,

Oh how they pound,
Raising the sound,
O'er hill and dale,
Telling their tale,

Gaily they ring
While people sing
Songs of good cheer,
Christmas is here,

Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,
On on they send ,
On without end,

Their joyful tone to every home
Dong ding dong ding, dong Bong

Overall Meaning

These lyrics are from the song “Carol of the Bells”, originally a Ukrainian folk song about the ringing of church bells. The song begins with the joyous sound of silver bells and encourages the listener to forget their worries and embrace the Christmas spirit. The first verse establishes the happy, festive tone of the song and uses repetition of the word “bells” to emphasize the joyful ringing that fills the air.

The second verse then explores who the bells are bringing cheer to: all ages and types of people, as indicated by the mentions of “young and old” and “meek and the bold”. The music then intensifies with the repetition of “pound” and “raising the sound”, symbolizing the growing excitement as the holiday approaches. The third verse completes the story of the song, describing how the bells ring out all across the land, spreading Christmas cheer to every home.

The overall message of the song is that Christmas is a time for celebration and togetherness, marked by the joyful ringing of bells. The upbeat melody and repetitive lyrics create a sense of fun and merriment, making it a perfect song to sing along to during the holiday season.

Line by Line Meaning

Hark how the bells,
Listen carefully to the bells,

Sweet silver bells,
The sound of the bells is sweet like silver

All seem to say,
The bells sound like they are conveying a message

Throw cares away
The message seems to be to forget about worries

Christmas is here,
The occasion being celebrated is Christmas

Bringing good cheer,
The event is a happy one, bringing joy to all

To young and old,
Everyone is included in the celebrations, regardless of age

Meek and the bold,
Both humble and confident people can enjoy the festivities

Oh how they pound,
The bells ring loudly and strongly

Raising the sound,
The sound of the bells becomes even louder

O'er hill and dale,
The sound of the bells travels far and wide, over hills and through valleys

Telling their tale,
The bells seem to be sharing a story

Gaily they ring
The bells ring in a lively, joyful manner

While people sing
As the bells ring, people are singing

Songs of good cheer,
The songs being sung are happy and uplifting

Christmas is here,
The occasion being celebrated is still Christmas

Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,
A joyful Christmas is being wished for

On on they send
The ringing of the bells continues

On without end,
The bells seem to go on forever

Their joyful tone to every home
The sound of the bells reaches every home, spreading joy

Dong ding dong ding, dong Bong
The specific sound of the bells ringing is heard

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Mykola Leontovych, Luther Henderson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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