Famously described by John Peel as being "always different, always the same… Read Full Bio ↴Famously described by John Peel as being "always different, always the same", The Fall were formed in Manchester, England in 1976 during the Punk era although their style quickly evolved into something more idiosyncratic.

The one permanent fixture amidst the Fall's ever-changing line-up was Mark E. Smith (1957 – 2018). Smith's lyrics are free, unboxed and unpredictable, touching on an extremely wide range of subjects and places, and caring little for being tied down to easily digestible messages.

Smith's singing could put off some people, but others find it a uniquely expressive instrument. Smith was not a conventionally great vocalist, but his keen sense of rhythm, his energy and personality more than made up for this.

The Fall's music changed depending on the line-up at a given time. Always experimental, Mark E. Smith claimed to invent several musical genres, including house music; "we were doing that years ago" and even the internet. "He told me I didn't understand, that we were from the bleak industrial wastes of North England, or something, and that we didn't understand the Internet. I told him Fall fans invented the Internet. They were on there in 1982." One thing that is for sure is that The Fall (and their fans) always pushed the boundaries, and were never afraid to experiment.

The Fall were a favorite group of DJ John Peel, recording 24 sessions for his BBC1 radio program over the years.

The Fall's back catalogue consists of 29 studio albums, and is very fragmented with a seemingly endless number of compilations and semi-official live albums.

In 2006, British music-critic Dave Simpson published an entertaining account of a journalist's attempt to track down all 43 former members of The Fall in the Guardian. Many previous members have been fired, often with little or no notice. Simpson's ongoing effort was subsequently described at greater length in his book "The Fallen" (2008). His effort to track down the final unaccounted stragglers of at least 50 previous members of The Fall - including drummer Karl Burns - continues in his blog. Having decried Simpson's book as a "hatchet job" in the pages of Pseud. Mag., a Fall fan-mag, Mark E. Smith countered in short order with his autobiography "Renegade: The Lives and Tales of Mark E. Smith" (Viking, 2008/Penguin 2009).

Mark E. Smith died on 24 January 2018, aged 60.

Key Albums include:

# Live At the Witch Trials (debut)
# Dragnet
# Totale's Turns (It's Now Or Nevr)
# Grotesque (after the Gramme)
# Perverted By Language
# Hex Enduction Hour
# This Nation's Saving Grace
# Middle Class Revolt
# Bend Sinister
# Extricate
# The Infotainment Scan
# Country on the Click aka The Real New Fall LP
# Fall Heads Roll
# Reformation Post TLC (new)
Compilations/Singles/B-Sides:

# 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong: 39 Golden Greats
# The Complete Peel Sessions 1978-2004
# Totally Wired: The Rough Trade Anthology (disc 1) and Totally Wired: The Rough Trade Anthology (disc 2)
# 458489 A-Sides
# 458489 B-Sides

Jingle Bell Rock
The Fall Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jingle Bell
Jingle Bell
Jingle Bell Rock
Jingle Bell Sound
Jingle Bell Tap
Laughing at dancing in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air
They are walking with M&S bags

Doing the Jingle Bell
The Jingle Bell
That's the Jingle Bell
That's the Jingle Bell Rock
Jingle Bell
Jingle Bell
Jingle Bell Rock
Jingle Bell Sham
Jingle Bell Rap
Letting your head down in Jingle Bell style
With a jungle style
That's the Jingle Bell
That's the Jingle Bell
That's the Jingle Bell
Jingle Bell
Jingle Bell
Jingle Bell Rock
Jingle Bell's charm
And Jingle Bell tap
Post office rot in hell
Friday night on Oxford Street
Walking with green M&S bags
Join them up with old beef and sprouts
That's the Jingle Bell

That's the Jingle Bell
That's the Jingle Bell Rock

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Fall's song Jingle Bell Rock are a playful take on the traditional Christmas classic. The song opens with the familiar tune of "Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock," accompanied by the ringing sound of jingle bells. The lyrics then describe people dancing and laughing in Jingle Bell Square, despite the frosty air.

The imagery continues with references to M&S bags, a shopper's delight for Christmas gifts, and the "Jingle Bell tap," implying a joyous and carefree attitude towards the festive season. The lyrics also take a turn for the irreverent, with the line "Post office rot in hell" suggesting a disdain for the bureaucracy of Christmas time.

As the song continues, the lyrics shift to a more contemporary sound, with mentions of "jungle style" and "Jingle Bell rap." The final verse references Friday night on Oxford Street, one of London's busiest shopping districts, and ends on a note of camaraderie, encouraging listeners to "join them up with old beef and sprouts" in the Jingle Bell spirit.

Overall, The Fall's version of Jingle Bell Rock combines elements of nostalgia, irreverence, and contemporary culture into a playful celebration of the holiday season.

Jingle Bell RockThe Fall Lyrics

Paul Rowland

Nina Duque

COwens

Michael Meade

Dave Buco

clare davies

Tom Cope

Nick Forbes-Warren

Peter Heffernan

Karina Townsend

EndOfEntertainment

Peppy Ooze

Malcolm Coghill

Uterus Haver

Joe Janecek

Jingle Bell Rock
The Fall Lyrics