Sparked by his childhood passion for the Metropolitan Opera, Simeone sought a career as a concert pianist and eventually attended the Juilliard School of Music for three years before leaving to take work at CBS as an arranger for bandleader Fred Waring. After garnering vocal and music arrangement credits on the 1938 RKO motion picture Radio City Revels, Simeone moved to Hollywood with his wife Margaret McCravy, who was Benny Goodman's first singer using the stage name Margaret McCrae, and later a Fred Waring vocalist. Once there, he took various music production jobs on several Paramount films from 1939 to 1946, including several that starred Bing Crosby. In 1948, Simeone joined NBC's "The Swift Show" as the program's orchestra leader, and in 1952, he joined NBC's The Firestone Hour as conductor and choral arranger.
When 20th Century Fox Records contracted Simeone to make a Christmas album in 1958, he assembled the Harry Simeone Chorale and searched for recording material. After being introduced to an obscure song (titled "Carol of the Drum") by friend and credited song co-author Henry Onorati, Simeone recorded the tune as "The Little Drummer Boy" for his album Sing We Now of Christmas. The "Little Drummer Boy" single quickly became enormously popular and stayed on the U.S. music charts from 1958 to 1962.
A group called the Harry Simeone Songsters, whose style was similar to that of the Ray Conniff Singers, produced a baseball-oriented song in 1960 called "It's a Beautiful Day for a Ballgame". The song is on one of the Baseball's Greatest Hits CD's and is still played at major league baseball parks today.
On May 22, 2000, Harry and Margaret McCravy Simeone officially established the Harry and Margaret Simeone Music Scholarship at Yale University by bestowing a gift of US$1 million.
Carol of the Bells
The Harry Simeone Chorale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweet silver bells
Hark! how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say,
"Throw cares away."
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
(Ding dong)
To young and old
(Ding dong)
Meek and the bold
Ding, dong, ding, dong
That is their song
With joyful ring
All caroling
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From ev'rywhere
Filling the air
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 ev'ry home
Hark! how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say,
"Throw cares away."
Christmas is here
(Ding dong)
Bringing good cheer
(Ding dong)
To young and old
(Ding dong)
Meek and the bold
Ding, dong, ding, dong
That is their song
With joyful ring
All caroling
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From ev'rywhere
Filling the air
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 ev'ry home
Hark! how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say,
"Throw cares away."
Hark! how the bells
Sweet silver bells
Ring ding a-ling
Ring ding a-ling
Ring ding dong
Ding dong ding dong
The Harry Simeone Chorale's song Carol of the Bells is a composition that perfectly captures the joy and magic of the Christmas season. The song begins with the ringing of the bells, and the lyrics invite the listener to pay attention to the melody and listen to the message of "Throw cares away," which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The bells are described as "sweet silver bells" that bring good cheer and joy to everyone who hears them. The message is clear: when you hear the bells, let go of your worries and embrace the happiness of the holiday season.
As the song progresses, the bells become more intense, with the lyrics describing their pounding and their ability to fill the air with a festive sound. The caroling also grows louder, representing the shared celebration of the holiday and the sense of community that comes with it. Finally, the song ends with a cheerful repetition of the chorus, reminding the audience that Christmas is a time for celebration, joy, and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Hark! how the bells
Listen! The sound of the bells is calling.
Sweet silver bells
The pleasant sound of these silver bells.
All seem to say,
The sound of the bells conveys a message.
"Throw cares away."
The sound of the bells suggests forgetting worries and enjoying the moment.
Christmas is here
The holiday season has arrived.
(Ding dong)
The sound of the bells.
Bringing good cheer
Spreading happiness and joy.
To young and old
For everyone - regardless of age.
Meek and the bold
For the humble and fearless alike.
Ding, dong, ding, dong
The sound of the bells ringing joyfully.
That is their song
The bells are expressing their message with this melody.
With joyful ring
A happy sound as the bells chime.
All caroling
Singing and making merry - just like carolers.
One seems to hear
It appears as if the bells are speaking to us.
Words of good cheer
A happy message being conveyed by the sound of the bells.
From ev'rywhere
The sound of the bells seems to be coming from all around.
Filling the air
The sound of the bells is everywhere - it's hard to miss.
Oh how they pound,
The sound of the bells is forceful and strong.
Raising the sound,
The sound of the bells is growing louder.
O'er hill and dale,
The sound of the bells is echoing through the countryside.
Telling their tale.
The sound of the bells is telling a story of happiness and joy.
Gaily they ring
The bells ring cheerfully and joyously.
While people sing
As people sing along with the sound of the bells.
Songs of good cheer,
Happily singing along with the sound of the bells.
Christmas is here.
The holiday season has arrived - let's enjoy.
On, on they send
The sound of the bells continues to travel on.
On without end
The bells seem to ring endlessly.
Their joyful tone
The bells are ringing with a happy melody.
To ev'ry home
The message of happiness is being sent to every household.
Ring ding a-ling
The sound of the bells - with a fun onomatopoeic phrase.
Ring ding dong
The sound of the bells - with a fun onomatopoeic phrase.
Contributed by Aiden J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gwen Denise
on The Love Star
Wish I could find the lyrics for this song