Founded in Detroit, Michigan, United States in 1959, The Supremes began as a quartet called The Primettes. Founding members Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross, and Betty McGlown, all from the Brewster-Douglas public housing project in Detroit, were the sister act to The Primes (later The Temptations). In 1960, Barbara Martin replaced McGlown, and the group signed with Motown in 1961 as The Supremes. Martin left at the end of 1961, and Ross, Ballard, and Wilson carried on as a trio. After they achieved success in the mid-1960s with Ross as the lead singer, Motown president Berry Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross & the Supremes in 1967, and replaced Ballard with Cindy Birdsong. Ross left the group for a solo career in 1970, and was replaced by Jean Terrell. After 1972, the lineup of the Supremes changed frequently, with Lynda Laurence, Scherrie Payne, and Susaye Greene all becoming members before the group ended its eighteen-year existence in 1977.
Children
The Supremes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ringing out the first Noel
Joyous chimes ring loud and clear
Spreading word the Saviour's here
Humble men kneel down to pray
On this very special day
Wise men bearing gifts of love
No come on kids, I want you to gather around me, and fold your legs on the floor
And we're gonna tell the story about the first Christmas
Alright, Chico, open your book
Joy, Berry, Terry, everybody open your book and we're gonna sing the song
And when I say ding and dong, I want you to say the same with me
Alright, ready?
Aaha now, open your books
Good, let's go, yeah, now
Ding dong, ding dong, hear the bell
Ringing out the first Noel
Joyous chimes ring loud and clear
Spreading word the Saviour's here
Humble men kneel down to pray
On this very special day
Wise men bearing gifts of love
Following a star above
Very good, now darlings
And now we're gonna sing ding dong to all the children around the world,
And wish them a very merry Christmas, alright, ready?
Ding dong, ding dong, hear the bell
Ringing out the first Noel
Joyous chimes ring loud and clear
Spreading word the Saviour's here
Humble men kneel down to pray
On this very special day
Wise men bearing gifts of love
Following a star above
Ding dong, ding dong
Ding dong, ding dong
Merry, merry Christmas everybody
Merry Christmas everybody
Merry Christmas everybody
Ding dong, ding dong
Ding dong, ding dong
The song "Children's Christmas Song" by The Supremes is a joyful and upbeat hymn that tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The lyrics emphasize the importance of the event and the significance of the gift of love brought by the wise men. The opening stanza, "Ding dong, ding dong, hear the bell/Ringing out the first Noel/Joyous chimes ring loud and clear/Spreading word the Saviour's here," sets the tone for the rest of the song by announcing the arrival of the Savior.
The second stanza describes the humble beginnings of Jesus' birth, with "Humble men [kneeling] down to pray/On this very special day." The final stanza, preceded by a spoken section by a member of The Supremes, encourages kids to join in the celebration by singing "Ding dong" to all the children around the world and wishing "Merry Christmas" to all.
Overall, "Children's Christmas Song" is a catchy and upbeat holiday tune that emphasizes the joy and importance of the Christmas story.
Line by Line Meaning
Ding dong, ding dong, hear the bell
Listen to the sound of the bells ringing
Ringing out the first Noel
The bells are playing the song 'The First Noel'
Joyous chimes ring loud and clear
The happy bells make a clear and beautiful sound
Spreading word the Saviour's here
The bells are announcing that Jesus Christ has been born
Humble men kneel down to pray
The shepherds, who are humble men, kneel and pray on this special day
On this very special day
This day is very important and memorable
Wise men bearing gifts of love
The wise men are bringing presents to show their love
Following a star above
The wise men are following a bright star in the sky
Ding dong, ding dong, hear the bell
Listen to the sound of the bells ringing
Ringing out the first Noel
The bells are playing the song 'The First Noel'
Joyous chimes ring loud and clear
The happy bells make a clear and beautiful sound
Spreading word the Saviour's here
The bells are announcing that Jesus Christ has been born
Ding dong, ding dong
The bells keep ringing
Merry, merry Christmas everybody
Wishing everyone a joyful Christmas
Ding dong, ding dong
The bells keep ringing
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HARVEY FUQUA, ISABELLE FREEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind