25 Days of Christmas Songs - Day 20 - Jingle Bells

James Pierpont wrote the classic Jingle Bells in 1857 for the Sunday school class of a church in Boston. The song was originally titled "The One-Horse Open Sleigh", and was a Thanksgiving song. The children's performance was so well-received that they were asked to repeat it at Christmas. It soon thereafter became known as a Christmas song.

Jingle Bells
James Pierpont. publ.1857

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.

Chorus:
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.

Chorus

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.

Chorus

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.

Chorus