VIENNA, Va., December 12, 2012 — While we can’t exactly claim “Jingle Bells” as a Civil War carol, it certainly was in existence by then and was probably among those home-style songs the soldiers on both sides sang on cold December nights while they were camped on a hill or bivouacked before a battle.
Its early name seems to have been “One Horse Open Sleigh,” and originally it was written by a church music director and organist, James Pierpont (yes of “that” family) in Medford, Mass. It seems to have become most popular in Savannah, Georgia where Pierpont was serving in 1857, and finally obtained a copyright on it. The Unitarian Universalist Church there in Savannah is known as “the Jingle Bells Church” for that reason. The original church, however, closed because it was staunchly abolitionist and that viewpoint was not popular in the South.
A Song of the North and South
Since its roots trace to both Massachusetts and Georgia, it is interesting to note that there are historical markers in both states. The song represents the War Between the States in a very literal way.
Pierpont did have ties to the Civil War as he served with the Lamar Rangers, which became part of the Fifth Georgia Cavalry in the Confederate Army, serving as a clerk. His brother, John, fought for the Union, yet again another brother vs. brother situation, which many seem to disbelieve.
His musical ability continued as he wrote “Our Battle Flag,” “Strike for the South” and “We Conquer or Die,” all while serving in the army. At the same time his father was seeing military service as a chaplain in the Union Army in Washington, D.C. and later employed with the U.S. Treasury Department.
Unfortunately James died very poor, though he had a nephew, J. Pierpont Morgan who was said to have more money than the U.S. Treasury.
The jaunty carol’s fame and popularity continued into the 21st century as it was the first song — and therefore the first Christmas carol — performed in outer space, when astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford sang it on December 16, 1965, during the flight of Gemini 6.
The Full Lyrics
Everyone knows the words to the chorus, but for those who want to sing the verses too, here it is:
Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh,
O’er the fields we go
Laughing all the way.
Bells on bob tails ring
Making spirits bright,
What fun it is to laugh and sing
A sleighing song tonight!
Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, 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 in a drifted bank
And we got upsot
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh.
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh!
There are two other stanzas that are frequently omitted, but since this song was written as a “how to” for young men to entertain their girlfriends, we include it here:
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.
Now the ground is white
Go it while you’re young,
Take the girls tonight
and sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bobtailed bay
Two forty as his speed
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack! you’ll take the lead.
It is arguably the most popular of all Christmas song, sung by generations before us and, hopefully, will be sung by generations hereafter. Get the kids together, find some old bells like carriage-type bells, and ring and sing away.
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