JINGLE BELLS, as most (if not all) American readers will know, is not actually a Christmas song. Well, it is now, of course, but didn't start out that way. Originally (and this is for British readers), it was a Thanksgiving song called ONE HORSE OPEN SLEIGH. We don't observe that celebration on this side of the pond though, so we've always associated it with the Yuletide season.
The original version had five verses, two of which are now commonly ignored as they don't really lend themselves to the song's adopted Christmas theme.
Anyway, here's the velvet-voiced JIM REEVES with his rendition. Everybody sing along now.
I had the Christmas Album on in the car today, with, of course, Jingle Bells as the opening track. I was delivering a couple of copies to my niece and her friend in time for the holiday season - so two more converts to the cult of Reeves, at least for the next three weeks or so. Ye cannae whack it at this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that about Jingle Bells, Kid - but a lot of these Christmas songs and carols have non-Christmas origins. Apparently 'Good King Wenceslas' started off as a song about flowers and springtime !! YouTube is great for looking at all these festive songs - my watch history is currently full of various Xmas songs and clips from things like 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' and in the next few days I plan to use YouTube to watch some old Christmas specials from the '70s like the 1973 Xmas special of 'Steptoe & Son'- the one where Harold plans a party then gets chicken pox.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant Christmas album for sure, GB. My favourite. (Did you get lots of snaps of the 'old place' when you were over on holiday?)
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Here's the one we used to sing as kids, CJ:
Good King Wenceslas looked out
on the feast of Stephen,
Turned his trousers inside out
because his bum was freezin'.
Not sure it makes any sense, but we thought it funny at the time.
Well, for many years, I thought of it as a Christmas song, and it was relatively recently that I found out it was originally for Thanksgiving. Everyone I know associates it with Christmas. "Over the River and Through the Woods to Grandmother's House" seems to be our traditional Thanksgiving song now.
ReplyDeleteColin is right about several songs having non-Christmas origins. "Joy To the World" was originally about the Second Coming. And "Sleigh Ride" does not mention any particular holiday. Although, IIRC, the Carpenters' version says "Christmas party" instead of "birthday party" in the bridge.
Won't be long 'til Christmas now, eh, TC? Now there's a scary thought.
ReplyDeleteThe department stores already have their Christmas decorations up.
ReplyDeleteDeck the halls with boughs of holly
Fill the stores with Santas jolly
Kindle bright the Yule log ember
But, d@#* it, not in mid-November!
Maybe I wasn't paying proper attention this year, TC, but in my neck of the woods, it seems that the shops at least waited 'til Hallowe'en and Bonfire night were out of the way before putting out the Christmas decorations and stock. Usually, all three celebrations are competing with one another in shops at the same time.
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