Actually, this song is not a Christmas song at all – it describes a horse-drawn sleigh race that was popular with young people in the Northwest of the USA in the 19th century, when the song was written.
1. Dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh,
o’er the fields we go, laughing all the way.
Bells on bobtail ring, making spirits bright,
what fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight.
1st-3rd Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh!
2. A day or two ago I thought I’d take a ride,
and soon Miss Fannie 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.
Jingle bells…
3. 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 for his speed,
then hitch him to an open sleigh, and crack! You’ll take the lead.
Jingle bells…
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