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D Scott

Monday, December 18th, 2023 12:09pm

"Dashing through the snow, on a one horse open sleight...."

You know the rest, I assume? So, did you know that "Jingle Bells" was originally written to be a Thanksgiving song? On top of that, it wasn't originally named "Jingle Bells" but was called "One Horse Open Sleigh".

The song was written by James Lord Pierpont and then published in 1857. On the flip side to that, I'm not sure who wrote the remix about Batman smelling. While we don't know exactly where the song was written, there are 2 cities that make the claim that it was written there. Both Medford, Massachusetts; and Savannah, Georgia claim that the song was penned there. 

If you think about it, there is ZERO mention of Christmas anywhere in the song. Granted, Thanksgiving isn't mentioned either. The song's first performance was done by a Sunday school class. Apparently it was performed again closer to Christmas and that's where it got the label of being a Christmas song. 

According to History.com - 

Although “Jingle Bells” is now a Yuletide staple, there is no mention of Christmas or any other holiday in the song. Some historical accounts report that the tune was first performed for a Thanksgiving service at the church of either Pierpont’s father or brother, but the lyrics might have been too risqué for an ecclesiastical audience. Given the songwriter’s rebellious nature, it shouldn’t be surprising that “Jingle Bells” has a bit of a rebel-without-a-cause attitude. The less-known verses of the song describe picking up girls, drag-racing on snow and a high-speed crash. The lyrics “go it while you’re young” in the final verse of the secular standard is hardly about a holy or silent night.

Am I the only person that was unaware of a 2nd or 3rd verse to the song?

Feature photo: Photo by Andrea Stark on Unsplash