"Jingle Bells" is an American song and one of the most commonly sung Christmas songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont. It is an unsettled question where and when Pierpont originally composed the song that would become known as "Jingle Bells". It was published under the title "The One Horse Open Sleigh" in September 1857. Although it has no original connection to Christmas, it became associated with winter and Christmas in the 1860s and 1870s, and it was featured in a variety of parlor song and college anthologies in the 1880s. It was first recorded in 1889 on an Edison cylinder; this recording, believed to be the first Christmas record, is lost, but an 1898 recording—also from Edison Records—survives. The songwriting credit given was "Song and Chorus written and composed by J. Pierpont." Possibly intended as a drinking song, it did not become a Christmas song until decades after it was first performed. Pierpont dedicated the song to John P. Ordway, Esq., an organizer of a troupe called "Ordway's Aeolians".

It is not known where and when Pierpont originally composed the song that would become known as "Jingle Bells". A plaque at 19 High Street in the center of Medford Square in Medford, Massachusetts, commemorates the "birthplace" of "Jingle Bells", and claims that Pierpont wrote the song there in 1850, at what was then the Simpson Tavern. Previous local history narratives claim the song was inspired by the town's popular sleigh races during the 19th century. Researcher Kyna Hamil proposes that the song was composed in Boston, before Pierpont moved to Savannah in the fall of 1857. Sleigh bells were strapped across the horse to make the jingle, jangle sound.

"Jingle Bells" was first performed on September 15, 1857, at Ordway Hall in Boston by blackface minstrel performer Johnny Pell. The song was in the then-popular style or genre of "sleighing songs". Pierpont's lyrics are strikingly similar to lines from many other popular sleigh-riding songs of the time; researcher Kyna Hamill argued that this, along with his constant need for money, led him to compose and release the song solely as a financial enterprise: "Everything about the song is churned out and copied from other people and lines from other songs—there's nothing original about it."

Recordings and performances

James Lord Pierpont's 1857 composition "Jingle Bells" became one of the most performed and most recognizable secular holiday songs ever written, not only in the United States, but around the world. In recognition of this achievement, James Lord Pierpont was voted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

"Jingle Bells" was first recorded by banjoist Will Lyle on October 30, 1889 (attested A T E Wangemann Logbook, p. 114), on an Edison cylinder, but no surviving copies are known to exist. The earliest surviving vocal recording was made by the Edison Male Quartette in 1898, also on an Edison cylinder (and 1898 Columbia brown wax 4090), as part of a 'Christmas' medley titled "Sleigh Ride Party". In 1902, the Hayden Quartet recorded "Jingle Bells". The song became a Christmas favorite in the early twentieth century. which reached No. 19 on the charts and sold over a million copies. In 1951, Les Paul had a No. 10 hit with a multi-tracked version on guitar. In 2001, House of Mouse version, sung by Wayne Allwine, Russi Taylor, and Bill Farmer. In 2006, Kimberley Locke had a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart with a recording of the song.

First song in space

"Jingle Bells" was one of the first songs to be broadcast from space, in a Christmas-themed prank by Gemini 6 astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra. While in space on December 16, 1965, they sent this report to Mission Control:

The astronauts then produced a smuggled harmonica and sleigh bells, and with Schirra on the harmonica and Stafford on the bells, broadcast a rendition of "Jingle Bells". The harmonica, shown to the press upon their return, was a Hohner "Little Lady", a tiny harmonica approximately long, by wide.

Lyrics

Music historian James Fuld notes that (as opposed to an adjective), "the word jingle in the title and opening phrase is apparently an imperative verb"; however, "jingle bells" is commonly interpreted to refer to a certain kind of bell. In the winter in New England in pre-automobile days, it was common to adorn horses' harnesses with straps bearing bells as a way to avoid collisions at blind intersections, since a horse-drawn sleigh in snow produces almost no audible noise. The rhythm of the tune apparently mimics that of a trotting horse's bells.

Jingle Bells

<poem>

Dashing through the snow

In a one-horse open sleigh

O'er the fields we go

Laughing all the way

Bells on bob tail<!--DO NOT CHANGE THIS! "bob tail" (two words, no caps) is correct; see https://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/collection-pdfs/levy-062-044.pdf --> ring

Making spirits bright

What fun it is to ride 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. Hey!

: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 into a drifted bank

And then we got .<!--DO NOT CHANGE THIS TO "UPSET" -- "UP SOT" IS CORRECT-->

::|: 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. Ah!

::|: chorus :|

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 snap! You'll take the lead.

::|: chorus :|

</poem>

Notes to lyrics

Original lyrics

The two first stanzas and chorus of the original 1857 lyrics differed slightly from those known today. It is unknown who replaced the words with those of the modern version. and contains references to Father Time, Baby New Year, and New Year's Day. There are several German versions of "Jingle Bells", including Roy Black's "Ein kleiner weißer Schneemann".

Parodies and homages

Like many simple, catchy, and popular melodies, "Jingle Bells" is often the subject of parody. "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells" has been a well-known parody since the mid-1960s, with many variations of the lyrics. It has been referenced several times in official Batman media, notably sung by the Joker in the second episode of Batman: The Animated Series, "Christmas with the Joker". It is also sung by Bart Simpson in the series premiere of The Simpsons, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", which led the series to be misattributed with creating the parody.

Parodies or novelty versions of "Jingle Bells" have been recorded by many artists, and include Yogi Yorgesson's "Yingle Bells", Da Yoopers' "Rusty Chevrolet", Bucko and Champs' "Aussie Jingle Bells", The Three Stooges' "Jingle Bell Drag", and Jeff Dunham's "Jingle Bombs", performed in his "Achmed the Dead Terrorist" sketch. Another popular spoof of the song is "Pumpkin Bells", a "Pumpkin Carol" which celebrates Halloween and the "Great Pumpkin". It originated in The Peanuts Book of Pumpkin Carols, a booklet based on the Peanuts comic strip and published by Hallmark Cards in the 1960s.

The Australian "Aussie Jingle Bells" written by Colin Buchanan, broadly translates the idea of the original song to the summertime Christmas of the Southern Hemisphere, making reference to a Holden ute and Kelpie.

thumb|right|400px|[[Musical notation for the chorus of "Jingle Bells" thumb|Play]]

"Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms pays homage to "Jingle Bells", directly referencing the source song's lyrics, but with a different melody. Originally recorded and released by Helms in a rockabilly style, "Jingle Bell Rock" has itself since become a Christmas standard.

"Tintinabulations" is a novelty arrangement of the song for full orchestra by American Katherine W. Punwar. It consists of 19th and 20th century stylistic variations of "Jingle Bells"

Charts

Frank Sinatra version

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart positions for "Jingle Bells"

! scope="col"| Chart (2013–2026)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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! scope="row"| Australia (ARIA)

| 37

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! scope="row"| France (SNEP)

| 28

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! scope="row"| Greece International (IFPI)

| 29

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! scope="row"| Lithuania (AGATA)

| 38

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Peter Alexander version

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart position for "Jingle Bells (Schlittenfahrt)"

! scope="col"| Chart (1965)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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Judge Dread version

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart position for "Jingle Bells/Hokey Cokey"

! scope="col"| Chart (1978)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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Moustache version

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart position for "Jingle Bells"

! scope="col"| Chart (1980)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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Hysterics version

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart position for "Jingle Bells (Laughing All the Way)"

! scope="col"| Chart (1981)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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Confetti's version

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart positions for "Circling Stars (Jingle Bells)"

! scope="col"| Chart (1990)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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Yello version

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart positions for "Jingle Bells"

! scope="col"| Chart (1995–2024)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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! scope="row"| Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)

| 46

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Johann K. version

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart position for "Jingle Bells"

! scope="col"| Chart (2003)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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Crazy Frog version

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart positions for "Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This" or "Jingle Bells/Last Christmas"

! scope="col"| Chart (2005)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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Kimberley Locke version

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart position for "Jingle Bells"

! scope="col"| Chart (2006)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

! scope="row"| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)

| 1

|}

Basshunter version

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart positions for "Jingle Bells"

! scope="col"| Chart (2006, 2008)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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Glee Cast version

Weekly charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Weekly chart performance for "Jingle Bells"

! scope="col"| Chart (20102025)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

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! scope="row"| Holiday Digital Song Sales (Billboard)

| 10

|}

Monthly charts

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Monthly chart performance for "Jingle Bells"

! scope="col"| Chart (2025)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

! scope="row"| Moldova Airplay (TopHit)

| 70

|-

|}

Michael Bublé and the Puppini Sisters version

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart positions for "Jingle Bells"

! scope="col"| Chart (2011–2024)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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! scope="row"| Italy (FIMI)

| 16

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! scope="row"| UK Streaming Chart (OCC)

| 77

|}

3js version

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart position for "Jingle Bells"

! scope="col"| Chart (2014)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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Jim Reeves version

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart position for "Jingle Bells"

! scope="col"| Chart (2015)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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Lauren Daigle version

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart position for "Jingle Bells"

! scope="col"| Chart (2017)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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Sam Ryder version

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart position for "Jingle Bells"

! scope="col"| Chart (2022)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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Meghan Trainor version

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart positions for "Jingle Bells"

! scope="col"| Chart (2023–2024)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

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Certifications

Frank Sinatra version

Michael Bublé and the Puppini Sisters version

See also

  • List of Christmas carols

References

  • Search result for recordings, AllMusic
  • Sheet music of "The One Horse Open Sleigh" at the Library of Congress
  • The Story of "Jingle Bells" by Roger Lee Hall, New England Song Series No. 3
  • Free arrangements for piano and voice from Cantorion.org
  • James Lord Pierpont—discussion of the song's history, hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com
  • Complete lyrics and further details to "Jingle Bells", hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com