Jingle Bells Lyrics
Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh
O’er the fields we go
Laughing all the way;
Bells on bob-tail ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight!

O! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride,
In a one-horse open sleigh, hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O 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 we, we got upsot!

O! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride,
In a one-horse open sleigh, hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride,
In a one-horse open sleigh!

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 lay
But quickly drove away!

O! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride,
In a one-horse open sleigh, hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride,
In a one-horse open sleigh!

Now the ground is white
Go it while you’re young
Take the girls tonight
And sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bob-tailed bay
two-forty as his speed
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack! you’ll take the lead

O! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride,
In a one-horse open sleigh, hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride,
In a one-horse open sleigh!

History
“Jingle Bells“, originally “One Horse Open Sleigh“, is one of the best known and commonly sung secular Christmas songs in the world. It was written in 1857 by James Pierpont (1822–1893) to be sung at a Thanksgiving program at his church in Boston, and was repeated at Christmas due to its instant popularity.

As originally published, the song had a different melody as its chorus part, which was less joyful and more classical, Mozart-like sounding. It is unknown who replaced the chorus with its modern version. The original arrangement can be found on the internet through a 1992 MIDI file by a certain “Larry Roberts”. Let’s note that other songs differ significantly from the published sheet music as well, notably Rock Around the Clock.