Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid and egg… Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you there. I know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but I’m already in the Christmas spirit, and what better way to celebrate the holidays than by singing carols? “Jingle Bells” is probably one of the most popular in the American catalog, but here’s something you might not know: it was originally written for Thanksgiving. In the autumn of 1857, American songwriter James Lord Pierpont wrote the song under the name “One Horse Open Sleigh” in order to celebrate the town of Medford, Massachusetts – his place of residence – and their annual sleigh races that were popular at the time. Of course, some believe that Pierpont was actually living in Savannah, Georgia at the time of writing the track, where he was employed as a church organist. Considering that the first public performance of “Jingle Bells” took place on Thanksgiving Day in that very church, critics might be onto something. Of course, Pierpont’s creation wasn’t an immediate hit, and in fact it took several generations for “Jingle Bells” to catch on as a holiday classic, and as James J. Fuld revealed in The Book of World-Famous Music, the original lyrics differed slightly from the ones we sing today. It’s unknown how the modern version came about, but I think we can all agree that it’s one of the best holiday classics.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 23:01:14 +0000
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