Dec 17, 2008

More than even "we-we got upsot"

Alright, I'm still covering some familiar ground here, but I just found even *more* verses to Jingle Bells. According to hymnsandcarolsofhristmas.com, there's a third verse:
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.


Which I happen to think sounds a little mean-spirited. And raises some questions in my mind about what this song is *really* about... Sounds to me like it might involve drinking & dating & related activities in the snow, of course.

And here's the fourth verse, which does sound familiar:
Now the ground is white,
Go it while you're young,
Take the girls to night
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.
Whenever I think about jingle bells, I remember Dad telling me about a sleigh ride in Tahoe. It's strange because it's might not actually be my memory that I remember, but probably a memory created by imagining what Dad tells me it was like. But I can hear the bells jingling on the harness of those Clydesdales nonetheless!

2 comments:

  1. sing it with me now...

    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 its lot,
    we got into a drifted bank,
    and we we got upsot!

    OH....

    :)

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