Jingle Bells

Jingle Bells was written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857, so it's an old song— but still very popular! He called it "One Horse Open Sleigh". Even though it has become a popular Christmas song, it was originally written and sung for Thanksgiving! This animated video is fun to watch—it even shows the "lean and lank" horse splat falling down. Sing along!

The video below is a tutorial that shows you how to play a VERY EASY version of Jingle Bells on a piano.

The lyrics

The third verse is often omitted.

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

(chorus)
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
Oh! what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.
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 upsot.
|: 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.
|: chorus :|
4. 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 crack! you'll take the lead.
|: chorus :|

Free Sheet Music

Click the images below to open and print piano scores for "Jingle Bells". Right click and choose "Save link as" to download the PDF files to your computer.

Jingle Bells, C Major	Jingle Bells, C Major, higher	Jingle Bells, F Major
Jingle Bells, D Major	Jingle Bells, A Major	Jingle Bells, B flat Major
Jingle Bells, E flat Major
Jingle Bells, easy piano, C Major	Jingle Bells, easy piano, C Major, higher	Jingle Bells, easy piano, G Major
Jingle Bells, easy piano, D Major	Jingle Bells, easy piano, A Major	Jingle Bells, easy piano, A Flat Major
Jingle Bells, easy piano, F Major	Jingle Bells, easy piano, B flat Major
Jingle Bells, piano, D Major	Jingle Bells, piano, E Major	Jingle Bells, piano, F Major
Jingle Bells, piano, E flat Major	Jingle Bells, piano, F sharp Major