“Jingle Bells”

Enough with the not enough!!

Let’s move on to the spirit of Xmas, the trappings, the deets, the minutiae…how ’bout them BELLS? Poe‘ll tell you, bells can be used to connote many celebrations–but I’m hard pressed (unh) to attach these tinklers to Halloween or the Fourth of July or Earth Day. Ringing means 12/25, y’all.

The icon in the room is ‘Jingle Bells,’ the 1850-something small-ranging number by James Lord Pierpont. The controversy surrounding this earworm could fill a whole month of blogging, so let’s just say NOW it’s a family tradition for more than the racists among us.

If you need to hear this every December, bully for you. It tasks me, so i will not share the best, coolest, weirdest versions of this song i can find (maybe some other month when i’m out of ideas)–not the instrumentals, nor even the foreign translations.

Today, let’s try out some reimaginings using a bit of a different melody. That’s fun. (It’s the same lyrics, mostly here.)

Even John Denver has a bit of tinkly new age fun with this old horse.

What about James Taylor putting his downbeat syncopation trademark on it?

PDX’s own Jesus Presley throws a low curveball of lounge garage when you least expect it.

Over the Rhine sneaks up on you as well with “One Olive Jingle,” a bluesy, jazzy, word poem.

Going girl ASMR Lisa Loeb slows down the ride to a stuck in the snow slog.

Walking away with recognizability, Fats Waller jellyrolls the ragtime out of “Swingin’ Them Jingle Bells.” You won’t know you’re in a one-horse open sleigh for a minute. Ride with it. It’s mostly instrumental.