Silver Bells

Dolores Hope, Bob Hope

About Silver Bells

"Silver Bells" is a popular Christmas song, composed by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. "Silver Bells" was first sung by William Frawley, then sung in its entirety and in the generally-known version immediately after by Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell in the motion picture The Lemon Drop Kid, filmed in July–August 1950 and released in March 1951. The first recorded version was by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards on September 8, 1950 with John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra and the Lee Gordon Singers which was released by Decca Records in October 1950. After the Crosby and Richards recording became popular, Hope and Maxwell were called back in late 1950 to refilm a more elaborate production of the song. 


Year:
1996
2:33
279 
#3

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City sidewalks busy sidewalks .
Dressed in holiday style
In the air
There's a feeling
of Christmas
Children laughing
People passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you'll hear

Silver bells silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring a ling hear them sing
Soon it will be Christmas day

Strings of street lights
Even stop lights
Blink a bright red and green
As the shoppers rush
home with their treasures

Hear the snow crunch
See the kids bunch
This is Santa's big scene
And above all this bustle
You'll hear
Silver bells, silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, hear them sing
Soon it will be Christmas day

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Bob Hope

Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS, born Leslie Townes Hope, (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an English-born American comedian and actor who appeared on Broadway, in vaudeville, movies, television, and on the radio. He was noted for his numerous United Service Organizations (USO) shows entertaining American military personnel—he made 57 tours for the USO between 1942 and 1988. Throughout his long career, he was honored for this work. In 1996, the U.S. Congress declared him the "first and only honorary veteran of the U.S. armed forces." more »

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Written by: Ray Evans, Jay Livingston

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Historical Context
"Silver Bells" was written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans in 1950. Its first recorded version was by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards, later Crosby performed it with Bob Hope.
Movie Debut
Even though Bing Crosby is popularly associated with the song, it was first performed by Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell in the film "Lemon Drop Kid". Nevertheless, it was Bing Crosby and Carol Richards' version which was released first to the public.
Original Title
The song was originally titled "Tinkle Bells", but the songwriters decided to change it after realizing that "tinkle" can be slang for "urinate".
Initial Reaction
The songwriters were initially unhappy with the song "Silver Bells" and almost threw it away. However, their displeasure was cured when Bing Crosby decided to record it.
Versions and Record
"Silver Bells" has been recorded by many different artists and is one of the most popular Christmas songs, making it one of the widely covered songs in the history of pop music. Artists like Elvis Presley, Johnny Mathis, and Dean Martin have lent their voices to this standard Christmas music.
Shapiro Bernstein & Co
The company validly registered the song's copyright renewal to Jay Livingston Music, Inc., and St. Angelo Music, on September 27, 1977.
Chart and Sales Achievement
The Bing Crosby and Carol Richard version quickly sold over 500,000 copies and later went on to sell over a million copies. It has been an integral part of holiday music since its creation.
Awards and Recognition
While the song itself hasn't won any awards, it has come to define Christmas and holiday music for many people and is consistently featured on holiday music compilations.
Theme
"Silver Bells" is one of the rare vintage Christmas songs that presents urban Christmas.
Rendition by Crosby and Hope
The rendition of the song by Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, two well-known entertainment personalities of their era, has enhanced the popularity of the song and left a lasting imprint in the Christmas-song industry.

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