ROCKJINGLE.COM

Archive for the ‘Christmas Songs’ Category

Sick of hearing Mariah Carey sing “all I want for Christmas is you” for the millionth time.  Here’s 5 great alternative songs for the festive season.

Aimee Mann – Calling on Mary

From Mann’s 2008 Christmas Album “One more drifter in the snow” this beautifully melancholic song is perfect for a snowy Christmas evening.

Eels – Christmas is going to the Dogs

Such a funny, rocking Christmas song by the Eels from the album “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas”. Listen to it here

Julian Casablancas – I Wish It Was Christmas Today

Great cover version from the Lead singer of the Stokes from his Debut Album “Phrazes for the Young”

Sufjan Stevens – That Was The Worst Christmas Ever!

With just a gently strummed accoustic guitar and banjo, Sufjan Stevens makes the mundane sound like something quite special on this contemplative christmas song.

Smashing Pumpkins – Christmastime

Alt rock icons the Smashing Pumpkins are most famous for writing some of the best songs of the grunge movement in the 90s. Christmastime is a beautifully melodic ballad.

Always a festive holiday favourite “Snoopy vs. The Red Baron” (Snoopy’s Christmas) is a song first performed in 1967 by Florida band the Royal Guardsmen. The song is a spin off from the groups earlier hit “Snoopy vs. The Red Baron” written a year earlier.

Snoopy vs. The Red Baron (Snoopy’s Christmas)

The Royal Guardsmen

The news had come out in the First World War
The bloody Red Baron was flying once more
The Allied command ignored all of its men
And called on Snoopy to do it again.

Was the night before Christmas, 40 below
When Snoopy went up in search of his foe
He spied the Red Baron, fiercely they fought
With ice on his wings Snoopy knew he was caught.

Christmas bells those Christmas bells
Ring out from the land
Asking peace of all the world
And good will to man

The Baron had Snoopy dead in his sights
He reached for the trigger to pull it up tight
Why he didn’t shoot, well, we’ll never know
Or was it the bells from the village below.

Christmas bells those Christmas bells
Ringing through the land
Bringing peace to all the world
And good will to man

The Baron made Snoopy fly to the Rhine
And forced him to land behind the enemy lines
Snoopy was certain that this was the end
When the Baron cried out, “Merry Christmas, my friend!”

The Baron then offered a holiday toast
And Snoopy, our hero, saluted his host
And then with a roar they were both on their way
Each knowing they’d meet on some other day.

Christmas bells those Christmas bells
Ringing through the land
Bringing peace to all the world
And good will to man

Welcome to Rock Jingle where you can find Jingle Bell Rock and all your other favourite Christmas songs to play and download. Take a look at the christmas lyrics page for christmas carols and our top 10 Jingle Bell Rock countdown.

Jingle Bells is one of the best known and loved Christmas songs in the world. Here is a brief history of the song that inspired the lyrics to Jingle Bell Rock. 

The song was written some time during the 1850s and was published on September 16 1857 by James Lord Pierpont (1822-1893). Pierpoint originally entitled the song “One Horse Open Sleigh” and when it was written had nothing to do with Christmas or Thanksgiving.  Pierpoint played the tune at a church program in  Savannah, Georgia where and the song became so popular that it was again sung on Christmas day and since then became one of the most popular Christmas carols.

Jingle Bells is recognised as being the first song to be Broadcast from Space when Gemini 6 astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra pulled a prank on Ground Mission control. The Astronauts send mission control the following report

“We have an object, looks like a satellite going from north to south, probably in polar orbit… I see a command module and eight smaller modules in front. The pilot of the command module is wearing a red suit…” The pair of Astronauts then produced a harmonica they had smuggled aboard the spacecraft and tore into a rendition of Jingle Bells much to the amusement of the ground crew.

Jingle Bells has been covered by hundreds of artists over the decades and continues to be performed across the world today. The song has also been the subject of many parody versions over the years including a popular variation sung in the 1960s by US school children:

“Jingle bells,

Santa smells,

Easter’s on its way.

Oh what fun it is to ride

In a beat up Chevrolet.”

Employees at AKQA have put together perhaps the most original version of Jingle Bells ever made. 49 microwaves have been synchronised to play Jingle Bells. Enjoy!