The Fascinating Origins of Christmas Carols and Their Lyrics

‘Tis the season to be jolly -- and to learn a few things, as well.  Don’t worry, though -- you won’t have to stop decking the halls with boughs of holly, drinking your eggnog, or sneaking kisses under the mistletoe to attend any classes, or write the equivalent of a Masters thesis.  Just take a quick, fun break and find out where Christmas carols and the lyrics that we love come from.

The word "carol" dates back to Medieval times, and refers to a dance people did in a circle as they sang music and lyrics that expressed joy.  By the 14th century, carols' lyrics conveyed religious themes.  Most of today's beloved carols and lyrics were written during the 18th century.

Here are a sleighful of those songs, and the often-surprising origins of their music and lyrics:

“Jingle Bells”

This bright tune and its festive lyrics were originally written for a church Thanksgiving program in 1857, and called “One Horse Open Sleigh.”  It received such an enthusiastic reaction that its music and lyrics were showcased again on Christmas, and it has been associated with Christmas ever since.

“Hark, the Herald Angels Sing”

This carol melds the work of two composers a century apart.  Written by Charles Wesley in 1739, the song’s lyrics were set to slow, somber music.  In 1840, Felix Mendelssohn created a cantata celebrating the invention of the printing press.  William H. Cummings, a British musician, then adapted Mendelssohn’s music to Wesley’s lyrics, giving birth to today’s version of this popular Christmas carol.

“Silent Night”

The music and lyrics of “Silent Night” have made it a superstar of Christmas carols.  The lyrics originated as a poem written by Austrian priest, Joseph Mohr, in 1816.  When the church organ broke on Christmas Eve, 1818, Mohr rushed the poem to his friend Franz Xavier Gruber, a guitarist, and asked him to set it to music.  The poem was transformed into lyrics, and Gruber composed its music and played it on his guitar in time for Midnight Mass.

“The Twelve Days of Christmas”

Despite the lighthearted Christmas game that is often played with this song and its entertaining, memory-defying lyrics, it was actually created under dire circumstances.  From 1558-1829, it was illegal to practice Catholicism in England.  Written to secretly educate youngsters about their faith, its lyrics are filled with symbolic religious references.  Some of those lyrics include “my true love,” which referred to God, “two turtledoves,” which equated to the Old and New Testaments, and “three French Hens,” which represented the virtues faith, hope and charity.

“White Christmas”

OK, this song doesn’t date back to the 1700s or 1800s, but its poignant music and lyrics are timeless.  Written by Irving Berlin in 1940, Bing Crosby’s soulful 1947 rendition of the tune’s classic music and lyrics is unrivalled as the best-selling single ever recorded.  Since then, it has been covered by hundreds of musicians, from Ella Fitzgerald to Elvis Presley to Twisted Sister.

These carols and their lyrics are not only beautiful, eternal songs, but they have the power to unite people in a spirit of love and joy -- which one of the best Christmas presents anyone could get!

Finding Song Lyrics Using A Song Lyrics Database

If you want to find song lyrics, you can do so by using a song lyrics database. If you have a song playing in your head and are trying to figure out the words, you can easily find what you are looking for by going to an online song lyrics database. In addition to finding song lyrics on this database, you can also find music videos. Imagine being able to listen to music all of the time and knowing the song lyrics. You can find your favorite songs when you go online and look them up using a user friendly song lyrics database. 

 

If you enjoy music, you probably like to not only listen to songs, but also sing along. Only this can be difficult in some cases, if you do not know the lyrics. When you learn the song lyrics, you can sing along more confidently to the music videos. It makes it a lot more fun to hear the song and know the lyrics. 

 

You can listen to music videos and watch them as well as look up the song lyrics right online. Why go anywhere else but the song lyrics database when it comes to finding music online. 

 

Other websites that feature music videos often have them filed with videos that are not related to music. It can be frustrating to find the studio version of a song when you are looking on such sites. You can spend so much time searching and have a hard time narrowing down the search. When you use a song lyrics database, you do not have to deal with irrelevant videos and can concentrate on finding the music videos that you want to hear.

 

When you look up lyrics or videos, you can look them up using the name of the artist or the song title. The search options make it easy to filter out what you do not want and find what you do want when you are looking online for lyrics and videos as long as you have a good database. Once you use the database, you will want to do so over and over again, so be sure to add it into your bookmarks or favorites for easy access. 

 

You can find all of your favorite hot new videos as soon as you log onto the site.  The song lyrics are on the site as well, right on the front page. Using an easy to use website can make all the difference in your search online for music.  

 

Whether you want to watch the latest music video from Beyonce, or if you want to look up the song lyrics for Elvis Pressley songs, you can do so when you use an online song lyrics database. This is the easiest way to find what you are looking for when it comes to music online. You can sing along with your favorite song once you know the lyrics. For all of the latest lyrics as well as blasts from your music past, you can find them all by going online. 

Tapping Into Your Musical Side - Writing Song Lyrics

Have you ever thought about writing a song? Do you love music? We all know that a song is so much more than the musical background you hear throughout. No, the whole song comes together with the lyrics. The lyrics make the song it makes the music. Typically, the lyrics are written before the melody and music are added. The lyrics and the idea behind the lyrics lay the ground for the music to come afterwards.

Think about your favorite songs. Why are they your favorite? For many people, the words within the song grab their attention. For me personally, my favorite songs are those that have meaning. Rather, it evokes a particular feeling within me or it tells about a specific time in my life. The lyrics tell a story. They can tell any story, rather it be about love gone bad, an ever-lasting love, a person, a group of people, or a time in ones life. You are telling a story to the listeners and hoping they can relate to that story in some way.

Getting Lyrical Ideas

Most lyrics you hear in song come from the everyday life of the lyricist. It's a good idea, if you are serious about writing song lyrics, to get yourself a journal and keep it with you throughout the day, jotting down your ideas. You never know when a lyrical idea will come to you. Be watchful and mindful of your interactions throughout the day. Some areas that may bring you ideas for lyrics may include:

. General conversation - While speaking to anyone throughout the day, such as friends, family, or colleagues, you may find that something they have to say gives you an idea.

. Happenings in your surroundings - Your environment can tell as story as well. While you're in the cab, while walking down the street, on the subway, or anywhere you might be. Something might occur, even the slightest thing, which could jog a lyrical idea.

. Newspaper - Current events, articles, or even advertisements.

. Magazines - Real life stories, fashion, and other events could spark an idea.

It is important to keep in mind that your lyrics should have meaning to you. They should flow in a seamless way. You see, as mentioned earlier, lyrics tell a story. Therefore, treat your lyrics as a story first. Write your story, then you can begin to break them up in to song lyrics with rhyming other important aspects after your story is finished.

Lyrical Tools

Throughout the years, lyricists have relied mostly on the trusty old pen and paper to write lyrics. To many, they will not use anything but pen and paper to write their lyrics. However, in the computerized world of today, more and more lyricists are turning to the computer to write songs.

There are a variety of tools available to any songwriter on the computer and off. For example, rhyming dictionaries are great when you are having troubles coming up with rhymes to specific words. On the computer, rhyming and replacing words is extremely easy, and most often performed with a simple click of the mouse. Many programs such as Microsoft Word and other specific songwriting software programs offer an integrated thesaurus that is perfect for coming up with alternative words and phrases to increase the impact of your lyrics.

However, the most important tools are your own thoughts and ideas. You can choose the pen and paper method or the computerized method; however, your ideas are what make the lyrics to begin with.

Crafting Your Ideas Into Song Lyrics

You have your ideas; you've chosen your method of writing, now what? Now it is time to start forming your lyrics. This is likely the hardest part of writing the song, much harder than coming up with ideas. Now you have to work verses and choruses to form your songs. Rhyming is ultimately important. This is where your rhyming dictionary comes in handing.

Typically, the end of the second line rhymes with the end of the first. However, in some cases, the end of the third line will rhyme with the first.

For example:

As we grow older,

The world gets colder,

Because the love is gone

Though we keep going on

And keep our love in a song.

Don't forget your chorus; this is what brings the song together. You decide where your versus go and where the chorus comes in and repeats. Writing lyrics to a song is a wonderful way to express yourself. It tells a story in the way you see it and feel it.