“It’s practically the only song about Christmas in a big city, with department store lights, window displays, shoppers and all the rest,” said Ray Evans, describing the song he and Jay Livingston wrote in 1950. At the time the two were under contract to Paramount and were assigned to write a Christmas song for The Lemon Drop Kid, starring Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell. They were a bit daunted by the task, because there were so many Christmas standards. So, as Evans put it, “We set out attention on the ‘bell’ side of Christmas and to Christmas in the city — in contrast to ‘White Christmas’ and other standards, with lots of snow and country and small-town images.” The result was a holiday classic, especially after Bing Crosby and Carol Richards recorded it in 1951.
Lyrics
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 ev’ry 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
Matt Montagne
AWESOME, Justin!!
RF Modulator
i would always love to hear those christmas music with a very happy tune .”.
Garland Davis
this is wonderful!! i love to hear Christmas songs played on a panio.