Who wrote the carol 'I heard the bells on Christmas day'?
The carol 'I heard the bells on Christmas day' started life as a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863 when the USA was in the midst of civil war. He realised that despite the season, the world was full of hate, and it made a mockery of the line 'Of peace on earth, good will to men.'
It was first set to music a decade later by the English organist, John Baptiste Calkin, when he set it to the melody 'Waltham' for a procession.
Since then it has been recorded by many famous stars including Bing Crosby in 1956.
'I heard the bells on Christmas day' lyrics
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th’unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.:
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."
Till, ringing, singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
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