Ding Fries Are Done

Carol of the Bells

"Carol of the Bells" (also known as the "Ukrainian Bell Carol" or as "Ring Christmas Bells") is a choral miniature work originally composed by the Ukrainian composer and orthodox priest Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych. Throughout the piece, a 4 note motif is used as an ostinato and was taken from an ancient pagan Ukrainian New Year's chant known in Ukrainian as "Shchedryk". The original work was intended to be sung a cappella.

The composition was premiered in December 1916 by students at Kiev University and was introduced to Western audiences by the Ukrainian National Chorus during its concert tour of Europe and the Americas. It premiered in the United States on October 5, 1921 at Carnegie Hall and was later adapted into English language version by Peter Wilhousky in the 1930s. A version ("Ring Christmas Bells") with words written by Minna Louise Hohman in 1947 is also widely performed.

Origins and translation

The song is based on a traditional folk chant whose language was thought to have magical properties because of the manner in which it manipulated the number 3. The original traditional Ukrainian text used a device known as hemiola in the rhythm (alternating the accents within each measure from 3/4 to 6/8 and back again). The chant based on an ostinato 4 note pattern within the range of a minor third is thought to be of prehistoric origins and was associated with the coming New Year which in Ukraine before the introduction of Christianity was originally celebrated in April.

With the introduction of Christianity to Ukraine, the celebration of the New Year was moved from April to January and the holiday the chant describes became associated with the Feast of Epiphany also known in Ukrainian as Shchedry vechir. The songs sung for this celebration are known as Schedrivky.

The original Ukrainian text tells the tale of a swallow flying into a household to proclaim the plentiful and bountiful year that the family will have. The title is derived from the Ukrainian word for "bountiful."

In Ukraine, the carol is currently sung on the eve of the Julian New Year (January 13).

The 4 note melody over a minor 3rd of the chant was used by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych as an ostinato theme in a number of arrangements he made. The arrangement for mixed voice choir a cappella was popularized by the Ukrainian Republic Capella directed by Oleksander Koshetz when it toured the West after 1920.

The first of the English language lyrics below were written in 1936 by Peter Wilhousky of NBC Radio. The song reminded Wilhousky of beautiful ringing bells and he captured that imagery in his lyrics.

Lyrics

Hark how the bells,

sweet silver bells,

all seem to say,

throw cares away

Christmas is here,

bringing good cheer,

to young and old,

meek and the bold,

Ding dong ding dong

that is their song

with joyful ring

all caroling

One seems to hear

words of good cheer

from everywhere

filling the air

Oh how they pound,

raising the sound,

o'er hill and dale,

telling their tale,

Gaily they ring

while people sing

songs of good cheer,

Christmas is here,

Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,

On on they send,

on without end,

their joyful tone

to every home

Ding dong ding dong... dong!

The words for "Ring Christmas Bells" by Minna Louise Hohman are still under copyright.

Notable performances

Savatage and side project The Trans-Siberian Orchestra have a done a popular remake entitled "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo (12/24)" that plays on many radio stations around Christmas.
The version with Minna Louise Hohman's 1947 lyrics has been recorded by the Ray Conniff Singers and Andy Williams, among others.
At holiday season concerts, the folk-rock group Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams usually performs a version of their song "Slambovia" which is intertwined with the tune of "Carol of the Bells". This version was released on their live "Bootleg Series" album The Christmas Show 2004.
The song is featured on X-mas In Hell By on the album "The Heroin Diaries"
The song Has also been played as an instrumental by the hardcore/ metalcore band August Burns Red

Commercial parodies

The song is the basis of an infamous internet meme popularly known as "Ding Fries are Done", in which a Burger King employee uses the tune to sing a song about how he works at Burger King, makes French fries, and wears paper hats. This parody itself was parodied in the Family Guy episode "Deep Throats", during a cutaway scene in which Peter Griffin sings the song himself, apparently as a Burger King employee.
"Carol of the Bells" was also parodied in another Family Guy episode, "Perfect Castaway", as one of the featured songs on Peter's prospective Christmas album.
Mr. Mackey from South Park sang a multi-part (overdubbed), a cappella version of the carol in the episode "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics". In Mr. Mackey's version, he inserts his catch phrase by changing "All seem to say/Throw cares away" to "All seem to say/Ding dong m'kay".
Guster parodied the song on the 2004 single "Carol of the Meows", replacing the lyrics with simulated cat noises.