I became very familiar with this song my freshman year of high school in 1992 in orchestra practice for the annual holiday show. My friend was responsible for the lead trumpet part and his role was most apparent at the end of the song with the "horse's neigh", which was supposed to be a quick slurring of a series of notes in one breath. During rehearsals, the neigh often started out well, then ended in laughter from him. By the time of the perfomance though, everything was smooth.

Sleigh Ride was also included in one of Saturday Night Live's Sweeney Sisters lounge singers skits, played by Nora Dunn and Jan Hooks in the late 1980s and early 90s. The skit was made up of hilarious melodramatic renditions of well-known songs. The zealous energy of the characters translated well into an over the top Sleigh Ride.

The first three stanzas of the tune follow:

Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing
Ring ting tingle-ing too
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you

Outside the snow is falling
And friends are calling "You Hoo!"
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you

Giddy-yap giddy-yap giddy-yap
Let's go
Let's go to the snow
We're riding in a wonderland of snow...

-(J. Mitchell Parish/Leroy Anderson), 1948

CST Approved

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling too. Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you

Sleigh rides can be done as a double shot but are a lot more fun and a lot less messy if you get rid of the glassware. Depending on the quality of the schnapps, they taste something like liquid peppermint patties. Depending how early in the night you start, they can also taste like regret.

To perform a sleigh ride successfully, you're going to need friends, preferably drunk and the gender of choice. Stand in a circle with the bottles in hand. Pour some chocolate syrup in your mouth and pass the bottle to the next person, then take a pull of the schnapps; pass that bottle along too. When everyone has some of both in their mouth, everyone starts shaking their head back and forth to mix the schnapps with the chocolate. Swallow and repeat as poor judgement dictates.

Back to the Everything Bartender.

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