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
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