[Fiji Hill]

"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" is my favorite Christmas song, but only if all seven verses are sung and if it is sung to the tune "Waltham" by John B. Calkin.

Unfortunately, when the song is performed, the fourth and fifth verses are usually left out, which greatly reduces the song's effectiveness. The verses are as follows:

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound the carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn, the households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

If these verses are not sung, the listener is left wondering why the song's mood changes so abruptly as the singer begins the next verse, "And in despair, I bowed my head."

Although the words have been set to several tunes, "Waltham" is by far the best.

[Politicalkiddo]

I know the story behind the song, so I know the reason for his despair. Most people, I would venture to guess, are ignorant of the song’s origin and backstory.