Holidays give rise to enduring American music of certain periods. One such classic is Winter Wonderland, composed in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith. The lyrics of the song epitomise someone’s love for the winter season and were penned during Smith’s recovery from tuberculosis in a sanatorium. Due to its secular roots, the song is often viewed simply as a joyous fantasy extolling love, snow, and wintry settings. The song conjures images of loving couples in a dreamlike snowy world building snowmen and taking romantic strolls through the snow, wishing for warm, happy times ahead. “Winter Wonderland” is a favourite during the winter season, being covered by Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Doris Day, and Michael Bublé.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | Winter Wonderland |
| Lyricist | Richard B. Smith |
| Composer | Felix Bernard |
| Year Written | 1934 |
| Genre | Holiday / Seasonal / Pop Standard |
| Original Theme | Romantic winter scene (not originally Christmas-based) |
| First Major Recording | Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians (1934) |
| Famous Covers | Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Doris Day, Michael Bublé |
| Key Themes | Snow, Romance, Playfulness, Winter Joy |
| Cultural Relevance | Iconic holiday song played during Christmas season |
Winter Wonderland Lyrics
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? (Doo)
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland
Gone away is the bluebird
Here to stay is a new bird (Ooh)
He sings a love song as we go along
Walking in a winter wonderland
In the meadow, we can build a snowman
And pretend that he is Parson Brown
He’ll say, “Are you married?” We’ll say, “No man”
But you can do the job when you’re in town
Later on, we’ll conspire
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid, the plans that we’ve made
Walking in a winter wonderland
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland
Gone away is the bluebird
Here to stay is a new bird
He sings a love song as we go along (Ooh)
Walking in a winter wonderland
In the meadow, we can build a snowman
And pretend that he’s a circus clown
We’ll have lots of fun with Mr. Snowman
Yes, until the other kiddies knock him down
Later on, we’ll conspire (Ooh)
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid all the plans that we’ve made
Walking in a winter wonderland
Walking in a winter wonderland
More Lyrics:
