AUSTRALIAN SONGS

Australian
Jingle Bells

traditional Australian song
composer unknown

Christmas arrives in the summer in Australia. While it may be snowing in other parts of the world, for us it's hot, hot, hot! So you can understand why Aussies have changed some traditional Christmas songs to fit our lifestyle down under.

Need help understanding it?
See the bottom of the page.

Listen to the music

Dashing through the bush, in a rusty Holden Ute,
Kicking up the dust, esky in the boot,
Kelpie by my side, singing Christmas songs,
It's Summer time and I am in my singlet, shorts and thongs

Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Christmas in Australia on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.

Engine's getting hot; we dodge the kangaroos,
The swaggie climbs aboard, he is welcome too.
All the family's there, sitting by the pool,
Christmas Day the Aussie way, by the barbecue.

Come the afternoon, Grandpa has a doze,
The kids and Uncle Bruce, are swimming in their clothes.
The time comes 'round to go, we take the family snap,
Pack the car and all shoot through, before the washing up.

What the words mean

Holden Ute - Holden is a make of car (like Ford, Toyota) and Ute (rhymes with boot)
is short for utility (utility vehicle).
Esky - portable cooler to carry drinks and food.
Boot - trunk of a car.
Kelpie - Australian breed of dog traditionally used to herd sheep.
Singlet - undershirt.
Thongs - beach type shoes not women's underwear.
Swaggie - short for swagman; a drifter (person without a permanent place to live)
who carried his swag (pack) as he travelled the country on foot looking for work.
He was a common sight during the depression of the 1890's and 1930's.
We take the family snap - take a picture of the family with a camera
Shoot through before the washing up - leave quickly so someone else has to clean up.

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AUSTRALIAN SONGS

AustralianJingle Bells

What the words mean

Australian
Jingle Bells