what youll bring to me, tell me if you can

The Hymns and Carols of Christmas

Jolly Old St. Nicholas

For Christmas

Words: Emily Huntington Miller, printed in "The Little Corporal Mag," Dec, 1865.

Sheet Music: James R. Murray, Schoolhouse Chimes, A New School Music Book (Cleveland: S. Brainard'south Sons, 1874), No. 86, "Jolly Erstwhile St. Nicholas," p. 43.
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF

Source: Mrs. Alfred Gatty, ed., Aunt Judy's May-Mean solar day Book For Immature People. Volume vi. No. XXXVI. March, 1869 (London: Bell and Daldy, 1869), p. 316. citing "The Little Corporal Magazine," Dec, 1865. (Run into below.)

"Lilly's Secret"

ane. Jolly old St. Nicholas,
Lean your ear this mode!
Don't y'all tell a single soul
What I'm going to say.
Christmas Eve is coming shortly!
Now, you lot dear former man.
Whisper what yous'll bring to me;
Tell me, if you can.

2. When the clock is striking twelve.
When I'chiliad fast comatose,
Down the chimney broad and black,
With your pack y'all'll creep.
All the stockings you lot volition run into¹
Hanging In a row;
Mine will exist the shortest i �,
You'll be sure to know.

3. Johnny wants a pair of skates.
Susy wants a dolly,
Nellyⁱⁱ wants a story book�
She thinks dolls a folly.³
As for me, my little encephalon
Never was the wisest.⁴
Choose for me, old Santa Clans,
What y'all think is nicest.⁵

Footnotes:

Over the years, the post-obit changes to lyrics have occurred:

1. "All the stockings you will find." Return

2. The spelling is changed to Nellie. Return

3. "She thinks dolls are folly." Return

iv. "Isn�t very brilliant." Because of this change, the last line must also be changed. Return

5. "What y'all think is right." Return

1 set of lyrics that are commonly sung are reproduced below.

Canvas Music to "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" from James Ramsey Murray, ed., School Chimes: A New School Music Book. (Cleveland, Ohio: S. Brainard'southward Sons, 1874), No. 86, p. 43.

Jolly_Old_St_Nicholas-Murray-S_Chimes-1874-p43.jpg (57363 bytes)

Canvas Music from J. P. McCaskey, ed., Franklin Foursquare Song Collection, No. ane. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1881, p. 80. The citation to a higher place the sail music is to "Schoolhouse Chimes. Per. South. Brainard'south Sons," that is, to James Ramsey Murray, Schoolhouse Chimes: A New School Music Book. (Cleveland, Ohio: S. Brainard'south Sons, 1874), above.

A musical setting can besides be institute in Roy Ringwald's Book Of American Carols, #111, pp. 238-241 (2004), who adds a fourth verse.

Editor'southward Notation:

This is the earliest publication that we've institute these verses (so far). Emily Huntington Miller was an Associate Editor of "The Piddling Corporal Magazine" in December, 1865, and would later become Editor-in-Chief. This magazine merged with the St. Nicholas Magazine in 1875. Attribution elsewhere to Benjamin Russell Hanby is erroneous; Mr. Hamby was the author of a similar song, besides in the 1860s, "Up On The Housetop."

The following paragraph in "Aunt Judy's" magazine introduced these verses:

Our old friend "The Trivial Corporal" (Chicago) had a pretty tale almost " Santa Claus " in Jan, 1866, and a jolly little poem virtually him in the previous month (Dec, 1865). As some reparation for our forgetfulness hither are the verses:�

The piece concluded with:

We hope "Gerty" volition exist pleased with the lines ... .

We sympathise that Emily Huntington Miller was also the author of the story in the Jan, 1866, issue of "The Piddling Corporal Magazine." Nosotros accept been unable to admission either of these two issues to appointment (as of Jan. 26, 2018).

Late on the same morning that we conducted our research, we discovered that Dr. Marking C. Samples, Assistant Professor of Music and Coordinator of Musicology at Millikin University, had already confirmed that Emily Huntington Miller was the author of these lyrics. Dr. Samples published his findings, "Jolly Former St. Nicholas" in Tradition of Excellence Band Method, Book 1 , past Bruce Pearson and Ryan Nowlin. San Diego: Neil A. Kjos Music Publishing Visitor, 2011.

Hither are the lyrics as commonly sung, changed past numerous editors from the original in 1874:

1. Jolly former St. Nicholas, Lean your ear this way!
Don�t you tell a single soul, What I�k going to say;
Christmas Eve is coming shortly; Now, you dear one-time man,
Whisper what y'all�ll bring to me; Tell me if you can.

two. When the clock is striking twelve, When I'm fast comatose,
Down the chimney, wide and black, With your pack you'll creep;
All the stockings you volition notice Hanging in a row;
Mine will be the shortest one, You lot'll be certain to know.

3. Johnny wants a pair of skates, Susy wants a dolly;
Nellie wants a story book; She thinks dolls are folly;
Equally for me, my trivial brain Isn�t very bright;
Cull for me, erstwhile Santa Claus, What you think is right.

Sail Music from Eudora Lucas Hailmann, ed., Songs, Games and Rhymes for the Nursery, Kindergarten and Primary School (Springfield, MA: Milton, Bradley Co., 1887), pp. 20-21.

Hailmann-Songs_Games-1887-Jolly_Old-p20.jpg (72296 bytes)