Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)
| "Christmas Time" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "I Love You 5 Times" |
"Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)" is a single released by British rock group The Darkness. It was released on December 13, 2003, to fall in with the famous UK Christmas Number One Race. The single did not feature on any of the band's albums.
Race for Christmas #1
The song was favourite with the bookmakers to reach number one in the official UK singles chart, but was beaten by the relatively unknown Gary Jules and Michael Andrews with a cover of Tears for Fears' "Mad World" and had to settle for the number two position, joining a list of acts including The Pogues, Nizlopi, Mariah Carey and Cliff Richard to miss out on the top spot. According to sales information from Music Week, The Darkness were at No.1 all week and lost out on Saturday sales - one of the closest battles for Christmas #1 in recent years.[1] The song was used to advertise Sky One's Christmas lineup in 2003. The song has sold 385,000 copies in the UK as stated by the Official UK Charts Company.
Song details
The song is a take on the usual structure of Christmas songs. It features the usual mention of festivities, Santa Claus and bells, delivered with Justin Hawkins' trademark falsettos. The school choir providing backing vocals, heard on the single and seen in the song's video, came from Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College school, in New Cross, London, which Justin and Dan's mother once attended. Following the humor and tone of The Darkness' other work the song also includes a strong level of parody most notably the double meaning of the line 'Bells End' and 'Ring in peace' (ringpiece).
Music video
The video features the band unwrapping presents. Justin Hawkins thinks of his girlfriend (played by his then-girlfriend and The Darkness's manager, Sue Whitehouse) as pictured in a bauble and in the fire. Then Justin goes outside and is joined by the rest of the band playing the song. Then Justin opens the door to find a choir standing outside singing the song. Justin joins in and invites them inside. Then Dan Hawkins gives Justin a present; a car key. Then Justin runs outside and into the car while Dan winks to the audience. And inside the car is Justin's girlfriend. They kiss as the spaceship seen in the videos for 'I Believe in a Thing in a Thing Called Love' and 'Growing on Me' (and on the cover of debut album Permission To Land) flies across the sky showing some glittery words saying 'Merry Christmas'.
Tracklisting
- UK CD Single
- "Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)" - 4:02
- "I Love You 5 Times" - 3:00
- UK DVD Single
- "Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)" (Video) - 4:02
- "Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)" (Audio) - 4:02
- "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" (Live At Knebworth) - 4:16
Chart positions
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Singles Chart | 10 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 9 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 2 |
| Norweigan Singles Chart | 20 |
| UK Rock Chart | 2 |
| UK Singles Chart | 2 |