Uploaded December 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
"I Heard the Bells" is the most perfect song for this Christmas. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote this poem as a widowed father of six children after learning that his eldest son had just been severely wounded fighting in the Civil War. The words paint a beautiful picture of the despair he was feeling, but also the hope he maintained despite his circumstances.
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, goodwill to men."
Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!
►2020 Christmas Show version with Emmett explaining the story behind the words youtu.be/nfkJwcAcRPA?si=BvlPcb5ZE58zbTVn&t=2520
►Soundtrack your Christmas:
» First Christmas album li.sten.to/ChristmasWithThePetersens
» Second Christmas album li.sten.to/WeDontNeedAnythingThisYear
» YouTube Christmas playlist youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi4OplF1xLPeIWdLWFeUE7pyE4plJOBgM
►Clip: Katie loves how the humming turned out on I Heard the Bells youtu.be/mJtHx6MOyJg?t=204
►We played a show with Sean Dietrich (Sean of the South), who is a wonderful American musician and storyteller, and got to play this song:
» I Heard the Bells (17:35) seanofthesouthshow.com/2022/12/10/the-great-state-of-florida-sean-of-the-south
» Sean's daily column facebook.com/seandietrichwashere
» To receive it by email seandietrich.com/subscribe
-----------------------
►Useful links:
YouTube About page youtube.com/c/ThePetersens/about
Most asked questions petersenband.com/about-the-petersens
Join our Patreon community patreon.com/thepetersens
Subscribe to our channel youtube.com/c/thepetersens?sub_confirmation=1
Join our email list eepurl.com/dxRRaX
Get It Mama Fan Club facebook.com/groups/getitmama
Show and tour dates petersenband.com/show-dates
Buy or stream our music li.sten.to/thepetersens
►Social media:
Instagram instagram.com/thepetersens
Facebook facebook.com/petersenband
TikTok tiktok.com/@petersenband
Twitter twitter.com/thepetersens
Band members petersenband.com/about-the-petersens
Go behind the scenes with @PetersenVlogs
►This video:
Lead vocal and dobro: Emmett Franz
Harmony vocal and banjo: @EllenHaygood
Harmony vocal and fiddle: @katiepetersen
Harmony vocal and guitar: @mattpetersen4000
Mandolin: @JuliannePetersen
Bass: Karen Petersen
Key moments:
0:01 dobro
1:07 instrumental
2:11 humming
4:01 outro
Location: Dooley's Chapel on the Lake dooleylodges.com
Turn on captions (CC) to see the lyrics on screen.
Special thanks to Troy Dixon for helping us with audio and Aaron Clark for the videography.
Microphones by Ear Trumpet Labs eartrumpetlabs.com
►LYRICS - I Heard the Bells
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men
I thought how, as the day had come
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men
Of peace on earth, good will
Then from each black accursed mouth
The cannons 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 hearthstones of our continent
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men
Of peace on earth, good will
Then in despair I hung my head
There is no peace on earth, I said
For hate is strong
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
God is not dead nor doth He sleep
The wrong shall fail
And the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men
Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men
Of peace on earth, good will to men
Of peace on earth, good will to men
►The Petersens:
We celebrate American roots music with family values, and perform full time in Branson, Missouri in the USA. The band consists of four siblings, Katie, Ellen, Matt, and Julianne, our mom Karen, and good friend Emmett Franz. Learn more about our family on our website petersenband.com
Subscriber count: 408,462
#ThePetersens #ChristmasWithThePetersens #IHeardTheBells
#BluegrassChristmasMusic #BluegrassChristmasSongs #BluegrassChristmas
#ChristmasSong #HenryWadsworthLongfellow
#DooleyLodgesAndResortMO
This song features on: #ChristmasWithThePetersens #2020ChristmasShow
"I Heard the Bells" is the most perfect song for this Christmas. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote this poem as a widowed father of six children after learning that his eldest son had just been severely wounded fighting in the Civil War. The words paint a beautiful picture of the despair he was feeling, but also the hope he maintained despite his circumstances.
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, goodwill to men."
Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!
►2020 Christmas Show version with Emmett explaining the story behind the words youtu.be/nfkJwcAcRPA?si=BvlPcb5ZE58zbTVn&t=2520
►Soundtrack your Christmas:
» First Christmas album li.sten.to/ChristmasWithThePetersens
» Second Christmas album li.sten.to/WeDontNeedAnythingThisYear
» YouTube Christmas playlist youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi4OplF1xLPeIWdLWFeUE7pyE4plJOBgM
►Clip: Katie loves how the humming turned out on I Heard the Bells youtu.be/mJtHx6MOyJg?t=204
►We played a show with Sean Dietrich (Sean of the South), who is a wonderful American musician and storyteller, and got to play this song:
» I Heard the Bells (17:35) seanofthesouthshow.com/2022/12/10/the-great-state-of-florida-sean-of-the-south
» Sean's daily column facebook.com/seandietrichwashere
» To receive it by email seandietrich.com/subscribe
-----------------------
►Useful links:
YouTube About page youtube.com/c/ThePetersens/about
Most asked questions petersenband.com/about-the-petersens
Join our Patreon community patreon.com/thepetersens
Subscribe to our channel youtube.com/c/thepetersens?sub_confirmation=1
Join our email list eepurl.com/dxRRaX
Get It Mama Fan Club facebook.com/groups/getitmama
Show and tour dates petersenband.com/show-dates
Buy or stream our music li.sten.to/thepetersens
►Social media:
Instagram instagram.com/thepetersens
Facebook facebook.com/petersenband
TikTok tiktok.com/@petersenband
Twitter twitter.com/thepetersens
Band members petersenband.com/about-the-petersens
Go behind the scenes with @PetersenVlogs
►This video:
Lead vocal and dobro: Emmett Franz
Harmony vocal and banjo: @EllenHaygood
Harmony vocal and fiddle: @katiepetersen
Harmony vocal and guitar: @mattpetersen4000
Mandolin: @JuliannePetersen
Bass: Karen Petersen
Key moments:
0:01 dobro
1:07 instrumental
2:11 humming
4:01 outro
Location: Dooley's Chapel on the Lake dooleylodges.com
Turn on captions (CC) to see the lyrics on screen.
Special thanks to Troy Dixon for helping us with audio and Aaron Clark for the videography.
Microphones by Ear Trumpet Labs eartrumpetlabs.com
►LYRICS - I Heard the Bells
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men
I thought how, as the day had come
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men
Of peace on earth, good will
Then from each black accursed mouth
The cannons 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 hearthstones of our continent
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men
Of peace on earth, good will
Then in despair I hung my head
There is no peace on earth, I said
For hate is strong
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
God is not dead nor doth He sleep
The wrong shall fail
And the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men
Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men
Of peace on earth, good will to men
Of peace on earth, good will to men
►The Petersens:
We celebrate American roots music with family values, and perform full time in Branson, Missouri in the USA. The band consists of four siblings, Katie, Ellen, Matt, and Julianne, our mom Karen, and good friend Emmett Franz. Learn more about our family on our website petersenband.com
Subscriber count: 408,462
#ThePetersens #ChristmasWithThePetersens #IHeardTheBells
#BluegrassChristmasMusic #BluegrassChristmasSongs #BluegrassChristmas
#ChristmasSong #HenryWadsworthLongfellow
#DooleyLodgesAndResortMO
This song features on: #ChristmasWithThePetersens #2020ChristmasShow
