"Ring Them Bells" (African American Christmas Spiritual also known As "Oh Mary Oh Martha Ring Them Bells")

F. Willis Music, Oct 26, 2021

The Eagle Honor Choir performing Ring Dem Bells arr. by Dr. Rene Boyer

Directed by: Franklin Willis

Find the arrangement at this link: https://www.amazon.com/Expressions-Fr...

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a YouTube video of an American (United States) elementary School choir singing the African American Christmas Spiritual "Ring Them Bells". This song is also known as "Oh, Mary Oh, Martha Ring Them Bells" or "Ring Dem Bells".

The lyrics to the arrangement of this song by Dr. Rene Boyer are included in this post.

The Addendum of this post quotes online sources about what the lyrics in the Spiritual "Ring Them Bells" mean.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composers of this song. Thanks also to Dr. Rene Boyer for her arrangement of this Spiritual. Thanks also to the Eagle Honor Choir and to Frankiin Willis for conducting this choir and its musicians. 
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! ️️️

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LYRICS - RING THEM BELLS
(African American Spiritual, arranged by Dr. Rene Boyer)

[Refrain]
Oh, Mary
Oh, Martha
Oh, Mary
Ring them bells

Oh, Mary
Oh, Martha
Oh, Mary
Ring them bells

[Verse 1]
I hear Archangels
Gonna rock in Jerusalem
I hear Archangels
They're  ringing them bells

 I hear Archangels
Gonna rock in Jerusalem
I hear Archangels
Rhey’re ringing them bells

[Refrain]

[Verse 2]
We are getting happy
Rock in Jerusalem
We are getting happy
Ringing them bells

We are getting happy
Rock in Jerusalem
We are getting happy
Ringing them bells

[Refrain]

[Verse 3]
We are going higher
Rock in Jerusalem
We are going higher
Ringing them bells

We are going higher
Rock in Jerusalem
We are going higher
Ringing them bells

[Repeat the entire song]

[Ending refrain]
Ringing them bells
Ringing them bells
Ringing them bells
Ringing them bells
Ringing     them      bells!
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This is my transcription of this video, with the help of some captions in the video.
Additions and corrections are welcome 
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Editor's note: 
"Rock in Jerusalem" means "dancing, singing, being joyous in Heaven.

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WHAT THIS SPIRITUAL MEANS
These sources are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only:

Source #1
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCaBfKomXrY&list=RDgCaBfKomXrY&start_radio=1
"Oh Mary Ring Them Bells 2 Ladies of WSSU" [WSSU= Winston Salem State University]

StLukeMBC,  Apr 3, 2014

1. @ethicfan7252, 2015
"Cultural difference make this song difficult for me to understand... could anyone tell me who's Mary &. Martha? what's the relationship between them and the ringing in jerusalem? and what's the song describing???"

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Reply
2. @donovangriffith5440, 2016
"Mary and Martha were two sisters in Bethany who were very close friends with Jesus. The bell ringing signified an array of circumstances from celebration to grief during the bible days. This connection could be made with the celebration of the second coming of Jesus when the archangel enters Jerusalem, announcing His return."

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Source #2
From https://www.debisimons.com/whats-with-all-the-rockin-goin-on-in-jerusalem/ "What’s With All the Rockin’ Goin’ on in Jerusalem?" February 16, 2024 by debisimons
..."Mary’s name on its own [in the Spiritual "Ring Them Bells"] could refer to Mary the mother of Jesus, admonishing her not to weep at the death of her son. The inclusion of Martha in the next line, though, shifts the meaning to the raising of Lazarus from the dead; Mary and Martha were his sisters. Either way, the women were similar in that they mourned the death of a loved one and then saw that loved one resurrected. So they should rejoice and ring bells. The scene then moves to heaven, the New Jerusalem, with the archangels themselves participating in the rejoicing, with a-rockin’ and a-ringin’.

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