"Christmas Time" is a single released by The Darkness in the UK during December 2003, to fall in with the famous UK Christmas Number One Race.

Race for Christmas #1

The song was favourite with the bookmakers to reach number one in the official UK singles chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

, but was beaten by the relatively unknown Gary Jules

Gary Jules

Gary Jules is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his cover of Tears for Fears' third single "Mad World", which he recorded together with friend Michael Andrews for the film Donnie Darko. It became the UK Christmas Number One single of 2003...

 and Michael Andrews

Michael Andrews

Michael Andrews may refer to:* Michael Andrews , British artist* Michael Andrews , US musician* Michael Andrews , Australian rugby league footballer* Michael A...

 with a cover of Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...

' "Mad World

Mad World

"Mad World" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears. Written by Roland Orzabal and sung by bassist Curt Smith, it was the band's third single release and first chart hit, reaching #3 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1982. Both "Mad World" and its B-side, "Ideas As Opiates", would turn up...

" and had to settle for the number two position, joining a list of acts including The Pogues

The Pogues

The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...

, Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...

 and Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard

Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....

 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.

(-) 1 227,500 Gary Jules - "Mad World"

(-) 2 222,500 The Darkness - "Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)"

(1) 3 144,800 Kelly

Kelly Osbourne

Kelly Michelle Lee Osbourne is an English media personality, television personality, host, judge, fashion designer, singer, and actress, best known for being the daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne...

 & Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...

 - "Changes"

(-) 4 97,000 Bo Selecta - "Proper Crimbo"

(-) 5 73,000 The Idols

Pop Idol

Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...

 - "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

"Happy Xmas " is a song written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir....

"

It was quite a surprise considering the sombre nature of Jules and Andrews' song at a festive time.

The song was used to advertise Sky One

Sky One

Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...

'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

Santa Claus

Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...

 and bells, delivered with Justin Hawkins

Justin Hawkins

Justin David Hawkins is an English musician and singer-songwriter, best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist of The Darkness, alongside his brother, guitarist Dan 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

Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College

Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College is an Academy secondary school located. in New Cross. The school was formerly a Grammar school, then a comprehensive City Technology College and now an Academy operating between two sites near New Cross Gate in South-East London...

 school, in New Cross, London, which Justin and Dan's mother once attended.

Following the humour 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).

The song appears as the backing track for the Christmas version of Adult Swim

Adult Swim

Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...

's iOS game, Robot Unicorn Attack

Robot Unicorn Attack

Robot Unicorn Attack is an online video game featured on the Adult Swim and Flashline Games website. The game was produced by Spiritonin Media Games and was released in February 4, 2010...

, to be released November 2010.

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

Permission to Land

Permission to Land is the debut studio album by British hard rock band The Darkness, released in the United Kingdom on 7 July 2003 and in the United States on 5 August 2003. The album topped the UK Albums Chart and reached number thirty-six on the American Billboard 200 chart...

) flies across the sky showing some glittery words saying 'Merry Christmas'.

Enhanced DVD

1. Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)
2. I Believe In A Thing Called Love
   I Believe in a Thing Called Love
   "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" is a 2003 single by the English rock band The Darkness. This was released as a single twice, the first time in August 2002 with "Love On The Rocks With No Ice" and "Love Is Only A Feeling." In September 2003, it was released as the third single off Permission to...
   
    (live at Knebworth
   Knebworth
   Knebworth is a village and civil parish in the north of Hertfordshire, England immediately south of Stevenage. The civil parish covers an area between the villages of Datchworth, Woolmer Green, Codicote, Kimpton, Whitwell, St Paul's Walden and Langley, and encompasses the village of Knebworth, the...
   
   )
3. Christmas Time... music video

Charts

> > > >

Chart (2003)	Peak position
Dutch Singles Chart	10
Danish Singles Chart	9
Irish Singles Chart	2
Norwegian Singles Chart	20
Chart (2005)	Peak position
Chart (2008)	Peak position
Chart (2010)	Peak position
UK Rock (The Official Charts Company)	1

Chart successions