Bells of Notre Dame

Lyrics
Ding dong.

Ah-ah-aah. Ah-ah-aah. Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-aah.

Ah-ah-aah. Ah-ah-aah. Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-aah.

Ha-ha! Morning in Paris, the city awakes to the bells of Notre Dame. The fisherman fishes. The baker man bakes to the bells of Notre Dame. From the big bells as loud as the thunder. To the little bell soft as a psalm. And some say the soul of the city's the toll of the bells. The bells of Notre Dame.

Listen, they're beautiful, no? So many colors of sound, so many changing moods, because you know, they do not ring all by themselves.

They don't?

No, you silly boy!

Up there. High, high in the dark bell tower lives the mysterious bell ringer. And Clopin will tell you. It is a tale, a tale of a man and a monster.

Dark was the night when our tale was begun on the docks near Notre Dame.

Shut it up, will you? We'll be spotted. Hush, little one!

Four frightened gypsies slid silently under the docks near Notre Dame.

But a trap had been laid for the gypsies. And they gazed up in fear and alarm. At a figure whose clutches were iron as much as the bells...

The bells of Notre Dame!

Kyrie Eleison. (Lord, have mercy.)

Judge Claude Frollo longed to purge the world of vice and sin.

Kyrie Eleison. (Lord, have mercy.)

And he saw corruption everywhere. (Bring these gypsy vermin to the palace of justice.)

-You there! What are you hiding?

-Stolen goods, no doubt. Take them from her.

She ran.

Dies irae. (Day of wrath.) Dies irae. (Day of wrath.) Dies illa. (That day.) Dies illa. (That day.)

Solvet saeclum in favilla. (Shall consume the world in ashes.)

Quantus tremor est futurus. (What is trembling to be.) Quando Judex est venturus. (When the judge is to come.)

"Sanctuary," she said.

Dies irae. (Day of wrath.)

A baby? A monster!

Solvet saeclum in favilla. (Shall consume the world in ashes.) Dies irae. (Day of wrath.) Dies irae. (Day of wrath.)

Ah-ah-ah. Ah-ah-ah. Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-aah.

"Stop," cried the Archdeacon.

This is an unholy demon. I'm sending it back to hell where it belongs.

See there the innocent blood you have split on the steps of Notre Dame!

I am guiltless. She ran. I pursued.

Now would you add this blood to your guilt on the steps near Notre Dame? (My conscience is clear.)

You can lie to yourself and your minions. You can claim that you haven't a qualm. But you never can run from nor hide what you've done from the eyes. The very eyes of Notre Dame.

Kyrie Eleison. (Lord, have mercy.)

And for one time in his life of power and control.

Kyrie Eleison. (Lord, have mercy.)

Frollo felt a twinge of fear for his immortal soul. (What must I do?)

Care for the child and raise it as your own.

What? I'd be settled with this misshapen?

Very well! Let him live with you in your church.

Live here? Where? Anywhere!

Just so he's kept locked away where no one else can see. The bell tower perhaps and who knows our Lord works in mysterious way. Even this foul creature may yet prove one day to be of use to me.

And Frollo gave the child a cruel name, a name that means half-formed Quasimodo.

Now here is a riddle to guess if you can sing the bells of Notre Dame. Who is the monster? And who is the man?

Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells of Notre Dame!

Ah-ah-ah. Ah-ah-ah. Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-aah. Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-aah.