The Bells of Notre Dame

**The Bells of Notre Dame** is the opening song from disney's' 1996 musical *The Hunchback of Notre Dame*, it features the Gypsy Clopin setting the stage by telling the children the story of Quasimodo and asks the question; "*Who is the Monster and Who is the Man?"*.

## Lyrics

* Opening
* Reprise

**Clopin**: Morning is Paris the city awakes

To the bells of Notre Dame

The fisherman fishes, the bakerman bakes

To the bells of Notre Dame

To the big bells as loud as the thunder

To the little bells soft as a psalm

And some say the soul of the city's

The toll of the bells

The bells of Notre Dame

*(Spoken)*

Listen,they're beautiful, no?

So many colors of sound, so many changing moods

Because you know, they don't ring all by themselves

**Clopin's Puppet**: They Don't?!

**Clopin:** No, you silly boy.

Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower lives the mysterious bell ringer.

Who is this creature?

**Clopin's Puppet**: Who?

**Clopin**: What is he?

**Clopin's Puppet**: What?

**Clopin**: How did he come to be there?

**Clopin's Puppet**: How?

**Clopin**: Hush!

**Clopin's Puppet**: Ow!

**Clopin**: Clopin will tell you.

It is a tale, a tale of a man and a monster.

*(Singing Resumes)*

Dark was the night when was begun

On the docks near Notre Dame

**Male Gypsy 1**: Shut it up, will you!

**Male Gypsy 2**: We'll be spotted!!

**Quasimodo's Mother**: Hush, little one

Four Frightened Gypsies slid silently under

the docks near Notre Dame

**Ferry Man**: 4 guilders for safe passage into Paris

**Clopin**: But a *Trap* had been set for the gypsies!

as they gazed up in fear and alarm

at a figure who's clutches were iron as much as the bells

**Male Gypsy 1**: *Judge claude Frollo!*

**Clopin**: The bells of Notre Dame

**Chorus:** Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy)

**Clopin**: Judge Claude Frollo longed to purge the world of vice and sin

**Chorus**: Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy)

**Clopin**: And he saw corruption everywhere, except within

**Frollo**: *(speaking)* Bring these gypsy vermin to the palace of justice.

**Guard**: You there! What are you hiding?

**Frollo**: Stolen goods, no doubt. Take them from her!

**Clopin**: *(speaking)* She ran.

**Chorus**: Dies iræ, dies illa (Day of wrath, that day)

Solvet sæclum in favilla (Shall consume the world in ashes)

Teste David cum sibylla (As prophesied by David and the sibyl)

Quantus tremor est futurus (What trembling is to be)

Quando Judex est venturus (When the Judge is come)

**Quasimodo's mother**: Sanctuary! Please give us sanctuary!!

**Chorus**: Quantus tremor est futurus (What trembling is to be)

Quando Judex est venturus (When the Judge is come)

Dies iræ (Day of wrath)

**Frollo**: A baby? [Gasp!] A monster!

**Chorus**: Solvet sæclum in favilla (Shall consume the world in ashes)

Dies iræ, dies illa (Day of wrath, that day)

**Clopin**: "Stop!" cried the Archdeacon.

**Frollo**: This is an unholy demon. I'm sending it back to Hell, where it belongs.

**Archdeacon**: *(singing)* See there the innocent blood you have spilt

On the steps of Notre Dame

**Frollo**: *(speaking)* I am guiltless. She ran, I pursued.

**Archdeacon**: Now you would add this child's blood to your guilt

On the steps of Notre Dame?

**Frollo**: *(speaking)* My conscience is clear

**Archdeacon**: 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!

**Chorus**: Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy)

**Clopin**: And for one time in his life

Of power and control

**Chorus**: Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy)

**Clopin**: Frollo felt a twinge of fear

For his immortal soul

**Frollo**: What must I do?

**Archdeacon**: *(speaking)* Care for the child, and raise it as your own

**Frollo**: What?! I'm to be saddled with this misshapen…?

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

**Archdeacon**: Live here? Where?

**Frollo**: Anywhere.

*(singing)* Just so he's kept locked away where no one else can see

*(speaking)* The bell tower, perhaps. And who knows? Our Lord works in mysterious ways

*(singing resumes)* Even this foul creature may

Yet prove one day to be

Of use to me

*(scene changes to puppet show)*

**Clopin**: *(speaking)* And Frollo gave the child a cruel name

A name that means half-formed: *Quasimodo*

*(singing)* 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?

**Clopin and Chorus**: Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells

Bells, bells, bells, bells

Bells of Notre Dame!

**Clopin**: So, here is a riddle to guess if

you can sing the bells of Notre Dame

*What makes a monster and what makes a man*?

**Chorus**: Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells…

**Clopin**: Whatever their pitch you

Can feel them bewitch you

The rich and the ritual knells…

**Clopin and Chorus**: Of the bells of Notre Dame!