The Bells of Notre Dame

"**The Bells of Notre Dame**" is the opening song from the 1996 Disney feature film, *The Hunchback of Notre Dame*, composed by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. It is sung at the beginning of the film by the clown-like gypsy, Clopin.

The song details about Quasimodo's origin. During the song, Clopin tells young children about the mysterious bell-ringer of Notre Dame. He then talks about a story that goes back twenty years where a group of gypsies attempted to ferry their way into Paris, but a trap had been laid and most of them are captured and taken to the Palace of Justice by Judge Claude Frollo and several soldiers to be executed. When Quasimodo's mother amongst gypsies is seen carrying a bundle, a guard attempts to confiscate it, prompting her to flee.

Frollo pursues her on his horse, believing her to have stolen goods, in a brutal chase that comes to a head on the steps of Notre Dame Cathedral. Here, he takes the bundle out of her arm, but, in doing so, strikes a blow to her head with his boot, causing her to fall down onto the stone steps, breaking her neck and killing her. He then learns that the bundle is actually a deformed baby. He sees a well and attempts to drown him, as he believes it's a demon from Hell, but is stopped by the Archdeacon, who tells him that he has killed an innocent woman and that, if he wishes for the survival of his immortal soul, he must spare the child and raise as his own. He reluctantly does so and raises the baby in the bell tower of Notre Dame and gives him a cruel name, Quasimodo, which, according to Clopin, means "half-formed". It is quickly learned that Quasimodo is the mysterious bell-ringer.

It is a grand, atmospheric way to open one of Disney's darker and more dramatic animated films.

## Lyrics

### Film Version

**Chorus:** Olim, olim, Deus accelere (Someday, someday, God speed)

Hoc sæculum splendium (This bright millenium)

Accelere fiat venire olim (Let it come someday)

**Clopin:** Morning in 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 Template:WikipediaLink

And some say the soul of the city's

The toll of the bells

The bells of Notre Dame

(song stops, speaking segment begins)

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 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 puppet:** Who?

**Clopin:** What is he?

**Clopin puppet:** What?

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

**Clopin puppet:** How?

**Clopin:** (bonks puppet on the head) Hush!

**Clopin puppet:** Ow!

**Clopin:** Clopin will tell you.

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

(song resumes, scene changes to flashback)

**Clopin:** Dark was the night when our tale was begun

On the docks near Notre Dame

**Quasimodo's father:** Shut it up, will you!

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

**Quasimodo's mother:** Hush, little one.

**Clopin:** Four frightened gypsies slid silently under

The docks near Notre Dame

**Barge Driver:** Four guilders for safe passage into Paris

**Clopin:** 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

**Quasimodo's father:** \*in alarm\* 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!

**Frollo:** A baby? A monster!

**Chorus:** Solvet sæclum in favilla

Dies iræ, dies illa

**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 Template:WikipediaLink

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 Template:WikipediaLink

**Frollo:** What must I do?

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

**Frollo:** What? I'm to be settled 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!

### Reprise Version

**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!

### German Musical Version

**Clopin:** Morning in 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

Listen, they are beautiful, aren't they? The bells. So many colors of sound, so many changing moods. But, they do not ring all by themselves. No, there is a bellringer.

Now, to hear these bells is to be reminded of an extraordinary time, when this lowly bellringer brought Paris to its knees. And who better to tell you this story than someone who knows it best of all. But, I must warn you in advance. You are about to see an ugly monster. Just who that might be is for you to decide.

Dark was the night when our tale was begun

On the docks near Notre Dame

**Gypsy Mother:** Hush, little one.

**Clopin:** Four frightened Gypsies slid silently under

The docks near Notre Dame

**Gypsy Mother:** Please, please be quiet.

**Clopin:** 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

One of the most powerful officials in Paris was the Minister of Justice.

Justice Frollo was a man

With morals so pristine

That he swore he would make

All of Paris just as clean

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

**Gypsy Mother:** Please Sir, I only come into the city seeking help for my baby!

**Frollo:** A baby? Likely story. What have you stolen? See what that gypsy has in her hands.

**Clopin:** And the poor woman ran for her life!

**Gypsy Mother:** Sanctuary! Please give us sanctuary!

**Frollo:** This is a child of Satan! I shall send it back where it belongs.

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

**Archdeacon:** What have you done? What have you in your hands?

**Frollo:** An unholy demon that this woman has borne.

**Archdeacon:** Lord help us! She's dead!

**Frollo:** Dead?

**Archdeacon:** See here the innocent blood you have spilt

On the steps of Notre Dame

**Frollo:** I was merely enforcing the law. I never meant to hurt her.

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

On the steps of Notre Dame?

**Frollo:** This misshapen monster can have no life here!

**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!

**Clopin:** And the saints looked down on Frollo

From their stone facade

And he knew he must do penance

In the eyes of God

**Frollo:** You're right, father. God has given me this challenge. I will take this… thing and look after it. But I ask a favor of you in return.

**Archdeacon:** What is it?

**Frollo:** I have no home to speak of. Let him live here, in the church.

**Archdeacon:** Live here? Where?

**Frollo:** Anywhere. The bell tower, perhaps. And let us agree never to speak of what has happened here today. In return, I will raise the child as my own.

**Archdeacon:** Very well.

**Frollo:** See this loathsome creature

From whom lesser men would flee

I will ennoble him.

I will keep and care for him

And teach him at my knee

To think like me

**Clopin:** And he gave the child a thoughtless 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?

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

Bells, bells, bells, bells

Bells of Notre Dame!

**Chorus:** Olim, olim, Deus accelere (Someday, someday, God speed)

Hoc sæculum splendium (This bright millenium)

Accelere fiat venire olim (Let it come someday)

**Congregation:** Morning in Paris, the city awakes

To the Bells of Notre Dame

The fisherman fishes, the bakerman bakes

To the Bells of Notre Dame

**Phoebus:** To the big bells as loud as the thunder

**Congregation:** 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

Long years ago did this story begin

in this place called Notre Dame

Two orphan brothers were both taken in

by the Grace of Notre Dame

**Frollo:** Claude, the older who cared for his brother

**Jehan:** Young Jehan, full of beauty and charm

**Both:** And they lived and they grew

And awoke to the music of Bells

The Bells of Notre Dame

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

**Frollo:** Oh dear brother

Meet these arches and this Sacred dome

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

**Frollo:** We are Blessed to find our

Sanctuary and our home.

**Congregation:** Righteous Claude Frollo

Was ever more drawn

Like a son to Notre Dame

Not like his profligate brother Jehan

Who'd have none of Notre Dame

Though as brothers they loved one another

Frollo watched in despair and alarm

As Jehan who grew wild

And defied and defiled

All the Laws

The Laws of Notre Dame

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

**Father Dupin:** You must leave, Jehan,

This holy refuge where you've dwelled

**Jehan:** Leave? But Father—

**Father Dupin:** Sorry Claude, but I've no choice

Your brother is expelled

**Congregation:** And Frollo didn't hear from his brother for several years. Meanwhile…

Frollo was acsended

Uncommonly fast through the ranks of Notre Dame

Till he was named the Archdeacon at last

And gave thanks to Notre Dame

And then one doleful day got a message

**Frollo:**

And the name that it bore was "Jehan"

**Congregation:**

And concealing his face

Frollo strolled to a place

Far away…

Away from Notre Dame

**Frollo:** Jehan! …Let me take you back. I'll bring you home.

Brother dearest, come with me

Where we will find a remedy

And Notre Dame once more will be

Your Sanctuary

Healing you will be my goal

Not just your body, but your soul

We’ll be together in our Holy Sanctuary

**Jehan:** Enough, Claude! It's too late for me anyway. But if you have truly discovered charity at this late date, there is someone you can help.

**Frollo:** A baby? Yours? A…a monster! It's God's punishment on you! The wicked shall not go unpunished!

**Jehan:** I should have known! I was a fool to think you'd look after him!

**Frollo:** Look after him? Me?

**Jehan:** There is no one else! Take him…if you can find anymore heart.

**Frollo:** Jehan? Jehan?!

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

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

Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy)

**Congregation:** And the Saints regarded Frollo

From their stone façade

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

**Congregation:** And he felt their gaze

As if it were the Eyes of God

**Frollo:** O Lord, You've sent me a test. This child is my cross to bear. I may not have saved my brother, but I will save this… thing.

See this loathesome creature

From whom lesser men would flee

I will keep and care for him

And teach him at my knee

To think like me

**Congregation:** And Frollo gave the child a name. A cruel name that means half-formed…

**Frollo:** Quasimodo!

**Congregation:** Now here is a riddle to guess if you can

Sing the Bells of Notre Dame

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

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

Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells,

Bells, bells, bells, bells,

Bells of Notre Dame

## Trivia

* When Clopin asks, "Who is the monster, and who is the man?", this would eventually refer to Frollo and Quasimodo respectively.
* Clopin says that "quasimodo" means "half-formed" (in other languages "deformed"), but in reality it means (in Latin) "almost made" or "more or less".