Belle Lyrics
Belle
Belle:Little town
It's a quiet village
Ev'ry day
Like the one before
Little town
Full of little people
Waking up to say:
Townsfolk:
Bonjour!
Bonjour!
Bonjour! Bonjour! Bonjour!
Belle:
There goes the baker with his tray, like always
The same old bread and rolls to sell
Ev'ry morning just the same
Since the morning that we came
To this poor provincial town
Baker:
Good Morning, Belle!
Belle:
Good morning, Monsieur.
Baker:
And where are you off to, today?
Belle:
The bookshop. I just finished the most wonderful story
About a beanstalk and an ogre and a -
Baker: That's nice. Marie! The baguettes!
Hurry up!
Townsfolk:
Look there she goes that girl is strange, no question
Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?
Woman:
Never part of any crowd
Man:
'Cause her head's up on some cloud
Townsfolk:
No denying she's a funny girl that Belle
Man I:
Bonjour!
Woman I:
Good day!
Man I:
How is your fam'ly?
Woman 2:
Bonjour!
Man 2:
Good day!
Woman 2:
How is your wife?
Woman 3:
I need six eggs!
Woman 4:
That's too expensive!
Belle:
There must be more than this provincial life!
Bookseller:
Ah, Belle.
Belle:
Good morning, sir. I've come to return the book I borrowed.
Bookseller:
Finished already?
Belle:
Oh, I couldn't put it down. Have you got anything new?
Bookseller:
Not since yesterday.
Belle:
That's all right. I'll borrow . . . . this one!
Bookseller:
That one? But you've read it twice!
Belle:
Well, it's my favorite! Far off places, daring
swordfights, magic spells, a prince in disguise -
Bookseller:
If you like it all that much, it's yours!
Belle:
But sir!
Bookseller:
I insist.
Belle:
Thank you. Thank you very much!
Townsfolk:
Look there she goes that girl is so peculiar
I wonder if she's feeling well
With a dreamy, far-off look
And her nose stuck in a book
What a puzzle to the rest of us is Belle
Belle:
Oh, isn't this amazing?
It's my fav'rite part because --- you'll see
Here's where she meets Prince Charming
But she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three!
Woman:
Now it's no wonder that her name means "Beauty"
Her looks have got no parallel
Shopkeeper:
But behind that fair façade
I'm afraid she's rather odd
Man:
Very diff'rent from the rest of us
Townsfolk:
She's nothing like the rest of us
Yes, diff'rent from the rest of us is Belle!
LeFou: I got it Gaston! Wow! You didn't miss a shot, Gaston!
You're the greatest hunter in the whole world!
Gaston:
I know.
LeFou:
No beast alive stands a chance against you. ---
And no girl, for that matter.
Gaston:
It's true, LeFou. And I've got
my sights set on that one.
LeFou:
The inventor's daughter?
Gaston:
She's the one - the lucky girl
I'm going to marry.
LeFou:
But she's -
Gaston:
The most beautiful girl in town.
LeFou:
I know, but -
Gaston:
That makes her the best. And don't
I deserve the best?
LeFou:
Of course you do!
Gaston:
Right from the moment when I met her, saw her
I said she's gorgeous and I fell
Here in town there's only she
Who is beautiful as me
So I'm making plans to woo and marry Belle
Bimbettes:
Look there he goes
Isn't he dreamy?
Monsieur Gaston
Oh he's so cute!
Be still my heart
I'm hardly breathing
He's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute!
Woman 1:
Bonjour!
Gaston:
Pardon
Belle:
Good day
Woman 2:
Mais oui!
Woman 3:
You call this bacon?
Woman 4:
What lovely grapes!
Man 1:
Some cheese
Woman 5:
Ten yards!
Man 1:
one pound
Gaston:
'scuse me!
Cheese merchant:
I'll get the knife
Gaston:
Please let me through!
Woman 6:
This bread -
Woman 7:
Those fish -
Woman 6:
it's stale!
Woman 7:
they smell!
Men:
Madame's mistaken.
Women:
Well, maybe so
Townsfolk:
Good morning! Oh, good morning!
Belle:
There must be more than this provincial life!
Gaston:
Just watch, I'm going to make Belle my wife!
Townsfolk:
Look there she goes
The girl is strange but special
A most peculiar mad'moiselle!
Women:
It's a pity and a sin
Men:
She doesn't quite fit in
Townsfolk:
'Cause she really is a funny girl
A beauty but a funny girl
She really is a funny girl
That Belle!
Song Overview
Song Credits
- Featured Artists: Susan Egan (Belle), Burke Moses (Gaston) & Ensemble
- Composers: Alan Menken & Howard Ashman
- Producers: Alan Menken & Bruce Botnick
- Vocal Arranger: David Friedman
- Orchestration: Danny Troob
- Release Date: April 26, 1994
- Album: Beauty and the Beast: The Broadway Musical (Original Cast Recording)
- Genre: Broadway, Disney Theatrical, Show-tune
- Language: English with French interjections
- Label: Walt Disney Records
- Length: ~5 min 10 s
- Mood: Buoyant, Satirical
- Copyright © & ? 1994 Walt Disney Records
Song Meaning and Annotations
“Oh, isn’t this amazing? … Here’s where she meets Prince Charming, but she won’t discover that it’s him ’til Chapter Three.”That self-aware wink is the song’s heartbeat: Belle narrates her own fairy tale even while trapped inside it.
Section Breakdown
Opening Tableau
Flute and pizzicato strings paint pastoral calm; villagers act as musical metronomes announcing the day’s ritual hello.Belle’s Solo Verse
The orchestration thins to spotlight her lilting soprano—ideal for revealing inner restlessness amid routine.Gaston’s Counter-Verse
Trumpets swagger into the key, mirroring Gaston’s ego. His melodic contour copies Belle’s but drops a third lower, signifying bravado without depth.Grand Ensemble Finale
Menken weaves five separate melodies—Belle, Gaston, Lefou, the Bimbettes, and town chorus—into a joyful mayhem that resolves on a gleaming major chord, ironically masking Belle’s lingering dissatisfaction.Similar Songs
- “Good Morning Baltimore” – Hairspray
Both numbers open their shows with heroine-meets-hometown montages. Tracy Turnblad and Belle share dreamy optimism, but where Belle sees cobblestone constraints, Tracy sees possibility. - “The Wizard and I” – Wicked
Elphaba’s yearning for a future beyond ridicule parallels Belle’s wish for adventures past page margins. Each song catapults its singer with ascending intervals that practically shout, “Change is coming.” - “Legally Blonde” – Legally Blonde: The Musical
Elle Woods’ opening prologue uses Greek-chorus sorority sisters the way “Belle” uses townsfolk—playful crowd commentary that establishes social stakes and sets up a misunderstood protagonist.
Questions and Answers
- Why does the village call Belle “odd”?
- Her constant reading and imaginative detachment clash with their predictable routines, making her both intriguing and unsettling to them.
- What musical styles influence “Belle”?
- Menken channels French chanson, Viennese operetta, and Disney’s trademark orchestral sparkle to craft a bustling market soundscape.
- How does Gaston’s melody contrast Belle’s?
- His boasts march in sturdy quarter-notes, while Belle’s phrases float in dotted eighths—confidence versus curiosity.
- Is Belle’s mantra echoed later?
- Yes, the reprise intensifies “There must be more…” just before Belle’s path collides with the Beast’s castle, fulfilling her wish in a twisted way.
- What vocal range suits Belle here?
- A bright mezzo or light lyric soprano, roughly A3 to F?5, balancing quick diction with lyrical warmth.
Awards and Chart Positions
- The Broadway score garnered nine Tony nominations in 1994; “Belle” anchored the show’s Best Original Score nod.
- The cast album topped Billboard’s Top Cast Albums chart upon release.
Fan and Media Reactions
“Every time the townsfolk stack those ‘Bonjour!’s, I grin like a kid mainlining croissants.”
@theatreheart on Twitter
“Susan Egan made internal monologue sound like a fireworks display—no small feat over bakery chaos.”
Backstage review
“Try singing all those village lines in the shower; you’ll run out of oxygen by the third baguette.”
Playbill comment thread
“Gaston’s little trumpet fanfare is comedy gold—smugness in eight bars.”
Broadway blogger
“The number still feels like someone pressed fast-forward on a picture book—pure kinetic joy.”
Local arts columnist