Who wrote “I Can Hear the Bells”?

Music by Marc Shaiman; lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

Who performs it in the 2007 film?

Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad, with the motion picture cast supplying backgrounds.

Where is the scene set in the film?

At Tracy’s high school, immediately after Link bumps into her.

No formal single; the album campaign led the marketing and chart performance.

How did the soundtrack perform?

RIAA Gold then Platinum in 2007; top-5 Billboard 200 peak; 2008 Grammy nomination.

I Can Hear The Bells Lyrics – Hairspray

I Can Hear The Bells Lyrics

TRACY
I can hear the bells

PENNY
Tracy, are you all right?

TRACY
Well, don'tcha hear them chime?

PENNY
I don't hear anything.

TRACY
Can't 'cha feel my heartbeat keeping perfect time?
And all because he...

Touched me
He looked at me and stared, yes he
Bumped me
My heart was unprepared when he
Tapped me
And knocked me off my feet
One little touch
Now my life's complete 'cause when he

Nudged me
Love put me in a fix, yes it
Hit me
Just like a ton of bricks, yes my
Heart burst
Now i know what life's about

One little touch
And love's knocked me out and,

TRACY (& ENSEMBLE)
I can hear the bells
My head is spinning
I can hear the bells
Something's beginning

Everybody says
That a girl who looks like me
Can't win his love
Well, just wait and see 'cause

I can hear the bells
Just hear them chiming
I can hear the bells
My temp'rature's climbing

I cant contain my joy
'Cause i fin'ly found the boy
I've been missin'
Listen!
I can hear the bells

Round one
He'll ask me on a date and then
Round two
I'll primp, but won't late because
Round three's
When we kiss inside his car
Won't go all the way
But i'll go pretty far!
And then,

Round four
He'll ask me for my hand and then
Round five
We'll book the wedding band so by
Round six
Amber, much to your surprise
This heavyweight champion
Takes the prize and...

I can hear the bells
My ears are ringing
I can hear the bells
The bridesmaids are singing

Everybody says
Thet a guy who's such a gem
Won't look my way
Well, the laugh's on them 'cause
I can hear the bells

My father will smile
I can hear the bells
As he walks me down the aisle

My mother starts to cry
But i can't see 'cause Link and i
Are french kissin'
Listen!
I can hear the bells

I can hear the bells
My head is reeling
I can hear the bells
I can't stop the pealing

Everybody warns
That he won't like what he'll see
But i know that he'll look
Inside of me yeah,

I can hear the bells
Today's just the start 'cause
I can hear the bells
And 'til death do us part

And even when we die
We'll look down from up above
Remembering the night
That we two fell in love

We both will share a tear
And he'll whisper as we're reminiscin'
Listen!
I can hear the bells

ENSEMBLE
She can hear the bells

TRACY
I can hear the bells

ENSEMBLE
She can hear the bells

TRACY
I can hear the bells

ENSEMBLE
Bum, bum, bum, bum!
Last Update: September, 18th 2025

Song Overview

I Can Hear the Bells lyrics by Nikki Blonsky — Nikki Blonsky is singing the 'I Can Hear the Bells' lyrics in the motion picture soundtrack.

I Can Hear the Bells is Tracy Turnblad’s daydream-aria in the 2007 film of Hairspray, carried on the soundtrack by Nikki Blonsky. Composer Marc Shaiman and lyricist Scott Wittman keep the 1962 girl-group glow intact while the arrangement turns school corridors into a chapel of crush logic. The number first appeared in the 2002 Broadway score and was re-recorded for New Line’s 2007 film album, which later saw a WaterTower digital rollout.

Review and Highlights

Scene from I Can Hear the Bells by Nikki Blonsky — 'I Can Hear the Bells' in the official soundtrack sequence.

As an early character solo, the song maps infatuation onto a countdown fantasy: six “rounds” from meet-cute to wedding bells. Musically it leans on girl-group cues - tambourine sparkle, handclap lift, tight background “oohs” - while Blonsky’s vocal keeps the pulse bright and conversational. The film mix sits a touch glossier than the Broadway cast version, but the bones are the same: buoyant pop with Broadway bite.

Creation History

Shaiman and Wittman introduced the song in the 2002 Broadway production, sung by Marissa Jaret Winokur. For the 2007 film, Blonsky took the lead on the New Line Records soundtrack, later repackaged under WaterTower. Platform listings and studio notes credit Shaiman as producer and co-lyricist with Wittman.

Song Meaning and Annotations

Nikki Blonsky performing I Can Hear the Bells exposing meaning — Music video exposing meaning of the song.

Plot

Link bumps into Tracy in the hallway; her imagination does the rest. She time-travels through a whole relationship in three minutes - first date, first kiss, proposal, aisle - before the bell actually rings. On film, the staging keeps it at school with classmates frozen as her inner chorus.

Song Meaning

It’s the thesis for Tracy’s optimism: the world will meet her where she dances. The “bells” are desire and destiny chiming at once, and the arrangement paints what she hears - most clearly when the band drops to drum-heartbeat right after she sings about a drummer inside her chest.

Annotations

“Can’t you feel my heartbeat keeping perfect time?”

The lyric sets a metronome for the scene - pop’s regular backbeat equals confidence. The heart becomes her drummer.

“Well, just wait and see”

Tracy’s refrain of faith in herself - an ongoing current through the show - defies the doubters around her.

“My temperature’s climbing”

Comic hyperbole for a body catching fire with a crush. It helps sell the quick-cut fantasy without turning cynical.

“I can’t stop the pealing”

“Peal” is bell-speak for ringing loudly. She can’t shut off the soundtrack in her head and she doesn’t want to.

“And even when we die, we’ll look down from up above…”

The daydream goes grandiose - eternity as a flashback reel. Think doo-wop romance turned cosmic.

Shot of I Can Hear the Bells by Nikki Blonsky — Short scene from 'I Can Hear the Bells' - corridor crush to chapel bells.

Style and rhythm

Girl-group chassis with Broadway steering: brushed percussion, chiming keys, stacked harmonies. It’s written to float, not belt, until the countdown crests.

Emotional arc

From accidental touch to wedding march in six rounds. She starts giddy, grows certain, and lands on a promise only she can hear - yet.

Key Facts

Artist: Nikki Blonsky with Motion Picture Cast of Hairspray
Composer: Marc Shaiman
Lyricists: Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman
Original stage debut: 2002 Broadway production (sung by Marissa Jaret Winokur)
Film soundtrack release: July 10, 2007 - New Line Records; later digital reissue under WaterTower Music
YouTube audio ID (official): 7G2nDy0ra-s
Album: Hairspray (Soundtrack to the Motion Picture)
Label: New Line Records; WaterTower Music (later digital)

Questions and Answers

Who wrote “I Can Hear the Bells”?: Music by Marc Shaiman; lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
Who performs it in the 2007 film?: Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad, with the motion picture cast supplying backgrounds.
Where is the scene set in the film?: At Tracy’s high school; the film keeps the number in school corridors after she bumps into Link.
Was it a single?: No formal single push; the track is part of the album campaign. The soundtrack as a whole drove the chart story.
How did the soundtrack perform?: It went RIAA Gold in September 2007, later Platinum, peaked top 5 on the Billboard 200, and earned a 2008 Grammy nomination.

Awards and Chart Positions

Soundtrack milestones: The 2007 film album hit the Billboard 200 top 5 and topped the Independent Albums tally, with RIAA Gold in September 2007 and subsequent Platinum; it also received a 2008 Grammy nomination.

How to Sing I Can Hear the Bells

Range & placement: Light, forward mezzo mix; sing on the smile so the consonants pop without getting percussive.

Time feel: Let verses ride the sway; bloom vowels on the countdown “rounds” as the fantasy escalates.

Color & dynamics: Keep it airy until the final ascent, then add shimmer rather than volume - the bells should feel weightless.

Acting notes: Play wonder, not irony. Tracy is narrating a private movie and inviting us in.

Additional Info

An official “Provided to YouTube” upload lists the track under WaterTower Music, with artist credit to Nikki Blonsky and the motion picture cast - a useful canonical reference when metadata varies across platforms.

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