The Bells of Notre Dame Lyrics – The Hunchback of Notre Dame

[CONGREGATION & CHOIR]
Ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

[CONGREGANT (CLOPIN)]
Morning in Paris
The city awakes
To the bells of Notre Dame

[CONGREGANTS]
The fisherman fishes
The baker-man 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

[CONGREGATION, CHOIR]
The bells of Notre Dame
[CONGREGATION]
Long years ago did this story begin
In this place of Notre Dame

[TWO CONGREGANTS]
Two orphan brothers were both taken in

By the grace of Notre Dame

[CONGREGANT (FROLLO)]
Claude, the older, who cared for his brother

[CONGREGANT (JEHAN)]
Young Jehan, full of beauty and charm

[BOTH]
And they lived and they grew
And awoke to the music
Of bells

[CONGREGATION, CHOIR]
The bells of Notre Dame

[CHOIR]
Kyrie Eleison

[FROLLO]
Oh, dear brother, 'neath these arches and this sacred dome
[CHOIR]
Kyrie Eleison

[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

[CONGREGANT (JEHAN)]
Not like his profligate brother Jehan
Who'd have none of Notre Dame

[CONGREGANT (CLOPIN)]
Though as brothers they loved one another
Frollo watched in despair and alarm

[CONGREGATION]
As Jehan who grew more wild
And defied and defiled
All the laws

[CONGREGATION, CHOIR]
The laws of Notre Dame
[CHOIR]
Kyrie Eleison

[FATHER DUPIN]
You must leave, Jehan
This holy refuge where you've dwelled

[CHOIR]
Kyrie Eleison

[FROLLO, spoken]
Leave? But, Father...

[FATHER DUPIN]
Sorry, Claude, but I've no choice
Your brother is expelled

[CONGREGANT (FROLLO), spoken]
And Frollo didn't hear from his brother for several years.

[CONGREGATION]
Meanwhile...

[CONGREGANT, with CONGREGATION]
Frollo ascended uncommonly fast
Through the ranks of Notre Dame
Till he was named the Archdeacon at last
And gave thanks to Notre Dame

[CONGREGANT]
And then one doleful day got a message

[FROLLO]
And the name that it bore was... "Jehan"!

[FEMALE CONGREGANT]
And concealing his face
Frollo stole to a place
Far away

[CONGREGATION]
Away from Notre Dame

[FROLLO, spoken]
Jehan! Let me take you back. I'll bring you home.

[FROLLO]
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, spoken]
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, spoken]
A baby? Yours? Oh - a monster! It's God's judgment on you! The wicked shall not go unpunished!

[JEHAN, spoken]
I should have known. I was a fool to think that you would look after him.

[FROLLO, spoken]
Look after him? Me?

[JEHAN, spoken]
He has nobody else. Take him... if you can find it in your heart...

[FROLLO, spoken]
Jehan...Jehan?!

(Baby cries)

[CHOIR MEN, CONGREGATION MEN]
Dies irae

[CHOIR WOMEN, CONGREGATION WOMEN]
Dies irae

[CHOIR MEN, CONGREGATION MEN]
Dies illa

[CHOIR WOMEN, CONGREGATION WOMEN]
Dies illa

[CHOIR & CONGREGATION]
Solvet saeclum
In favilla

Ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Kyrie Eleison

[CONGREGATION]
And the saints regarded Frollo from their stone façade

[CHOIR]
Kyrie Eleison

[CONGREGATION]
And he felt their gaze as if it were the eyes of God

[FROLLO, spoken]
Oh, 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

[FROLLO]
See this loathsome creature from whom lesser men would flee
I will keep and care for him and teach him at my knee
To think like me

[CONGREGANTS, spoken]
And Frollo gave the child a name
A cruel name that means...

[CONGREGATION, spoken]
"Half-formed"

[FROLLO, spoken]
Quasimodo!

[CONGREGANT (CLOPIN)]
Now here is a riddle to guess if you can
Sing the bells of Notre Dame

[CONGREGANT (QUASIMODO)]
What makes a monster and what makes a man?

[CONGREGATION, CHOIR]
What makes a monster and what makes a man? (What makes a monster and what makes a 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-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Last Update: June, 27th 2025