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're beautiful, no? So many colors of sound, so many changing moods Because you know, they don't ring all by themselves - They don't? - No, silly boy. Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower lives the mysterious bell ringer. Who is this creature - Who? - What is he? - What? - How did he come to be there - How? - Hush, and Clopin will tell you It is a tale, a tale of a man and a monster.
Dark was the night when our tale was begun On the docks near Notre Dame
Man Shup it up, will you!
Man We'll be spotted!
Gypsy Hush, little one.
Clopin Four frightened gypsies slid silently under The docks near Notre Dame
Man 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
Man 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 Ev'rywhere Except within
Frollo 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 She ran
Chorus Dies irae, dies illa (Day of wrath, that day) Solvet saeclum 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)
Gypsy Sanctuary, please give us sanctuary
Frollo A baby? A monster!
Archdeacon Stop!
Clopin Cried the Archdeacon
Frollo This is an unholy deamon. I'm sending it back to hell, where it belongs.
Archdeacon See there the innocent blood you have spilt On the steps of Notre Dame
Frollo 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 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 live 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 Care for the child, and raise it as your own
Frollo What? I'd be settled with this misshapen ...? Very well. Let him live with you, in your church.
Archdeacon Live here? Where?
Frollo Anywhere Just so he's kept locked away Where no one else can see The bell tower, perhaps And who knows, our Lord works in mysterious ways Even this foul creature may Yet prove one day to be Of use to me
Clopin And Frollo gave the child a cruel 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?
Clopin and Chorus Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells Bells, bells, bells, bells Bells of Notre Dame