The Bells of Notre Dame Songtext
von Paul Kandel, David Ogden Stiers, Tony Jay & Chorus

MORNING IN PARIS
THE CITY AWAKES
TO THE BELLS OF NOTRE DAME
THE FISHERMAN FISHES
THE BAKER-MAN BAKES
TO THE BELLS OF NOTRE DAME
TO 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


LONG YEARS AGO DID THIS STORY BEGIN
IN THIS PLACE OF NOTRE DAME
TWO ORPHAN BROTHERS WERE BOTH TAKEN IN
BY THE GRACE OF NOTRE DAME
CLAUDE, THE OLDER WHO CARED FOR HIS BROTHER
YOUNG JEHAN, FULL OF BEAUTY AND CHARM
AND THEY LIVED AND THEY GREW
AND AWOKE TO THE MUSIC OF BELLS
THE BELLS OF NOTRE DAME

KYRIE ELEISON

OH DEAR BROTHER
MEET THESE ARCHES AND THIS SACRED DOME

KYRIE ELEISON

WE ARE BLESSED TO FIND OUR SANCTUARY AND OUR HOME

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

KYRIE ELEISON


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

And Frollo didn't hear from his brother for several years.
Meanwhile...

FROLLO WAS SENT IN
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 AWFUL DAY GOT A MESSAGE
AND THE NAME THAT IT BORE WAS "JEHAN"
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: He has nobody else! Take him... if you can find it in your heart.

FROLLO: Jehan? Jehan?!

DIES IRAE
DIES ILLA
SOLVET SAECLUM
IN FAVILLA

KYRIE ELEISON

AND THE SAINTS REGARDED FROLLO
FROM THEIR STONE FACADE
KYRIE ELEISON
AND HE FELT THEIR GAZE
AS IF IT WERE THE EYES OF GOD

FROLLO: Oh Lord, you've sent me a test. This child is my cross bare. I may not have saved my brother, but I will save this... thing.

SEE THIS LONESOME 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.

NOW HERE IS A RIDDLE TO GUESS IF YOU CAN
SING THE BELLS OF NOTRE DAME

WHAT MAKES A MONSTER
AND WHAT MAKES A MAN?

SING THE BELLS, BELLS, BELLS,
BELLS, BELLS, BELLS, BELLS, BELLS,
THE BELLS OF NOTRE DAME