Stephen Schwartz
The Bells of Notre Dame
(Olim)
(Olim deus accelere)
(Hoc saeculum splendium)
(Accelere fiat venire)
(Olim)

(Ah, ah, ah)
(Ah, ah, ah)
(Ah, ah, ah)
(Ah, ah, ah)

(Ah, ah, ah)
(Ah, ah, ah)
(Ah, ah, ah)
(Ah, ah, ah)

[CLOPIN]
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 litter bells soft as a psalm
And some say the soul of
The city's the toll of
The bells
The bells of Notre Dame
(spoken)
Now, to hear these bells is to be reminded of an extraordinary time, when this lowly bellringer brought Paris to its knees. And who better to tell you this story than someone who knows it best of all. But, I must warn you in advance. You are about to see an ugly monster. Just who that might be is for you to decide

(sung)
Dark was the night when
Our our tale was begun
On the docks near Notre Dame

[GYPSY MOTHER}
(spoken)
Hush, little one

[CLOPIN]
Four frightened gypsies
Slid silently under
The docks near Notre Dame

[GYPSY MOTHER}
(spoken)
Hush, little one

[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
The bells of Notre Dame (Kyrie Eleison)
(spoken)
One of the most powerful officials in Paris was the Minister of Justice

(sung)
Justice Frollo was a man
With morals so pristine (Kyrie Eleison)
That he swore he would make
All of Paris just as clean

[FROLLO]
(spoken)
You there! What are you hiding?

[GYPSY MOTHER}
(spoken)
Please sir, I only come to the city seeking help for my baby!

[FROLLO]
(spoken)
A baby? Likely story.What have you stolen? See what that gypsy has in her hands

[CLOPIN]
(spoken)
And the poor woman ran for her life. (Dies Irae, Dies Irae)

[GYPSY MOTHER}
(spoken)
Sanctuary! Please give us sanctuary. (Dies Illa, Dies Illa)
(Solvet saeclum in favilla)
[FROLLO]
(spoken)
This is a child of Satan! I shall send it back where it belongs!

[CLOPIN]
(spoken)
"Stop" cried the Archdeacon

[ARCHDEACON]
(spoken)
Lord help us. She is dead

[FROLLO]
(spoken)
Dead?


[ARCHDEACON]
See here the innocent
Blood you have spilt
On the steps of Notre Dame

[FROLLO]
(spoken)
I was merely enforcing the law. I did not mean to hurt her

[ARCHDEACON]
Now you will add this child's
Blood to your guilt
On the steps of Notre Dame

[FROLLO]
(spoken)
This misshapen monster can have no life here!

[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 done from
The eyes
The very eyes of Notre Dame. (Kyrie Eleison)

[CLOPIN]
And the saints looked down on
Frollo from there stone facade. (Kyrie Eleison)
And he knew he must do
Penance in the eyes of God

[FROLLO]
(spoken)
You're right, father. God has given me this challenge

(sung)
See this loathsome creature
From whom lesser men would flee

(spoken)
I will ennoble him

(sung)
I will keep and care for him
And teach him at my knee
To think like me

[CLOPIN]
(spoken)
And Frollo gave the child a thoughtless name. A name that means "half-formed". Quasimodo!

(sung)
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?
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)