Belle
Alan Menken (Music) & Howard Ashman (Lyrics) Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a quiet village
Every day
Like the one before
Little town
Full of little people
Waking up to say
Bonjour
Bonjour Bonjour Bonjour
There goes the baker with his tray, like always
The same old bread and rolls to sell
Every morning just the same
Since the morning that we came
To this poor provincial town
Good Morning, Belle
'Morning, Monsieur
Where are you off to
The bookshop. I just finished the most wonderful story
about a beanstalk and an ogre and a
That's nice. Marie, the baguettes hurry up
Look there she goes that girl is strange, no question
Dazed and distracted, can't you tell
Never part of any crowd
'Cause her head's up on some cloud
No denying she's a funny girl that Belle
Bonjour
Good day
How is your family
Bonjour
Good day
How is your wife
I need six eggs
That's too expensive
There must be more than this provincial life
Ah, Belle
Good Morning. I've come to return the book I borrowed
Finished already
Oh, I couldn't put it down. Have you got anything new
Ha Ha! Not since yesterday
That's all right. I'll borrow, this one
That one? But you've read it twice
Well, it's my favorite! Far off places, daring sword fights
magic spells, a prince in disguise
If you like it all that much, it's yours
But sir
I insist
Well, thank you. Thank you very much
Look there she goes that girl is so peculiar
I wonder if she's feeling well
With a dreamy far-off look
And her nose stuck in a book
What a puzzle to the rest of us is Belle
Oh, isn't this amazing?
It's my favorite part because you'll see
Here's where she meets Prince Charming
But she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three
Now it's no wonder that her name means "beauty"
Her looks have got no parallel
But behind that fair facade
I'm afraid she's rather odd
Very diff'rent from the rest of us
She's nothing like the rest of us
Yes, diff'rent from the rest of us is Belle
Wow! You didn't miss a shot, Gaston, You're the greatest
hunter in the whole world!
I know.
No beast alive stands a chance against you. Ha ha ha and
no girl, for that matter.
It's true, LeFou. And I've got my sights set on that one
Hmm the inventor's daughter
She's the one - the lucky girl I'm going to marry
But she's
The most beautiful girl in town.
I know, but
That makes her the best. And don't I deserve the best
Well, of course! I mean you do, but
Right from the moment when I met her, saw her
I said she's gorgeous and I fell
Here in town there's only she
Who is beautiful as me
So I'm making plans to woo and marry Belle
Look there he goes
Isn't he dreamy
Monsieur Gaston
Oh he's so cute
Be still my heart
I'm hardly breathing
He's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute
Bonjour
Pardon
Good day
Mais oui
You call this bacon
What lovely grapes
Some cheese
Ten yards
One pound
'Scuse me
I'll get the knife
Please let me through
This bread
Those fish
It's stale
They smell
Madame's mistaken
There must be more than this provincial life
Just watch, I'm going to make Belle my wife
Look there she goes a girl who's strange but special
A most peculiar mademoiselle
It's a pity and a sin
She doesn't quite fit in
'Cause she really is a funny girl
A beauty but a funny girl
She really is a funny girl
That Belle
The song "Belle" from the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast is sung by the villagers as they go about their daily routine while Belle walks through the town. The villagers are excitedly exchanging pleasantries while Belle seems to be lost in her own world, nose stuck in a book. Through the song, we see the stark contrast between Belle's perspective and that of the other villagers. While they are content to remain in their small village and carry out their routine, Belle has a thirst for adventure and knowledge.
The song also introduces us to Gaston, the story's antagonist. He is in pursuit of Belle, believing her to be the most beautiful girl in town and therefore deserving of him. He considers himself the greatest hunter in the world and prides himself on being the town's heartthrob. The song sets up the underlying tension between Gaston and Belle, as well as the theme of outsiders and what it means to fit in.
Overall, "Belle" is an exposition song that establishes the setting, characters, and themes of the movie Beauty and the Beast.
Line by Line Meaning
Little town
The small village
It's a quiet village
Where everything is peaceful
Every day
Each day that passes
Like the one before
Similar to all previous days
Little town
The small village
Full of little people
Inhabited by ordinary individuals
Waking up to say
Rising to greet the day
Bonjour
Good day
There goes the baker with his tray, like always
The baker walking with his usual tray
The same old bread and rolls to sell
Always selling the same types of bread and rolls
Every morning just the same
Each morning without variation
Since the morning that we came
Since the day of our arrival
To this poor provincial town
To this unfortunate village
Good Morning, Belle
Greetings, Belle
'Morning, Monsieur
Good morning, sir
Where are you off to
Where are you heading
The bookshop. I just finished the most wonderful story
I'm going to the bookstore after reading a marvelous story
about a beanstalk and an ogre
Involving a giant beanstalk and a fearsome creature
That's nice. Marie, the baguettes hurry up
That's pleasant. Marie, please hurry with the baguettes
Look there she goes that girl is strange, no question
Observe, that girl is undoubtedly peculiar
Dazed and distracted, can't you tell
Lost in thought and preoccupied, can't you notice
Never part of any crowd
Never belonging to any group
'Cause her head's up on some cloud
Because her mind is always wandering
No denying she's a funny girl that Belle
It's undeniable that Belle is an eccentric girl
How is your family
Inquire about the well-being of your family
How is your wife
Ask about the condition of your wife
I need six eggs
I require six eggs
That's too expensive
The price is too high
There must be more than this provincial life
This common life cannot be all there is
Good Morning. I've come to return the book I borrowed
Greetings. I have returned the book I borrowed
Finished already
You've already finished reading it
Oh, I couldn't put it down. Have you got anything new
I found it so captivating. Do you have any new books
Ha Ha! Not since yesterday
Certainly not since yesterday
That's all right. I'll borrow, this one
That's fine. I'll borrow this particular book
That one? But you've read it twice
That book? But you've already read it twice
Well, it's my favorite! Far off places, daring sword fights
Well, it's my favorite! Exciting adventures in distant lands
magic spells, a prince in disguise
Enchanting spells and a disguised prince
If you like it all that much, it's yours
If you enjoy it that much, you can have it
But sir
But sir
I insist
I strongly urge
Well, thank you. Thank you very much
Well, thank you. Thank you very much
Look there she goes that girl is so peculiar
Observe, that girl is extremely unusual
I wonder if she's feeling well
I'm curious if she is in good health
With a dreamy far-off look
With a fantasy-like gaze
And her nose stuck in a book
And her nose deeply engrossed in a book
What a puzzle to the rest of us is Belle
Belle is a complete mystery to the rest of us
Oh, isn't this amazing?
Oh, isn't this incredible?
It's my favorite part because you'll see
It's my favorite section because you'll understand
Here's where she meets Prince Charming
This is where she encounters Prince Charming
But she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three
But she won't realize it's him until chapter three
Now it's no wonder that her name means 'beauty'
It's unsurprising that her name signifies 'beauty'
Her looks have got no parallel
Her appearance is unmatched
But behind that fair facade
Yet beneath that outward beauty
I'm afraid she's rather odd
I'm afraid she's quite peculiar
Very diff'rent from the rest of us
Very different from the rest of us
She's nothing like the rest of us
She bears no resemblance to the rest of us
Yes, diff'rent from the rest of us is Belle
Indeed, Belle is distinct from the rest of us
Wow! You didn't miss a shot, Gaston, You're the greatest
Wow! You never miss, Gaston. You're the ultimate
hunter in the whole world!
hunter in the entire world!
I know.
I'm well aware
No beast alive stands a chance against you. Ha ha ha and
No creature stands a chance against you. Ha ha ha and
no girl, for that matter.
no girl, either.
It's true, LeFou. And I've got my sights set on that one
It's true, LeFou. And I'm determined to win her over
Hmm the inventor's daughter
Hmm, the daughter of the inventor
She's the one - the lucky girl I'm going to marry
She's the one - the fortunate girl I will wed
But she's
But she's
The most beautiful girl in town.
The most beautiful girl in town.
I know, but
I know, but
That makes her the best. And don't I deserve the best
That makes her the finest. And don't I deserve the finest
Well, of course! I mean you do, but
Well, of course! I mean, you do, but
Right from the moment when I met her, saw her
From the very moment I encountered her, saw her
I said she's gorgeous and I fell
I exclaimed that she's stunning and I became infatuated
Here in town there's only she
In this town, there's only her
Who is beautiful as me
Who possesses the same beauty as me
So I'm making plans to woo and marry Belle
Therefore, I am strategizing to court and marry Belle
Look there he goes
Observe, there he goes
Isn't he dreamy
Isn't he enchanting
Monsieur Gaston
Monsieur Gaston
Oh he's so cute
Oh, he's so attractive
Be still my heart
My heart, please calm down
I'm hardly breathing
I can hardly breathe
He's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute
He possesses such a tall, dark, robust, and handsome appearance
Pardon
Excuse me
Mais oui
But yes
You call this bacon
This is what you consider bacon
What lovely grapes
Such delightful grapes
Some cheese
A bit of cheese
Ten yards
Ten yards
One pound
One pound
'Scuse me
Excuse me
I'll get the knife
I'll fetch the knife
Please let me through
Kindly allow me to pass
This bread
This bread
Those fish
Those fish
It's stale
It's stale
They smell
They have an odor
Madame's mistaken
Madame is incorrect
Just watch, I'm going to make Belle my wife
Just wait and see, I will make Belle my wife
A most peculiar mademoiselle
An incredibly strange young lady
It's a pity and a sin
It's both unfortunate and sinful
She doesn't quite fit in
She doesn't really belong
'Cause she really is a funny girl
Because she truly is an amusing girl
A beauty but a funny girl
Beautiful, yet eccentric
She really is a funny girl
She truly is a comical girl
That Belle
That Belle
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Walt Disney Music Company
Written by: HOWARD ELLIOTT ASHMAN, MARTINE, C.M. BIJL, ALAN MENKEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@seroia
This record is priceless! So this is the demo that they worried about being rejected by Disney... :)
@AutismThespian1993
My fav song of all time. I can hear the passion in the composers for the story and I am glad the heads at Disney didn’t laugh at him. The song reveals so much about the town and I related with Belle so much!!!
@carolrickroll767
Ello Perkins!🙋🏼♀️
@Thomas_H._Smith
4:02 Fun Fact: You might notice that in the final movie there's more dialog here, that's because, one day when Howard and Alan played the song for Roger Allers, one of the writers of Beauty and the Beast, he said he loved it, except for this part here. He felt it needed more going on so Howard told Alan to play it again, and told Roger to just say whatever popped into his head, and so the rest of the lyrics were made up on the spot.
@WDI2008
Surprisingly Howard Ashman still had his singing voice because he was already two years HIV positive. And as it progressed he began to lose his voice.
@cvcvcvcvcv
El compromiso con su trabajo y su seguridad de lo que queria cuando trajaba de forma creativa son ejemplos a seguir.
@kariteinanen7710
Mr. Ashman probably had been HIV+ for at least 7-9years at this point. The averige incubation period without real symptoms is that. But then when it progress to AIDS the person starts to have many kind of symptoms and that's when they usually got tested in the early years of the pandemic. So what you meant was that mr. Ashman had been living with AIDS probably about 2years at this point. And that is no way a short time. He was of those who had determination and will to carry on and live as long as he could. He was a very special human being: strong and brave.
@VladSicoe
I love the excitement in their voices.
@oklu_
The lyrics wasn't revised at all. What a masterpiece.
@TheCapedWanderer
They actually revised it from “Little town, just a quiet village...” to “Little town, it’s a quiet village...” Heavy editing haha