… Read Full Bio ↴Blossom Dearie (1924-2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist.
Born on 28th April 1924 in East Durham, New York, of mixed Scottish and Norwegian ancestry, Dearie began her career in vocal groups in New York. In the early 1950s she moved to Paris, forming her own vocal group, The Blue Stars, later to become the Swingle Singers.
After signing to Verve, Dearie returned to the U.S. where, despite developing a successful career and achieving international fame, by 1974 the lack of interest from major labels led her to start her own label, Daffodil Records. She continued performing into her eighties.
Blossom Dearie died on 7th February 2009, at her apartment in Greenwich Village, New York City
If I Were A Bell
Blossom Dearie Lyrics
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Now that we're cozy and clinging
Well sir, all I can say is
If I were a bell I'd be ringing
From the moment we met tonight
That's the way I just gotta behave
Boy, if I were a lamp I'd light
Ask me how do I feel
Little me with my quiet upbringing
Well sir, all I can say is
If I were a gate I'd be swinging
And if I were a season
I'd surely be spring
And if I were a bell
I'd go, "Ding, dong, ding, dong, ding"
Ask me how do I feel
Now that we're cozy and clinging
Well sir, all I can say is
If I were a bell I'd be ringing
From the moment we met tonight
That's the way I just gotta behave
Boy, if I were a lamp I'd light
And if I were a banner I'd wave
Ask me how do I feel
Little me with my quiet upbringing
Well sir, all I can say is
If I were a gate I'd be swinging
And if I were a season
I'd surely be spring
And if I were a bell
If I were a bell
If I were a bell
I'd go, "Ding, dong, ding, dong, ding"
Ding, dong, ding
The lyrics to Blossom Dearie's song "If I Were a Bell" express the overwhelming sensation of falling in love. The singer describes being taken by their partner's presence, so much so that they feel ready to burst with energy and excitement. They can hardly contain themselves, and if they "were a bell" they would be "ringing" out with joy. The imagery in the song is playful and whimsical, with the singer imagining themselves as various objects that would all be vibrating or moving with excitement if only they were endowed with life.
The playful and jazzy tone of the song mirrors the theme of newfound love and the optimism that comes with it. The music is light and airy, with scat-style vocals that further enhance the whimsy. Overall, the song captures the feeling of infatuation and the pure, unbridled joy that comes with it. It's a song about surrendering to love, fully and without reservation.
Line by Line Meaning
Ask me how do I feel,
Enquire what my emotional state is
Now that we're cosy and clinging,
Now that we are affectionately close
Well sir, all I can say is
Honestly, I can only say that
If I were a bell I'd be ringing!
I would be so excited and happy that I would create a melodious sound
From the moment we kissed goodnight,
From the very second we bid farewell with a kiss
That's the way I just gotta behave,
That's the way I am required to act
And if I were a lamp I'd light,
I would become as radiant as a light if I could
Or if I were a banner I'd wave!
I would wave with joy like a flag if I could
Little me with my quiet upbringing,
A small and reserved individual like me, who grew up under mild guidance
And if I were a gate I'd be swinging!
I would be swinging if I were a gate
And if I were a watch,
If I were a timepiece
I'd start popping my spring,
I would start buzzing excitedly, as if my spring popped
Oh, and if I were a bell
Oh, and if I were a bell
I'd go "Ding dong ding dong ding!".
I'd make a joyful sound like "Ding dong ding dong ding!"
From this chemistry lesson I'm learning,
From this session of romantic discovery
If I were a bridge I'd be burning!
I'd be burning if I were a bridge
Well, I knew my moral would crack
I knew my character would break down
From the wonderful way you looked,
From the amazing way you appeared
Boy, if I were a duck I'd quack,
I would quack like a duck if I were one
Or if I were a goose I'd be cooked!
I would get cooked if I were a goose
Now that we're fondly caressing,
Now that we are tenderly embracing
And if I were a salad,
If I were a salad
I know I'd be splashing my dressing!
I'd be throwing my dressing everywhere
Or if I were a season,
Or if I were one of the four seasons
I'd surely be Spring,
I would undeniably be Spring
Yes, and if I were a bell,
Yes, and if I were a bell
Say, if I were a bell,
I mean, if I were a bell
If I were a bell
If I were a bell
I'd go "Ding dong ding dong ding!".
I'd make a joyful sound like "Ding dong ding dong ding!"
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Frank Loesser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ethan Fanshel
On top of everything else, Blossom Dearie was an excellent pianist and soloist...
Mary Swike
Adorable
Mary Swike
So cute
Lori Struss-Weatherly
Do you know who the musicians are behind the track?
Harrison Instruments
Bass – Raymond Matthews Brown
Drums – Edmund Leonard Thigpen
Guitar – James Mundell Lowe
Piano, Vocals – Margrethe Blossom Dearie
Dylan C
ding dong ding dong ding