The only album to date is A Friend of a Friend, released in November 2009. Rawlings recorded the album in Nashville, and produced it himself. Co-writers and musicians on the album include Welch, members of Old Crow Medicine Show, Bright Eyes, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
"It's hard to believe A Friend of a Friend is David Rawlings' first album under his own name."
- Paste Magazine
Bells Of Harlem
Dave Rawlings Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I couldn't sleep for dreaming
My weary soul is finally home
I had the strangest feeling
This is the dawn, the break of day
After the midnight parted
These ringing ears have waited years
Far down the streets, I see the sign
The crowd is breathing faster
Some must have walked a hundred blocks
I see the flocks in pastures
Oh, what a time to be alive
Tears of the past forgotten
It's been a long and lonely night
I hear the bells of Harlem
They ring, they ring, they sing, they sing
The darkest hour has passed
They ring, they ring, they sing, they sing
A little joy at long last
[Incomprehensible]
We grind it down to sawdust
We couldn't stop the freedom train
I hear the bells of Harlem
The lyrics of Dave Rawlings Machine’s “Bells of Harlem” have a sense of hopefulness and happiness about them. The song describes the dawn of a new day, where the world is waking up and the singer couldn’t sleep for dreaming. The singer’s soul is finally home and had the strangest feeling. The ringing ears of the singer have waited years to finally hear the bells of Harlem. The singer sees a crowd down the streets, breathing faster, and flocking in pastures. It is a time to be alive, tears of the past forgotten, and the darkest hour has passed. “Bells of Harlem” speaks of the freedom train that couldn’t be stopped, and the singer hears the bells of Harlem.
The song “Bells of Harlem” has a message that speaks to everyone. It is about hope and the dawn of a new day. The bells of Harlem symbolize a new beginning, and the free flowing lyrics show that the past is in the past, and it is time to walk into the future with joy. The lyrics aren’t just about Harlem, but they can be applied to everyone’s life. It is a song of strength, and it reminds us that no matter what, we can overcome any obstacle. If we stay true to our strength, we can overcome any obstacle and hear the bells of victory.
· The song was written by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch.
· The song was released in 2009 on the album “A Friend of a Friend.”
· The song was produced by David Rawlings and recorded with the all-star band “Dave Rawlings Machine.”
· Dave Rawlings Machine is an American folk band.
· The song features Rawlings on vocals and guitar; Gillian Welch on vocals and guitar; Ketch Secor on fiddle, harmonica, and harmonies; Willie Watson on lead guitar and weird sounds; Benmont Tench on piano and organ; and Dennis Crouch on bass.
· The song’s lyrics reference the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem, New York, spanning the 1920s.
· The song’s message speaks of liberation and the freedom that comes when the oppression is overcome.
· The song’s protagonist hears the bells of Harlem ringing as a sign of liberation and joy.
· The song has been described as a hopeful, life-affirming anthem that reminds us to never give up.
· The song’s lyrics have been described as timeless and relevant even today.
Chords of “Bells of Harlem” by Dave Rawlings Machine are not available as the band uses multiple instruments outside of guitar in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at the world, it's waking up
I am observing the world transition from the darkness of night to the brightness of day
I couldn't sleep for dreaming
I was unable to fall asleep because my mind was filled with aspirations
My weary soul is finally home
After a long journey, my spirit has found comfort and security
I had the strangest feeling
I experienced a sensation that was unusual and difficult to explain
This is the dawn, the break of day
The sun is rising and a new day is beginning
After the midnight parted
Following a time of darkness and uncertainty
These ringing ears have waited years
My ears have longed to hear the sound of these bells for a significant period of time
To hear the bells of Harlem
I am looking forward to being able to hear the bell chimes in Harlem
Far down the streets, I see the sign
In the distance, I can see a sign indicating the way to Harlem
The crowd is breathing faster
The anticipation in the air is causing the spectators to breathe more quickly
Some must have walked a hundred blocks
Some members of the crowd may have traveled a great distance to witness this event
I see the flocks in pastures
I notice that there are many people gathered together in one place
Oh, what a time to be alive
This is an outstanding moment in history that I will always remember
Tears of the past forgotten
We have moved beyond past struggles and are now able to enjoy the present moment fully
It's been a long and lonely night
The night preceding this morning seemed interminable and stressful
I hear the bells of Harlem
Finally, I can hear the long-awaited bell chimes in Harlem
They ring, they ring, they sing, they sing
The bell chimes are loud and clear, producing melodic sounds that are pleasing to the ear
The darkest hour has passed
We have managed to overcome significant challenges, and our situation is now improving
A little joy at long last
After all the hardship, we are finally experiencing a small amount of happiness
[Incomprehensible]
The words being spoken or sung are not clear or easy to interpret
We grind it down to sawdust
We work hard and relentlessly to achieve our goals, even if it requires us to sacrifice some of our own wellbeing
We couldn't stop the freedom train
Despite the numerous obstacles in our path, we refused to give up on the fight for political and social liberation
I hear the bells of Harlem
For the final time, I am able to experience the joyous and beautiful sound of the bell chimes in Harlem
Contributed by Jack H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lucas Pandolfo
LYRICS
Look at the world, it's waking up
I couldn't sleep for dreaming
My weary soul is finally home
I had the strangest feeling
This is the dawn, the break of day
After the midnight pardon
These ringing ears have waited years
To hear the bells of Harlem
Far down the streets, I see the signs
The crowd is breathing faster
Some must have walked a hundred blocks
I see the flocks in pastures
Oh, what a time to be alive
Tears of the pasts forgotten
It's been a long and lonely night
I hear the bells of Harlem
They ring, they ring, they sing, they sing
The darkest hour has passed
They ring, they ring, they sing, they sing
A little joy at long last
The Brazos' rose ain't no more cane
We ground it down to the sorghum
You couldn't stop the freedom train
I hear the bells of Harlem
Rafa C R
Look at the world, it's waking up
I couldn't sleep for dreaming
My weary soul is finally home
I had the strangest feeling
This is the dawn, the break of day
After the midnight pardon
These ringing ears have waited years
To hear the bells of Harlem
Far down the streets, I see the sign
The crowd is breathing faster
Some must have walked a hundred blocks
I see the flocks in pastures
Oh, what a time to be alive
Tears of the past forgotten
It's been a long and lonely night
I hear the bells of Harlem
They ring, they ring, they sing, they sing
The darkest hour has passed
They ring, they ring, they sing, they sing
A little joy at long last
[Incomprehensible]
We grind it down to sorghum
We couldn't stop the freedom train
I hear the bells of Harlem
https://genius.com/Dave-rawlings-machine-bells-of-harlem-lyrics
Jason Bennett
what's clear from this video, more than the beauty of this song, is the pure enjoyment Rawlings and Welch are feeling from performing it. would that this was the most valued asset in the music industry.
IWaldorfM
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings' voices work perfectly together. Their chemistry is unparalleled! Just Brilliant!
GinjaBear
If you like this you should get the album. It's absolutely divine.
littlefyfe
beautiful song. beautiful performance. love these guys!!!
Lucas Pandolfo
LYRICS
Look at the world, it's waking up
I couldn't sleep for dreaming
My weary soul is finally home
I had the strangest feeling
This is the dawn, the break of day
After the midnight pardon
These ringing ears have waited years
To hear the bells of Harlem
Far down the streets, I see the signs
The crowd is breathing faster
Some must have walked a hundred blocks
I see the flocks in pastures
Oh, what a time to be alive
Tears of the pasts forgotten
It's been a long and lonely night
I hear the bells of Harlem
They ring, they ring, they sing, they sing
The darkest hour has passed
They ring, they ring, they sing, they sing
A little joy at long last
The Brazos' rose ain't no more cane
We ground it down to the sorghum
You couldn't stop the freedom train
I hear the bells of Harlem
Jeff Matuszak
Simply exquisite...💙
Alex Dirigible
Those two bits where their voices are separate is really good -- they should do some songs where they're not always in close harmony.
This song is fn great.
David Taylor
Dave Rawlings is an amazing artist.
Maureen Peterson
A wonderful song x Thanks Dave, Gillian and band.
Jennifer Mercer
I love these two et al, and this song is so beautiful ❤❤❤