Public Library is the long-awaited new album by Minneapolis singer/songwrit… Read Full Bio ↴Public Library is the long-awaited new album by Minneapolis singer/songwriter Jonathan Rundman, his first collection of previously unreleased material since 2000’s Sound Theology. The album’s thematic centerpiece is the power-pop vocational anthem “Librarian” where Rundman claims the role of musical bibliotechnician, gathering works of fiction, non-fiction, news, and history and presenting them in rock & roll form for access by the masses. “I bring order out of chaos, I shine light into the dark,” Rundman sings, “because power comes from knowledge just like fire from a spark.” A grandiose statement about songwriting perhaps, but one Rundman has lived up to. Even Billboard magazine has admitted “Rundman takes lyrical risks that pay off.” Rundman’s precision with melody and wordplay have been the foundation of his music throughout his career and Public Library continues with more of the same, although with a richer sonic backdrop thanks to producer Walter Salas-Humara of the New York City band The Silos.

Carol Of The Bells
Jonathan Rundman Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I prayed to God to help me fall in love,
Bless me with my young heart's desire,
And on Sunday, when at church, I saw
This girl in the Bethany Hand Bell Choir

(Chorus)
She rings 'G' and she rings 'A'
And I can't wait to here her play

They don't trust those notes to anyone else
Carol of the Bells

In the middle of the see-Major scale
She's the girl that I've been dreaming of
So let me tell ya something 'bout that church,
There ain't no better place to fall in love.

(chorus)

Standing in her driveway
Her father's at the door
There's a light in her window
Where's Carol?
Where's Carol?
Come on out!

(chorus)

Overall Meaning

In Jonathan Rundman's song "Carol of the Bells," the singer reflects on his experience of falling in love with a girl he met at church. He makes use of vivid imagery to describe his journey from praying to God for help in finding love, to the moment he laid eyes on the girl in the Bethany Hand Bell Choir. The chorus captures his fascination with her skills in playing the bells, particularly the notes G and A, which are the only ones entrusted to her. Rundman establishes a sense of urgency in his voice as he repeats the words "Carol of the Bells," which signifies his longing for their shared passion for music to bring them together.

The bridge of the song, where the singer describes his love's house, awash in light, introduces a new tone to the song. The rhythm picks up, and the music becomes more frenetic as the singer pleads with Carol to come out. There is a sense of uncertainty and nervousness which Rundman conveys aptly through his singing. As the song comes to an end with the end of the chorus, the listener is left pondering whether the singer's efforts to woo Carol were successful.

Overall, the song is a beautiful ode to the exhilarating experience of falling in love and the unexpected places it can happen, such as the church choir. The Carol of the Bells is used as a metaphor for the passion shared by both the singer and his love interest, bringing them closer.

Carol Of The BellsJonathan Rundman Lyrics

Carol Of The Bells
Jonathan Rundman Lyrics