Jansen was so close to giving it up before she even began. But a year after deciding to give music a try she tried to make waves with advance copies of her EP Trauma (released summer 2006). June 12, 2009, she released her second EP, Bells, featuring single Single Girls, accompanied by a music video.
In the U.S., Jansen is a fixture in the constellation of artists associated with Los Angeles nightclub The Hotel Café — a musical haven, creative incubator, and ultimately, national launching pad for such confessional-minded artists as Sara Bareilles, Priscilla Ahn, and Joshua Radin, whom Jansen toured with in 2008 and in 2011. Jansen’s songs were used in various television shows on MTV and ABC.
Jansen, being half American, half Dutch, was invited to The Netherlands in 2009 for a series of appearances, which led to her signing with Universal Music. Debut album Bells (composed of Jansen’s two previously released EP’s 2007’s Trauma and 2009’s Single Girls, plus “Use Somebody”), has already gone platinum in Jansen’s native Holland and reached a #1 position on iTunes. Propelled by “Single Girls” and a stunning cover of Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody,” which has spent more than 6 months lodged in the Top 25 on the Dutch singles chart.
Jansen hit the road in Europe with her pal William Fitzsimmons as a member of his band as well as his support act. In 2010 she sold out both headline tours of her own in The Netherlands, after which she toured in Germany, Austria, UK as fans spread the word.
The year 2011 was yet another exciting year, with Jansen’s debut album Bells being released in the US, the rest of Europe and China, with tours set up on these continents as well.
Jansen is currently working on her next album.
Bells
Laura Jansen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know the curtain's drawn over your window
Maybe fate, or maybe just the tug of lonely made me call
But anyway, love, I'm hearing bells
I just thought you should hear the bells
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
I woke up in a world that's suddenly heart-shaped
Throwing you a line, send me back a sign, love
One by land or two by sea
Oh Bells
Nothing here but bells
Ringing in my heart
La la la la la la
Meet me at the tower
We'll hang on to the ropes and swing out
Meet me at the tower
We'll hang on to the ropes and swing out
Bells, in my heart
Oh bells, in my heart
Bum bum la la la la la la la
Bum bum la la la la la la
Bum bum la la la la la la la
Bum bum bum bum bum
I can feel the sky cracking in my heart
It's falling to the pavement
Don't know where to start
So, let's go to the tower
One more time
And Climb high, love, climb high
Oh bells
Nothing here but bells ringing in my heart
In my heart
In my heart
In my heart
La la la la
The song "Bells" by Laura Jansen is a song that expresses the feeling of loneliness and the desire for love. The song starts with the singer, who knows it is late, calling someone who is probably a lover or a friend. She is feeling lonely and wants to hear the sound of bells, either literally or figuratively. The sound of bells may represent a reminder of love or happiness, and the singer wants the person she is calling to share in this feeling. The singer then talks about waking up in a world that is heart-shaped, which could mean that she is feeling love everywhere she goes or that her world is now centered around her heart. She then asks the person she is calling to respond to her message by sending her a sign, either by land or by sea. The sound of the bells in the song seems to represent the emotion that the singer is feeling.
The singer then suggests meeting with the person she is calling at the tower, where they can hang on to the ropes and swing out. The tower may represent a symbol of freedom or a place where she can escape her loneliness. The final verse talks about the singer feeling the sky cracking in her heart and it is falling to the pavement. She doesn't know where to start, so she suggests going to the tower one more time to climb high. The sound of the bells continues to represent the emotion that the singer is feeling, reminding her of love and happiness.
Overall, "Bells" by Laura Jansen is a song about the feeling of loneliness and the desire for love. The sound of bells represents the emotion that the singer is feeling, reminding her of love and happiness. The tower may represent a symbol of freedom or a place where she can escape her loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
I know it's late
I am aware that it is late
I know the curtain's drawn over your window
I know you have closed the curtains over your window
Maybe fate, or maybe just the tug of lonely made me call
Perhaps it is destiny or it could be the feeling of loneliness that has made me call you
But anyway, love, I'm hearing bells
Regardless, my dear, I hear bells ringing
I just thought you should hear the bells
I just wanted to share the sound of the bells with you
Oh oh oh
Represents the sound of the bells
Oh oh I, I can hardly wait
I can barely contain my excitement
I woke up in a world that's suddenly heart-shaped
I woke up in a world that is filled with love
Throwing you a line, send me back a sign, love
I am reaching out to you, please respond with a sign of your love for me
One by land, or two by sea
I am willing to go to great lengths, by land or by sea, to be with you
Oh Bells
Refers to the sound of bells ringing in the heart
Nothing here but bells
In this moment, all that can be heard are bells ringing in the heart
Ringing in my heart
The sound of bells is resonating in my heart
La la la la la la
Represents the sound of the bells
Meet me at the tower
I am requesting that we meet at the tower
We'll hang on to the ropes and swing out
We can hold onto the ropes and swing out together
Bells, in my heart
The sound of bells still remains in my heart
Oh bells, in my heart
The sound of bells in my heart is overwhelming
Bum bum la la la la la la la
Represents the sound of the bells
Bum bum la la la la la la
Represents the sound of the bells
Bum bum la la la la la la la
Represents the sound of the bells
Bum bum bum bum bum
The sound of the bells fades away
I can feel the sky cracking in my heart
I can sense that something significant is happening in my heart
It's falling to the pavement
My heart feels heavy and is descending downward
Don't know where to start
I do not know where to begin in order to fix my heart
So, let's go to the tower
That is why I am urging us to go to the tower
One more time
Once more, let us swing from the ropes of the tower
And Climb high, love, climb high
As we climb higher on the tower, I hope our love can also soar
In my heart
Throughout all of this, the sound of the bells persists in my heart
La la la la
Represents the sound of the bells
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LAURA JANSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind