Ochs performed at many political events, including anti-Vietnam War and civil rights rallies, student events, and organized labor events over the course of his career, in addition to many concert appearances at such venues as New York City's Town Hall and Carnegie Hall. Politically, Ochs described himself as a "left social democrat" who became an "early revolutionary" after the protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago led to a police riot, which had a profound effect on his state of mind.
After years of prolific writing in the 1960s, Ochs's mental stability declined in the 1970s. He eventually succumbed to a number of problems including alcoholism, and took his own life in 1976.
Some of Ochs's major influences were Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Bob Gibson, Faron Young, Merle Haggard, John Wayne, and John F. Kennedy. His best-known songs include "I Ain't Marching Anymore", "Changes", "Crucifixion", "Draft Dodger Rag", "Love Me I'm a Liberal", "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends", "Power and the Glory", "There but for Fortune", and "The War Is Over".
For a more thorough and interesting bio on Phil visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Ochs
Bells
Phil Ochs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Silver bells
What a world of merriment
Their melody foretells
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle
In the icy air of night
All the heavens seem to twinkle
With a crystalline delight
With a sort of Runic rhyme
From the tintinnabulation
That so musically wells
From the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells
From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells
Hear the mellow wedding bells
Golden bells
What a world of happiness
Their harmony foretells
Through the balmy air of night
How they ring out their delight
Through the dances and the yells
And the rapture that impels
How it swells
How it dwells
On the future
How it tells
From the swinging and the ringing of the molten golden bells
Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells
Of the rhyming and the chiming of the bells
Hear the loud alarum bells
Brazen bells
What a tale of terror now
Their turbulency tells
Much too horrified to speak
Oh, they can only shriek
For all the ears to know
How the danger ebbs and flows
Leaping higher, higher, higher
With a desperate desire
In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire
With the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells
With the clamor and the clanging of the bells
Hear the tolling of the bells
Iron bells
What a world of solemn thought their monody compels
For all the sound that floats
From the rust within our throats
And the people sit and groan
In their muffled monotone
And the tolling, tolling, tolling
Feels a glory in the rolling
From the throbbing and the sobbing
Of the melancholy bells
Oh, the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells
Oh, the moaning and the groaning of the bells.
Hear the sledges with the bells
Silver bells
What a world of merriment
Their melody foretells
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle
In the icy air of night
All the heavens seem to twinkle
With a crystalline delight
Keeping time, time, time
With a sort of Runic rhyme
From the tintinnabulation
That so musically wells
From the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells
From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells
Phil Ochs’ “The Bells” is a song that explores the different emotions conveyed in the sound of bells. The first stanza is a celebration of the sound of silver bells, which signify happiness and joy. The lyrics paint a picture of an icy winter night with the bells tinkling in the air, reflecting the starry sky. The second stanza describes the sound of golden wedding bells, which symbolize the happiness and harmony of marriage. The verses evoke the pleasure of warm summer nights and the sounds of celebration in the air.
The third stanza introduces a change in tone, with the sound of brazen bells conveying the terror and uncertainty of danger. The lyrics suggest that the noise of the bells is too powerful to be expressed in words, and that the only way they can react is by shrieking in terror. The final stanza brings the song to a somber conclusion, with the sound of iron bells representing the solemnity and finality of death. The mournful ringing of the bells is contrasted with the groaning and moaning of the people, reflecting the melancholy of the moment.
Overall, “The Bells” is a powerful reflection on the emotional significance of the sound of bells, from the joy of celebration to the terror of danger and the sadness of death.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear the sledges with the bells
Listen to the sounds of the sleighs with the bells
Silver bells
The bells on the sleighs are made of silver
What a world of merriment
This sound creates a joyful atmosphere
Their melody foretells
The sound of the bells indicates something
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle
The sound of the bells is a soft, light and high-pitched sound
In the icy air of night
The sound of the bells resounds in the cold air of the night
All the heavens seem to twinkle
The stars in the sky glitter and glimmer
With a crystalline delight
The sound of the bells has a beautiful, clear quality
Keeping time, time, time
The bells create rhythm
With a sort of Runic rhyme
The rhythm sounds like something from old Nordic poetry
From the tintinnabulation
The sound of the bells
That so musically wells
Is a beautiful, musical sound
From the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells
The repetition of the word 'bells' emphasizes its significance
From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells
The sound of the bells is both light and sharp
Hear the mellow wedding bells
Listen to the sound of wedding bells
Golden bells
The bells at the wedding are made of gold
What a world of happiness
The sound of the bells is a symbol of joy and celebration
Their harmony foretells
The sound of the bells signifies something
Through the balmy air of night
The sound of the bells travels through the warm evening air
How they ring out their delight
The bells ring with joy and happiness
Through the dances and the yells
The sound of the bells accompanies the noise of the party
And the rapture that impels
The happiness and enthusiasm of the occasion
How it swells
The joy of the occasion grows stronger
How it dwells
The joy lingers and stays with them
On the future
The sound of the bells reminds them of their future together
How it tells
The sound of the bells conveys a message
From the swinging and the ringing of the molten golden bells
The movement and vibration of the golden bells also produce sound
Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells
The repetition again emphasizes the importance of the sound of the bells
Of the rhyming and the chiming of the bells
The sound of the bells has a musical quality
Hear the loud alarum bells
Listen to the loud sound of the alarm bells
Brazen bells
The alarm bells are made of brass
What a tale of terror now
The sound of the bells suggests something terrifying
Their turbulency tells
The violent sound of the bells represents something
Much too horrified to speak
The sound is so terrifying that people are speechless
Oh, they can only shriek
All people can do is scream out loud
For all the ears to know
Everyone can hear how terrifying the sound of the bells is
How the danger ebbs and flows
The sound of the bells reflects the undulating nature of the danger
Leaping higher, higher, higher
The sound of the bells grows more intense and dangerous
With a desperate desire
The sound of the bells suggests a strong desire for help or rescue
In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire
The sound of the bells is an appeal for help from the fire department
With the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells
The repetition emphasizes the terror caused by the sound of the bells
With the clamor and the clanging of the bells
This noise is chaotic and intense
Hear the tolling of the bells
Listen to the sound of the tolling bells
Iron bells
The bells ringing are made of iron
What a world of solemn thought their monody compels
The sound of the tolling bells is thought-provoking and reflective
For all the sound that floats
The sound of the bells fills the air and surrounds them
From the rust within our throats
The sound of the bells sounds like rusty, creaking voices
And the people sit and groan
People feel solemn and reflective while listening to the bells
In their muffled monotone
The sound of the bells is a continuous, unchanging tone
And the tolling, tolling, tolling
The sound of the bells is a repetitive and monotonous ring
Feels a glory in the rolling
The sound has a certain beauty in its repetitive nature
From the throbbing and the sobbing
The sound of the bells has a pulsing and sorrowful quality to it
Of the melancholy bells
The sound of the bells is slow and mournful
Oh, the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells
The repetition emphasizes the importance of the sound of the bells
Oh, the moaning and the groaning of the bells.
The sound of the bells is slow, sorrowful and melancholic
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PHIL OCHS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind