Bells of Rhymney
Roger McGuinn Lyrics


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Oh what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney
Is there hope for the future?
Say the brown bells of Merthyr
Who made the mine owner?
Say the black bells of Rhondda
And who killed the miner?
Say the grim bells of Blaina

Throw the vandals in court
Say the bells of Newport
All will be well if, if, if, if, if
Say the green bells of Cardiff
Why so worried sisters? Why?
Sang the silver bells of Wye
And what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney

Oh what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney
Is there hope for the future?
Say the brown bells of Merthyr
Who made the mine owner?
Say the black bells of Rhondda




And who killed the miner?
Say the grim bells of Blaina

Overall Meaning

The song Bells of Rhymney by Roger McGuinn is a powerful and thought-provoking piece that speaks to the oppressive coal mining industry in Wales during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The opening lines of the song ask the listener what they will offer in exchange for the sad bells of Rhymney, a clear indication that the song is going to be one of introspection and self-examination. The verse then progresses to ask questions about hope for the future, the makers of mine owners, the killers of miners, and what should be done about vandals in court.


The chorus of the song asks the listener to consider the aforementioned questions and then repeats the opening lines, driving home the message that something must be done to change the current state of affairs. The final verse ends with a message of hope and love, as the silver bells of Wye ask the worried sisters why they are so consumed by their fears.


Overall, Bells of Rhymney is a haunting and powerful song that speaks to the struggles of those impacted by the coal mining industry in Wales. It highlights the need for change and the importance of hope in the face of oppression and struggle.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh what will you give me?
The sad bells of Rhymney are asking what can be offered in exchange for their sorrowful feelings.


Say the sad bells of Rhymney
These bells in Rhymney are the ones expressing sorrow.


Is there hope for the future?
The brown bells of Merthyr are asking if there is any optimism for what is to come.


Say the brown bells of Merthyr
The bells in Merthyr are the ones asking for hope to be expressed.


Who made the mine owner?
The black bells of Rhondda are questioning who gave power to the mine owner.


Say the black bells of Rhondda
The Rhondda bells are the ones asking who has created the mine owner's authority.


And who killed the miner?
The grim bells of Blaina are questioning who is responsible for the death of miners.


Say the grim bells of Blaina
The Blaina bells are the ones expressing sadness and blame for the loss of miners.


Throw the vandals in court
The bells of Newport want those responsible for destruction to be held accountable in a legal setting.


Say the bells of Newport
These bells in Newport are the ones offering a solution to vandalism.


All will be well if, if, if, if, if
The green bells of Cardiff express a feeling of uncertain hope, with many conditions to make everything okay.


Say the green bells of Cardiff
The bells in Cardiff are the ones expressing conditional optimism.


Why so worried sisters? Why?
The silver bells of Wye are asking why there is so much concern among females.


And what will you give me?
The sad bells of Rhymney are asking again what will be offered in exchange for their melancholy feelings.


Say the sad bells of Rhymney
These bells in Rhymney are the ones expressing sorrow and questioning again what will be given for it.




Contributed by Grace T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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