Bell Jar
The Bangles Lyrics

The Bangles’ song “Bell Jar” tells the story of a woman who seems to have everything going for her. She walks into a room and people are instantly charmed by her. However, as the song progresses, we learn that the woman is actually deeply unhappy. The comparison to the seven wonders of the world suggests that she is viewed as a rare and exceptional beauty, but she hides a deep sadness inside. The metaphor of the bell jar suggests that the woman is trapped inside and unable to escape the feelings of loneliness and frustration that plague her.

The verses reveal more about the woman’s daily experience. She dresses in black, symbolizing grief and sorrow, and everything around her seems to come to her as if it was meant to be. However, she is frustrated by her circumstances and seems to have created a life for herself that only keeps her in the bell jar. She is constantly surrounded by people, but even that fails to alleviate her loneliness. She is so at home in her familiar surroundings that she has become trapped. The reference to suffocating and the image of a glass-sided prison give the impression that the woman is struggling to breathe within her own life. Ultimately, she is “excused” from the world, presumably through suicide, as we hear she “writes the note” that will explain her departure from existence.

Overall, “Bell Jar” tells a story of a person who appears to have everything yet is trapped inside of her own life. It is a poignant and melancholy tale that speaks to the human condition. The song provides a message of coming to terms with one’s own thoughts and emotions to avoid trapping oneself within an artificial existence.