Chimes of Freedom
The Byrds Lyrics


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Far between sundown's finish
An' midnights broken toll
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
As majestic bells of bolts
Struck shadows in the sound
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An' for each an' every underdog soldier in the night
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing

Even though a cloud's white curtain
In a far-off corner flashed
An' the hypnotic splattered mist Was slowly lifting
Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones
Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
An' for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing

Starry-eyed an' laughing as I recall when we were caught
Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended
As we listened one last time an' we watched with one last look
Spellbound an' swallowed 'til the tolling ended
Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worse




An' for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing

Overall Meaning

In The Byrds's song "Chimes of Freedom," the singer describes a moment between sundown and midnight when they sought shelter from the thunder in a doorway. The sound of the thunder is likened to the majestic bells of bolts that struck shadows and seemed to be the chimes of freedom flashing. The chimes signify a call for freedom for various groups of people, including refugees, soldiers who do not want to fight, underdogs in the night, and those misplaced inside jail. As the tolling ends, the singer and their companions watch spellbound until the very end.


The lyrics to "Chimes of Freedom" are poetic and metaphorical, yet deeply political, speaking to issues of social justice, human rights, and empathy for those who are marginalized. The song was released in 1964, at the height of the Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement, when many people feared nuclear war and protested against racial inequality. The song has since become an anthem for activists and is considered one of the quintessential protest songs of the 1960s.


Line by Line Meaning

Far between sundown's finish
After the sun has set but before it's completely nighttime


An' midnights broken toll
Sometime between midnight and dawn when the sound of a bell is heard


We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
Taking shelter inside a building as thunder loudly echoed outside


As majestic bells of bolts
The loud sound of thunder that feels like bolts crashing down


Struck shadows in the sound
The sound of thunder creating a shadow-like effect


Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
The thunder sounds like a symbol of freedom that heralds change


Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Signaling change for those who are peaceful but strong


Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
Signifying hope for those who flee from danger with no weapons


An' for each an' every underdog soldier in the night
Representing the underdogs in war who fight at nightfall


An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Looking on as a symbol of hope and change echoes through the night


Even though a cloud's white curtain
Despite the figurative 'curtain' of clouds blocking our view


In a far-off corner flashed
A faint, distant light appeared


An' the hypnotic splattered mist Was slowly lifting
The thick fog is gradually disappearing


Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones
Like a weapon, bright electricity targets a specific group


Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
Forced to either float aimlessly or prevented from doing so


Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
A bell tolls for those on a difficult and silent journey of discovery


For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
Signaling hope for those whose love story is too unique to share


An' for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
Representing each innocent person unjustly imprisoned


An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Watching as the symbol of hope continues to echo


Starry-eyed an' laughing as I recall when we were caught
Looking back nostalgically on a moment when we were trapped


Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended
Being caught in a suspended moment without a sense of time


As we listened one last time an' we watched with one last look
Taking one last opportunity to hear and see the symbol of hope


Spellbound an' swallowed 'til the tolling ended
Totally captivated by the sound until it stopped


Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed
A bell tolls for those with unhealable physical or emotional pain


For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worse
Representing all those who have been misunderstood, wrongly blamed, or abused


An' for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
Signifying change for everyone in the world who feels stuck or held back


An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Continuing to watch as the symbol of hope echoes through the night




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Glicksman1

@Peter Hogan I'm afraid that you have your "Byrds facts" wrong. All of the Byrds exclusively played on "Chimes". The Wrecking Crew only played on the Byrds' first single, "Mr. Tambourine Man", backed with the Gene Clark-penned B-side, "I Knew I'd Want You". When the album was about to be recorded, they unanimously insisted that they be allowed to perform the rest of the album's instrumental accompaniment themselves, which they brilliantly did.
The musicians who played on that first single were:
Jim (later Roger) McGuinn- electric 12 -string guitar
Hal Baine- drums
Bill Pitman - guitar
Jerry Cole - guitar
Larry Knechtel - bass
Leon Russell - piano
Only three of the five members of the Byrds performed on these two songs:
Jim/Roger McGuinn on 12-string, he and Gene Clark sang lead vocals, Gene Clark and David Crosby sang the vocal harmonies.
There is at least one fascinating video on YT of the Tambourine Man session showing how the arrangement progressed until it became one of the most influential recordings in pop music history. Check it out.
Cheers, mate.



비정한세상

Chimes of Freedom
자유의 종소리
Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964)

Far between sundown's finish an' midnight's broken toll
거의 일몰이 끝나고, 자정의 종소리가 들리는 사이에
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
우리는 입구 속으로 들어갔고, 천둥소리가 들렸다.
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
장엄한 번개의 종이 그 소리 안의 그림자를 강타하자
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
마치 자유의 종소리가 빛나는 듯했다
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
그들의 힘을 싸우기 위해 쓰지 않는 전사들
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
도피의 길을 걷는 빈손의 피난민들
An' for each an' ev'ry underdog soldier in the night
오밤중의 모든 무력한 군인들을 위해

An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
빛나는 자유의 종을 보았다

In the city's melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched
녹아내리는 도시라는 화로 속에서, 우리는 불연듯이 깨달았다
With faces hidden while the walls were tightening
벽들이 무너져내리는 동안, 얼굴을 숨긴 우리는
As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin' rain
폭우 이전의 메아리치는 결혼식장 종소리가
Dissolved into the bells of the lightning
번개로 된 종 속으로 흩어져
Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake
반역자를 위해, 난봉꾼을 위해
Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an' forsaked
불운한 자를 위해, 버려진 자를 위해
Tolling for the outcast, burnin' constantly at stake
말뚝 위에서 화형당하는, 외로운 자를 위해

Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail
사납고, 광기에 차 찢어지는 듯한 우박의 망치질 사이로
The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder
하늘은 그 시(詩)를 부수었다
That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze
교회 종의 지지대는 바람 속으로 날아가버리고
Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder
번개의 종과 천둥만이 남아 의문의 시가 되었다
Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind
온화한 자, 인자한 자를 위해
Striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind
마음의 수호자와 보호자를 위해
And the poet and the painter far behind his rightful time
걸맞은 시대를 벗어난, 자유로운 화가를 위해

In the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales
사나운 성당의 저녁 사이, 비는 이야기를 풀어놓고
For the disrobed faceless forms of no position
정처없이 맴도는 우리들은 얼굴을 가렸고, 옷은 헐벗은 채
Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts
그럴 만한 상황에서 모두가 정적을 이루며
All down in taken-for-granted situations
생각을 입으로 낼 수 없는 혓바닥을 위해
Tolling for the deaf an' blind, tolling for the mute
귀머거리와 맹인, 벙어리를 위해
For the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute
학대당한 미망인, 오칭(誤稱)된 매춘부를 위해
For the misdemeanor outlaw, chased an' cheated by pursuit
비행을 저지르고 쫓기고, 감시당하는 무법자를 위해

Even though a cloud's white curtain in a far-off corner flashed
멀리 떨어진 구석에서 흰 커튼 같은 구름이 빛나고
An' the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting
몽환적인 흩어지는 안개가 서서히 올라오더라도
Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones
전깃불은 여전히 화살처럼 날아들어
Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
표류하거나, 그러지 않도록 선고받은 자들을 위해 빛난다
Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
말없는 샛길을 찾아나선 자들을 위해
For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
너무도 개인적인 이야기를 품은 외로운 연인들을 위해
An' for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
감옥 속에 잘못 넣어진 무고하고, 온화한 영(靈)을 위해

Starry-eyed an' laughing as I recall when we were caught
우리가 잡혔을 때, 별빛의 눈을 하고 웃고 있었다
Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended
갇혀 있었기에 시간을 신경쓸 필요는 더 이상 없었고
As we listened one last time an' we watched with one last look
마지막으로 서로의 말을 듣고, 서로의 얼굴을 보았다
Spellbound an' swallowed 'til the tolling ended
번개가 그치기까지 넋을 잃어, 질식해 버렸다
Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed
치료받을 수 없는 상처를 지닌 고통받는 자들을 위해
For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worse
무수히 많은 혼란스럽고, 비난받고, 그보다 더한 학대를 받은 자들을 위해
An' for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
전 우주의 걱정하는 사람들을 위해



All comments from YouTube:

John Macdonald

So blessed to have been around for the early Byrds. They were the greatest ever. I'm 71 now and still get tingles when I hear them.

Miyuki Shijisha

Me too, 71 and loving the Byrds and Dylan for so many years.

Douglas Humphries

Same here my fellow Byrds fans --- I'm 72 ---- Bought the Mr Tambourine Man LP when it came out . The whole album is solid and 'magic' with Chimes of Freedom and Bells of Rhymney being the standouts for me. Either song can still send chills up my spine .

Robert Allen

@Miyuki Shijisha I'm a mere 67, but remember them so well...

Rod Cooper

@Miyuki Shijisha Seems like we all remember these great times, I'm 70. 60's were a time I'll never forget.

mkr4922

I’m 70 and consider myself so damn lucky to have been there to listen to these great artist..I haven’t told my kids that I was blessed to have grown up through three of the best decades of great music..

27 More Replies...

Daniel Nicholson

The Byrds music makes me just wanna go outside and walk in nature. Their music has a peaceful, nostalgic-inducing, effect. Awesome band.

Juliet Reminiec

Would the Byrds material be ok to llisten to while meditating?

AJ. McGowan

This song has never been more relevant. The vocals combined with Dylan's lyrics take it to a higher level. This is a powerful, profound and beautiful song....

Sidney Pastor

True enough! I'm 73, going on 18. I saw The Byrds and The Doors at the Whisky on Sunset Bl. In 1966! Ten feet in front of me! Will forever love The Byrds!

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