The Bells of Rhymney
The Byrds Lyrics
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Say the sad bells of Rhymney
Is there hope for the future?
Say the brown bells of Merther
Who made the mine open?
Say the black bells of Rhonda
And who killed the miner?
Say the grim bells of Lina
Who aband' us 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, sister why?
Say the silver bells of Whye
And what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney
Oh, what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rymney
Is there hope for the future?
Say the brown bells of Merther
Who made the mine open?
Say the black bells of Rhonda
And who killed the miner?
Say the grim bells of Lina
The Byrds' song, The Bells of Rhymney, is a powerful and poignant commentary on the struggles and hardships of the Welsh miners during the 20th century. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a community that has been ravaged by the effects of mining and is left with a bleak future. The opening lines of the song, "Oh, what will you give me? Say the sad bells of Rhymney," set the tone for a series of questions that are being asked by the various bells of different Welsh towns.
Throughout the song, the bells ask questions about the causes and consequences of the mining industry. The brown bells of Merther ask if there is any hope for the future, while the black bells of Rhonda question who made the mine open in the first place. The grim bells of Lina ask who killed the miner, while the silver bells of Whye ask why the sisters are so worried. The lyrics become more urgent as the green bells of Cardiff offer hope and assurance by stating that "All will be well if-if-if-if-if."
Overall, The Bells of Rhymney is a song that captures the struggles and hardships of the Welsh mining community. It is a powerful statement about the impact of industrialization on society and the urgent need to protect workers and communities from its negative effects.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, what will you give me?
The sad bells of Rhymney are asking for something in return for their tolling.
Say the sad bells of Rhymney
These bells are sad and asking for something in exchange.
Is there hope for the future?
The brown bells of Merther are questioning if there is any hope for the future.
Say the brown bells of Merther
The brown bells of Merther are asking a question about the future.
Who made the mine open?
The black bells of Rhonda are asking who was responsible for opening the mine.
Say the black bells of Rhonda
The black bells of Rhonda are asking a question about the mine.
And who killed the miner?
The grim bells of Lina are wondering who killed the miner.
Say the grim bells of Lina
The grim bells of Lina are asking a question about the miner's death.
Who aband' us in court?
The bells of Newport are wondering who abandoned them in court.
Say the bells of Newport
The bells of Newport are asking a question about being abandoned in court.
All will be well if-if-if-if-if
The green bells of Cardiff are implying that everything will be okay.
Say the green bells of Cardiff
The green bells of Cardiff are asking a question about everything being okay.
Why so worried, sister why?
The silver bells of Whye are questioning why someone is so worried.
Say the silver bells of Whye
The silver bells of Whye are asking why someone is worried.
And what will you give me?
The sad bells of Rhymney are asking again for something in return for their tolling.
Say the sad bells of Rhymney
The sad bells of Rhymney are asking once more for something in exchange.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Idris Davies, Pete Seeger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bengibson6720
Oh, what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney
Is there hope for the future?
Say the brown bells of Merther
Who made the mine open?
Say the black bells of Rhonda
And who killed the miner?
Say the grim bells of Lina
Who aband' us 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, sister why?
Say the silver bells of Whye
And what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney
Oh, what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rymney
Is there hope for the future?
Say the brown bells of Merther
Who made the mine open?
Say the black bells of Rhonda
And who killed the miner?
Say the grim bells of Lina
@aprillear4537
Oh that jangling guitar what a sound this group had our of this world
@richbailey8174
Thanks to the Beatles
@robbrown4621
@@richbailey8174 Yes. the Beatles influenced so many bands. Many of the bands went on to form new sounds of their own and the Byrds were one of the best.
@patricias5122
So beautiful! And Roger's vocalizing genius....they profoundly rocked music in the 60s.
@tracytobias9367
Yep!! Man, I love sound of a 12-string Rick! Wish I could play that.
@abdullahassad3654
Yeah the beatles invented rickenbacker guitar lol😊@@richbailey8174
@kenpopple9181
RIP David Crosby. Those last harmonies are celestial. X
@crackpot148
You're not wrong. Sublime.
@melissasalasblair5273
Celestial is absolutely the perfect word 🌌💭🌟
@ZippzoppzibbiddyZoop
1st takes of And Your Bird Can Sing sounded a bit like this.
Albeit Lil clumsily but definite influence
https://youtu.be/QddAICdH4j4?si=16FruWBZmF-xY2ie