The four original members were Cyrus Faryar, Henry Diltz, Chip Douglas, and Stan White. They formed the quartet in Honolulu in 1962, when Faryar returned from the mainland after a period singing with Dave Guard's Whiskeyhill Singers. The newly-named Modern Folk Quartet - its name taken as a conscious parallel with the Modern Jazz Quartet - then moved to Los Angeles and became regulars at The Troubadour club. However, White then became ill, and was replaced by local singer Jerry Yester.
Managed by Herb Cohen (later manager of Frank Zappa, Tim Buckley and others) the quartet recorded their first album in 1963, produced by Jim Dickson (later manager of the Byrds). In November of this same year, they appeared as themselves in the Warner Bros. film, Palm Springs Weekend (in the sequence at Jack's Casino) and are shown singing two songs, “The Ox Driver’s Song” and one currently unidentified song.
The Quartet released a second album in 1964 that included early songs by Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, John Stewart and Chet Powers (aka Dino Valente). Over the next two years they continued to perform but did little recording. A final session with Phil Spector yielded "This Could Be the Night" (cowritten by Spector and Harry Nilsson), which was used as the theme to the rock concert film The Big TNT Show.
The MFQ disbanded in 1966, and the various members went on to develop their own careers. They re-formed between 1975 and 1978, and again in the 1980s, becoming the Modern Folk Quintet when Yester's brother Jim, formerly of The Association, joined in 1988. After a 12-year break they reformed again in 2003 for a tour of Japan, where they have remained popular.
Bells
The Modern Folk Quartet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
G d
Silver bells
What a world of merriment
C d
Their melody foretells
C em a
C em a
In the icy air of night
C em a
All the heavens seem to twinkle
C em a
With a crystalline delight
D bm
Keeping time, time, time
F#m a
With a sort of runic rhyme
D
From the tintinnabulation
C d
That so musically wells
D g d a7 d g d
From the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells
G a7 d
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.
/pre>
The Modern Folk Quartet's song "Bells" is a hauntingly beautiful ode to the sounds of different types of bells. The song starts off with the crisp sounds of sleigh bells, and we can almost imagine the snowy landscape as we listen to the tinkling melody. The song then segues into wedding bells, which ring out with a feeling of happiness and hopefulness. We can imagine a couple walking hand in hand as the bells toll in the background. The third stanza is a stark contrast to the first two, with the sound of jarring, discordant alarm bells that ring out in a frenzy. The song ends on a melancholy note with the mournful tolling of iron bells. The lyrics suggest that the sounds of bells are imbued with meaning, conveying emotions ranging from merriment to terror to solemnity.
One element that makes this song particularly powerful is the way in which the lyrics are structured, with each stanza focusing on a different type of bell and the emotions and imagery that are associated with it. The repetition of the word "bells" in the chorus contributes to a sense of unity across the song, tying together the disparate elements of the different stanzas. Additionally, the lyrics contain a number of phrases that are evocative and poetic, such as "crystalline delight" and "muffled monotone."
Line by Line Meaning
Hear the sledges with the bells
Observe the sound of sledges accompanied by the ringing of small bells.
What a world of merriment
This sound suggests a joyful atmosphere.
Their melody foretells
The sound of the bells anticipates future happiness or good fortune.
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle
The bells make a high-pitched ringing sound.
In the icy air of night
This sound is heard in the cold darkness.
All the heavens seem to twinkle
The sky appears to sparkle in response to the sound of the bells.
With a crystalline delight
The ringing of the bells has a pure, clear quality.
Keeping time, time, time
The bells keep a steady rhythm.
With a sort of runic rhyme
The bell sounds have a mysterious, insistent quality.
From the tintinnabulation
The music comes from the small bells.
That so musically wells
The sound of the bells is pleasing to the ear.
From the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells
The repeated ringing of the bells is a dominant sound.
From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells
The sound is made up of jingle and tinkle noises.
Hear the mellow wedding bells
Hear the harmonious sound of wedding bells.
What a world of happiness
This sound evokes strong feelings of joy and contentment.
Their harmony foretells
The sound suggests a future filled with accord and peace.
Through the balmy air of night
This sound carries through a warm and tranquil evening.
How they ring out their delight
The joy of the occasion is reflected in the ringing of the bells.
Through the dances and the yells
The bells can be heard over loud celebration and revelry.
And the rapture that impels
This sound captures moments of great delight and ecstasy.
How it swells
The sound grows louder and more exultant over time.
How it dwells
The sound lingers in the air, building anticipation for the future.
On the future
The sound of the bells is symbolic of events yet to come.
How it tells
The sound gives us insight into what the future may hold.
From the swinging and the ringing of the molten golden bells
These resonant and deep sounds come from large, metallic bells made of gold.
Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells
This is a reminder of the joy and celebration associated with the sound of bells.
Of the rhyming and the chiming of the bells
The sound of the bells has a poetic and melodic quality.
Hear the loud alarum bells
These are the clamorous and insistent sounds of warning bells.
What a tale of terror now
This sound suggests danger and horror.
Their turbulency tells
The sound is tumultuous and turbulent, warning of impending disaster.
Much too horrified to speak
The sound is so alarming that it renders people speechless.
Oh, they can only shriek
The sound is so intense that it causes people to scream or cry out in fear.
For all the ears to know
The sound is so loud and alarming that it is heard by everyone nearby.
How the danger ebbs and flows
This sound reflects a series of diminishing and increasing threats or hazards.
Leaping higher, higher, higher
The sound rises to new heights of intensity and danger.
With a desperate desire
The sound reflects a struggle for survival and escape from danger.
In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire
These sounds are made in a frantic effort to escape a burning building or structure.
With the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells
The repeated ringing of bells serves to emphasize and reinforce the urgency of the situation.
With the clamor and the clanging of the bells
The sound is characterized by a loud, jarring noise that is difficult to ignore.
Hear the tolling of the bells
These are the slow, solemn sounds of funeral bells.
What a world of solemn thought their monody compels
The melancholy sound of funeral bells inspires deep reflection and contemplation.
For all the sound that floats
The sound is a quiet, mournful resonance that seems to linger in the air.
From the rust within our throats
The sound reflects the exhausted, broken-hearted quality of the mourners' voices.
And the people sit and groan
This sound is heard among the mourners who are grieving, feeling the weight of their loss.
In their muffled monotone
The sound is a low and monotonous hum, reflecting the sadness and exhaustion of the mourners.
And the tolling, tolling, tolling
The sound of the funeral bells is repeated again and again.
Feels a glory in the rolling
The sound of the bells is a somber but beautiful tribute to the life and memory of the deceased.
From the throbbing and the sobbing
The sound is a mixture of a heavy, pulsating heartbeat and the sound of crying.
Of the melancholy bells
The sound of the bells reflects the sadness and mourning of those who have lost someone they love.
Oh, the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells
The repetition of this phrase emphasizes the weight and depth of the emotions felt by those attending the funeral.
Oh, the moaning and the groaning of the bells.
The sound is a mournful, painful groan that reflects the sorrow felt by those in attendance.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PHIL OCHS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind