This week’s Featured Lyrics are to The Three Bells and were from songwriters Jean Villard; Bert Reisfeld (and Dick Manning). [Originally a French tune written in 1945] [Original French words by Bert Reisfeld] [Music by Jean Villard] [English words added by Dick Manning] and were made most famous by The Browns.
We’re posting lyrics of hit songs so that our songwriters can study them to see how winning songs are constructed. Of course a lot depends on the melody, the rhythm and the artist as to whether or not the song will sell… and whether or not it is in the right place at the right time!
“The Three Bells”, also known as “Jimmy Brown” or “Little Jimmy Brown”, is a song made popular by the Browns in 1959. The single reached number one on the U.S. country and pop charts, outperforming a competing version by Dick Flood. The version by the Browns also hit number ten on the Hot R&B Sides chart. It was based on the 1945 French language song “Les trois cloches” by Jean Villard Gilles and Marc Herrand. The English lyrics were written by Bert Reisfeld and first recorded by the Melody Maids in 1948. The song was a major 1952–53 hit by Édith Piaf and Les Compagnons de la chanson. The song documents three stages of the life of “Jimmy Brown”—his birth, his marriage, and his death. The Browns’ male vocalist, Jim Ed Brown, coincidentally had the same name as the song’s character.
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“The Three Bells”, also known as “The Jimmy Brown Song”, was also recorded for Decca Records in 1951 by the Andrews Sisters, the World War II boogie-woogie group of sisters: Patty, Maxene & LaVerne. While it did not prove to be the big hit that Billboard predicted it would be for the Andrews Sisters, it was nonetheless a very moving, harmonious rendition, in which the trio was accompanied by Gordon Jenkins’ orchestra & chorus. The German title was “Wenn die Glocken hell erklingen”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Bells
Lyrics to “The Three Bells”
There’s a village hidden deep in the valley
Among the pine trees half forlorn
And there on a sunny morning
Little Jimmy Brown was born
All the chapel bells were ringing in the little valley town
And the song that they were singing was for baby Jimmy Brown
Then the little congregation prayed for guidance from above
“Lead us not into temptation, bless this hour of meditation”
“Guide him with eternal love”
There’s a village hidden deep in the valley
Beneath the mountains high above
And there, twenty years thereafter
Jimmy was to meet his love
(Bung, bung, bung, bung)
All the chapel bells were ringing, ’twas a great day in his life
’cause the songs that they were singing was for Jimmy and his wife
Then the little congregation prayed for guidance from above
“Lead us not into temptation, bless, oh Lord this celebration”
“May their lives be filled with love”
From the village hidden deep in the valley
One rainy morning dark and gray
A soul winged its way to heaven
Jimmy Brown had passed away
(Bung, bung, bung, bung)
Just a lonely bell was ringing in the little valley town
‘Twas farewell that it was singing to our little Jimmy Brown
And the little congregation prayed for guidance from above
“Lead us not into temptation, may his soul find the salvation”
“Of thy great eternal love”
Songwriters Jean Villard; Bert Reisfeld
[Originally a French tune written in 1945]
[Original French words by Bert Reisfeld]
[Music by Jean Villard]
[English words added by Dick Manning]
Published by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc.
http://www.metrolyrics.com/three-bells-lyrics-the-browns.html
http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/the_browns/the_three_bells.html