Lyr Req: Hear the Bells (The Tokens)

Subject: Lyr Req: Can anyone help with the lyrics?
From: GUEST
Date: 13 May 08 - 04:50 PM

Although the 'net has been a TERRIFIC boon to searches for song lyrics and the like, one from my misspent childhood still evades me. I heard it, once, close to 50 years ago, and have never heard it since. No clue as to the title, singers, etc. The only information I can provide is that it seemed to be some sort of traveling song, and it had a line about "the bells are calling from the village just a mile ahead." There was a chorus which only consists (in my memory) of nonsense syllables, something phonetically similar to: "ha ha ha, letsayma (laissez-moi?), vong vong into the volley-way." Much obliged to anyone who can assist!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Can anyone help with the lyrics?
From: GUEST
Date: 13 May 08 - 04:56 PM

If you could post obvious (though clearly not to you) information such as what Country you live in, the region of that Country if possible, the circumstances of hearing it (if you remember) etc, etc, you will make it much easier for people to help you

Subject: RE: Can anyone help with the lyrics-ha ha ha, letsayma
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 May 08 - 05:10 PM

Well, the first thing that came to mind was the Hut-Hut Song, but maybe not. It does sound very familiar, though. I added a bit to the thread title to make it a bit more specific. Hope you don't mind.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Can anyone help with the lyrics-ha ha ha, letsayma
From: GUEST
Date: 13 May 08 - 07:11 PM

As suggested, I heard this one probably circa 1962 on a local radio stattion in Oklahoma City. I'm sure it was a group, as opposed to a solo act, and would have been about the right time for the Kingston Trio (which I don't think it was), possibly the Limelighters, or any number of the folk revival types.

To joe; Thanks! I'll take all the help I can get!

Subject: RE: Can anyone help with the lyrics-ha ha ha, letsayma
From: olddude
Date: 13 May 08 - 07:34 PM

Old Irish folk song "I'll tell me MA"
perhaps

Subject: RE: Can anyone help with the lyrics-ha ha ha, lets
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 May 08 - 07:39 PM

There's a Weavers song floating in my head, but it won't come out...

I may have to play all my Weavers CD's to find it. If you want to call and sing the song to me, maybe that will help me remember.

-Joe Offer [phone]-
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Can anyone help with the lyrics-ha ha ha, letsayma
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 May 08 - 09:58 PM

It wouldn't be THE THREE BELLS / LES TROIS CLOCHES would it?

Subject: RE: Can anyone help with the lyrics-ha ha ha, lets
From: GUEST
Date: 15 May 08 - 03:10 PM

I don't think Three Bells is it, but it's the closest I've come so far!

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Can anyone help with the lyrics-ha ha ha, lets
From: GUEST,mcarp
Date: 16 Apr 09 - 02:35 PM

I found this page while Googling for these same lyrics - specifically 'village just a mile ahead.'

This was the B side of a single, and I am also trying to recall who recorded it. My dad had it when I was a kid - early to mid-sixties.

Subject: RE: Can anyone help with the lyrics-ha ha ha, letsayma
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 01:49 PM

mcarp: can you remember any other lyrics? Were there really nonsense syllables in the chorus? If so, can you give us another guess as to how they were spelled or pronounced? Do you have any idea what was on the A side of the single? Any other information?

Subject: RE: Can anyone help with the lyrics-ha ha ha, letsayma
From: GUEST
Date: 04 May 10 - 12:19 PM

To all who threw in suggestions, thank you so much! I believe I have solved the mystery:    the song appears to be "Hear the Bells (Ringing Bells)" by the Tokens (yep, the same bunch who popularized sleeping lions...). The lyrics and music fit fairly well with my memory (such as it is), and the chorus is indeed nonsense syllables, which are phonwetically pretty close. I suppose I can die happy.

Subject: RE: Can anyone help with the lyrics-ha ha ha, letsayma
From: GUEST
Date: 04 May 10 - 12:33 PM

Oops! One other tidbit. Although "Hear the Bells" seems to be correct, I was wondering if anyone knows if anyone besides the Tokens did a cover of the song. Again, faulty memory, doesn't recall the hopped up chorus in the Tokens' version. Not bad for a gap of 47 years, though...

Subject: Lyr Add: HEAR THE BELLS (The Tokens)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 May 10 - 12:28 PM

From the recording at YouTube:


HEAR THE BELLS
Margo/Margo/Medress/Siegel/Lowe*
As sung by The Tokens

Hear the bells a-calling from the village just a mile away.
My true love is waiting in the village just a mile away.

Hear the bells a-ringing in the village and they seem to say
I'll soon be with my true love in the village just a mile away.

Hear the bells a-ringing in the village just a mile away.
I'll soon be with my true love in the village just a mile away.


[The verses are interspersed with nonsense "doo-wop" sounds that I didn't bother to transcribe. The arrangement is very reminiscent of WIMOWEH.]

[* Jay Siegel, Mitch Margo, Neil Sedaka, Phil Margo, Hank Medress, and Joe Venneri were members of the original Tokens. Sammy Lowe was their orchestra leader. At repertoire.BMI.com, Bob Gibson is also credited as one of the co-writers, although he is not named on the record label.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hear the Bells (The Tokens)
From: vlmagee
Date: 18 Jul 15 - 01:24 PM

Here's the Brothers Four performing it in Belgium in 1963!

Hear the Bells.

It's the first song of the set. Neat video!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ringing Bells (was Hear the Bells)
From: vlmagee
Date: 18 Jul 15 - 08:38 PM

PS: OK, it's really called "Ringing Bells", and Bob Gibson was the songwriter (probably the only one, in spite of how it may have been credited on the Tokens version). Bob Flick says they (The Brothers Four) learned it from Gibson. They used it as a concert opener for quite a while, and it was released as a single in 1963, but never put on an album (to Bob's knowledge).