"The Three Bells"/ "Les Trois Cloches"

At the end of March, Richard and I went to the North Georgia mountains for the weekend.  As we drove through Clarkesville, I recognized the area where my Dad used to buy records for us when we were kids from his friend, Ralph Raper.  As we turned onto the road that would take us to Black Rock Mountain State Park, this small church in the valley made me think of one of those songs, "The Three Bells".
I did a little research and was surprised to learn the story behind it.

 

 

 

"The Three Bells" (or "Little Jimmy Brown") is a song that was a number one hit for The Browns in 1959.  It was based on the   song, "Les Trois Cloches" by   Jean Villard Gilles and Marc Herrand and is a Swiss song written in French. (The English lyrics were written by Bert Reisfeld.)

The song was also a big hit for  Edith Piaf in 1945  The song documents the life of a man: his birth, his marriage and his death.

 

The lyrics to the song were inspired by a visit to a small church cemetery.  The author was struck by the dates of the birth and death dates on a headstone and he began to wonder of the life the man had lived, all tied to the small church from his christening,  his marriage and to his passing. 

 

 

 

This autumn, The Browns will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.  This is a great honor for them and I was pleased to learn of this for them.  I have a link to Maxine Brown, one of the Brown sisters, she has written in detail about this song and you may find it here.  (What a great lady, wish I could meet her!)

 

All of the names that I have mentioned above are quite interesting...so many people to read about, so little time!

 

And, of course, you know I have BOTH songs here for you!

 

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 songs that they were singing
Were 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
All the chapel bells were ringing,
Was a great day in his life
Cause the songs that they were singing
Were 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
Just a lonely bell was ringing
In the little valley town
Twas farewell that it was singing
To our good old 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"