Clopin
Morning in Paris, the city awakes
To the bells of Notre Dame
The fisherman fishes, the bakerman bakes
To the bells of Notre Dame
To the big bells as loud as the thunder
To the little bells soft as a psalm
And some say the soul of the city's
The toll of the bells
The bells of Notre Dame

[Talking/gepraat]

Dark was the night when our tale was begun
On the docks near Notre Dame

Man #1
Shup it up, will you!

Man #2
We'll be spotted!

Gypsy
Hush, little one

Clopin
Four frightened gypsies slid silently under
The docks near Notre Dame
Man #3
Four guilders for safe passage into Paris

Clopin
But a trap had been laid for the gypsies
And they gazed up in fear and alarm
At a figure whose clutches
Were iron as much as the bells

Man #4
Judge Claude Frollo

Clopin
The bells of Notre Dame

Chorus
Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy)

Clopin
Judge Claude Frollo longed
To purge the world
Of vice and sin

Chorus
Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy)
Clopin
And he saw corruption
Ev'rywhere
Except within

Frollo
Bring these gypsy vermin to the palace of justice

Guard
You there, what are you hiding?

Frollo
Stolen goods, no doubt. Take them from her

Gypsy
Sanctuary, please give us sanctuary

Frollo
A baby? A monster!

Archdeacon
Stop!

Clopin
Cried the Archdeacon
Frollo
This is an unholy deamon
I'm sending it back to hell, where it belongs

Archdeacon
See there the innocent blood you have spilt
On the steps of Notre Dame

Frollo
I am guiltless. She ran, I pursued

Archdeacon
Now you would add this child's blood to your guilt
On the steps of Notre Dame

Frollo
My conscience is clear

Archdeacon
You can lie to yourself and your minions
You can claim that you haven't a qualm
But you never can run from
Nor hide what you've done from the eyes
The very eyes of Notre Dame


Clopin
And for one time in his live
Of power and control
Frollo felt a twinge of fear
For his immortal soul

Frollo
What must I do?

Archdeacon
Care for the child, and raise it as your own

Frollo
What? I'd be settled with this misshapen ...?
Very well. Let him live with you, in your church

Archdeacon
Live here? Where?

Frollo
Anywhere
Just so he's kept locked away
Where no one else can see
The bell tower, perhaps
And who knows, our Lord works in mysterious ways
Even this foul creature may
Yet prove one day to be
Of use to me

Clopin
And Frollo gave the child a cruel name
A name that means half-formed, Quasimodo
Now here is a riddle to guess if you can
Sing the bells of Notre Dame
Who is the monster and who is the man?

Clopin and Chorus
Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells
Bells, bells, bells, bells
Bells of Notre Dame