The Bells of Shandon – lyrics and chords

The chords to The Bells of Shandon are presented here in the key of D major. Use our chord converter to play the song in other keys. The lyrics are about a man thinking fondly back to his childhood and particularly remembering the sound of hearing the church bells ringing.

D

With deep affection , and

G

recol

D

lection

I often think of those

A

Shandon

D

bells

Whose sound so wild would, in

G

days of

D

childhood

Fling round my cradle, their

A

magic

D

spells.

On this I

Bm

pon

G

der, where e’er I

F#m

wander

And thus grows

Bm

fonder, Sweet

Em

Cork of

Bm

thee

G

With thy bells of

D

Shandon

That

G

sound so

D

grand

or

The pleasant waters of the

A

river

D

Lee.

Click here for print version

Chord Converter
Our chord converter enables you to play this song in any key.

I’ve heard bells chiming, full many a clime in
Tolling sublime in cathedral shrine
While at a glib rate, brass tongues would vibrate
But all their music spoke nought like thine.
For memory dwelling on each proud swelling
Of the belfry knelling its bold notes free
Made the bells of Shandon
Sound far more grand on
The pleasant waters of the River Lee.

I’ve heard bells tolling: ‘Old Adrian Mole’ in
Their thunder rolling from the Vatican
With cymbals glorious, swinging uproarious
In the gorgeous turrets of Notre Dame.
But thy sounds were sweeter than the Dome of Peter
Flings o’er the Tiber, pealing so solemnly
Oh! The bells of Shandon
Sound far more grand on
The pleasant waters of the River Lee.

There’s a bell in Moscow, while on tower and Kiosk, Oh!
In St Sophia the Turkman gets
And loud in the air calls men to prayer
From tapering summit of all minarets.
Such empty phantom I freely grant ’em
But there’s an anthem more dear to me
‘Tis the bells of Shandon
That sound more grand on
The pleasant waters of the River Lee.

The Bells of Shandon lyrics and chords print version

D

With deep affection , and

G

recol

D

lection

I often think of those

A

Shandon

D

bells

Whose sound so wild would, in

G

days of

D

childhood

Fling round my cradle, their

A

magic

D

spells.

On this I

Bm

pon

G

der, where e’er I

F#m

wander

And thus grows

Bm

fonder, Sweet

Em

Cork of

Bm

thee

G

With thy bells of

D

Shandon

That

G

sound so

D

grand

or

The pleasant waters of the

A

River

D

Lee.

I’ve heard bells chiming, full many a clime in
Tolling sublime in cathedral shrine
While at a glib rate, brass tongues would vibrate
But all their music spoke nought like thine.
For memory dwelling on each proud swelling
Of the belfry knelling its bold notes free
Made the bells of Shandon
Sound far more grand on
The pleasant waters of the River Lee.

I’ve heard bells tolling: ‘Old Adrian Mole’ in
Their thunder rolling from the Vatican
With cymbals glorious, swinging uproarious
In the gorgeous turrets of Notre Dame.
But thy sounds were sweeter than the Dome of Peter
Flings o’er the Tiber, pealing so solemnly
Oh! The bells of Shandon
Sound far more grand on
The pleasant waters of the River Lee.

There’s a bell in Moscow, while on tower and Kiosk, Oh!
In St Sophia the Turkman gets
And loud in the air calls men to prayer
From tapering summit of all minarets.
Such empty phantom I freely grant ’em
But there’s an anthem more dear to me
‘Tis the bells of Shandon
That sound more grand on
The pleasant waters of the River Lee.