One Of The Three - The James Band Archive

Ring The Bells / Ring Those Bells

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Ring The Bells is track two on the 1992 James album Seven.

It was first aired on the World Cup tour of 1990, after which it became a fixture in the James setlist, appearing in the Come Home video. An obvious choice as the follow up to Sit Down, it was rejected in favour of the less immediate Sound.

Tim often tells a story of a group of kids in an American religious cult that used the song as their anthem and their inspiration to break free from their parents.

Ring The Bells was also released as in live acoustic form on the 1994 Greenpeace compilation CD “Alternative NRG” and this version of the track was also featured in an episode of the X-files. It remained a band favourite in acoustic performances, appearing on the Unhinged bonus CD with the Best Of.

A demo version of the track from January 1990 entitled Ring Those Bells appeared on the 12″ that formed part of the 2012 The Gathering Sound boxset.

Details

LyricsListenReleaseAvailable OnGigsGuitar Tabs
Ring ring the bells
Wake the town
Everyone is sleeping
Shout at the crowd
Wake them up
This anger's deeper than sleep

Got to keep awake to what is happening
I can't see a thing through my ambition,
I no longer feel my God is watching over me
Got to tell the world we've all been dreaming
This is not the end, a new beginning
I no longer feel my God is watching over me

Break break the code
Concentrate
Let the doors swing open
See through all your walls
All your floors
Now you're in deeper than sleep

Got to keep awake to what is happening
I can't see a thing through my ambition,
I no longer feel my God is watching over me
Got to tell the world we've all been dreaming
This is not the end, a new beginning
I no longer feel my God is watching over me

When you let me fall
Grew my own wings
Now I'm as tall as the sky
When you let me drown
Grew gills and fins
Now I'm as deep as the sea
When you let me die
My spirit's free
There's nothing challenging me

Open in Spotify

Song:Ring The Bells / Ring Those Bells
Released:17th February 1992
Main Associated Album (or Single):Seven
First Heard Live:Newcastle Mayfair – 3rd December 1990
Played at:
James - Ring The Bells

Taken from the album Seven

Written and peformed by James

Main Riff:

e-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D-5-5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5-5--2-2-2-2--5-5-5-5--
A-7-7-5-5-3--3-3-3-3-3--5-5-7-7-5--5-5-5-5-5--7-7-5-5-3--3-3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3--5-5-5-5--
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Middle Riff:

e----------------------3-3-3--------3-3--------3-3--------3-3-------------------------
B--3/5--5-5-5-5-3---3--------5p3h5------5p3h5------5p3h5------5p3h5-3---3h5p3---------
G-----------------5---------------------------------------------------5---------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outro Riff:

e-7/8-8-7h8-7h8--8/10-10-8h10-8h10--12-10--10/12-12-10h12-10h12--12-13--7/8-8-7h8-7h8-
B-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Song Structure:

Larry's Main Riff opens the song, while Saul strums the chords C G F C G (C G Am F during the intro and outro) on an acoustic guitar throughout the song (actually in the album version I think he uses a capo at the 5th and plays the chords G D C G D (G D Em C during the intro and outro), but hey, it's the same thing).
During the Middle Bit (just before "When you let me fall") Larry plays the Middle Riff.
When the vocals cease Larry plays the Outro Riff repeatedly.

Lyrics/Chords:

C G Am F

C G Am F


C G
Ring ring the bells

F
Wake the town

C G
Everyone is sleeping

C G
Shout at the crowd

F
Wake them up

C G
This anger's deeper than sleep



Got to keep awake to what is happening

I can't see a thing through my ambition,

I no longer feel my God is watching over me

Got to tell the world we've all been dreaming

This is not the end, a new beginning

I no longer feel my God is watching over me



Break break the code

Concentrate

Let the doors swing open

See through all your walls

All your floors

Now you're in deeper than sleep



Got to keep awake to what is happening

I can't see a thing through my ambition,

I no longer feel my God is watching over me

Got to tell the world we've all been dreaming

This is not the end, a new beginning

I no longer feel my God is watching over me



When you let me fall

Grew my own wings

Now I'm as tall as the sky

When you let me drown

Grew gills and fins

Now I'm as deep as the sea

When you let me die

My spirit's free

There's nothing challenging me


[Remember, chord progression changes to C G F Am during the outro]



Transcribed by Alex Carter 2001.

alex@shandy3000.fsnet.co.uk
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