'Evening, everyone! I hope you don't mind me bringing you this oldie-but-goodie. One Less Bell to Answer was released by The 5th Dimension way back in 1970, when I was a 'tween who knew nothing about love -- or the loss thereof. I can't tell you how many times I rushed to find my hairbrush to use as a pseudo-microphone every time this gem came on WNOO Radio!
One Less Bell to Answer was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It debuted in 1970, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became one of The 5th Dimension's biggest hits. A heart-wrenching ballad of heartbreak and loneliness, I also feel it has a dash of denial in it; the denial that comes after a relationship you thought was sure to work comes to a tragic end. Why do I mention denial? Because all through the song, Marilyn McCoo reminds herself that she ought to be happy to be rid of that unspeakable man who is always ringing her doorbell and eating up her food (remember the part about the fried egg, lol), and yet, all she can do is cry.
A Song of Heartache and Loss
At its core, One Less Bell to Answer is a song about grief, solitude and the struggle to cope with being left. The phrase "one less bell to answer, one less egg to fry; one less man to pick up after" are all phrases that compare and contrast the bustle of a loving relationship versus the stillness and quiet of facing life alone. Each small detail of daily life the song emphasizes, from fewer lights to turn on or off, to a quieter home, emphasizes the emptiness of being left behind.
Love is indeed a many-splendored thing... but love can be a kick in the rear, too!
The Girl Can Sang!
Marilyn McCoo was the lead vocalist for The 5th Dimension. In this song, she delivered an emotionally charged performance that made (and still makes) you feel every imaginary pang and weep a thousand imaginary tears. Her voice, her facial expression, her stillness as she sang, made listeners feel the weight of every pain-riddled word.
Even the way the song is arranged adds to the sweet melancholia. With a smooth yet sorrowful orchestration, including delicate piano chords and soft brass, the music complements the lyrics perfectly. The melody is beautiful and haunting at once, capturing the bittersweet nature of lost love.
We All Can Relate!
One Less Bell to Answer was powerful when it debuted 55 years ago, and it's still powerful today. After all, its theme is universal: a solitary soul found love, enjoyed it for awhile, then lost it and cried everyday. Isn't that what all of us have experienced at one time or another? Whether through a breakup, divorce, or even the passing away of a loved one, we've all suffered aloneness, uncertainty, sadness. And we've all compared our previous life of loving interaction with the one we're suddenly faced with: being alone.
Anyway, enough preaching! Suffice it to say that this soft and sad love song continues to touch listeners, reminding them that "even in sorrow, music has the power to heal and connect us to shared human emotions."
Want to sing along? Here are the lyrics!
One Less Bell to Answer
Songwriters: Burt F. Bacharach / Hal David
One less bell to answer
One less egg to fry
One less man to pick up after
I should be happy
But all I do is cry (cry, cry, no more laughter)
Oh, I should be happy (oh, why did he go?)
I only know that since he left, my life's so empty
Though I try to forget
It just can't be done
Each time the doorbell rings
I still run
I don't know how in the world
To stop thinking of him
'Cause I still love him so
I end each day the way I start out
Crying my heart out
Ooh, one less man to pick up after
No more laughter
No more love
Since he went, oh he went away (he went away)
Why did he leave me? (Oh why, why did he leave?)
Now I've got one less egg to fry (one less bell to answer), one less egg to fry
And all I do is cry (Oh why, why did he leave?)
Somebody tell me please where did he go, why did he go?
(Oh why, why did he leave) Tell me, how could he leave me?
Source: Musixmatch
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