'Tis Always the Season for These "Bell" Songs

Everyone seems happy enough to hear bells during the holidays. There are sleigh bells, silver bells, Christmas bells, and of course the ubiquitous playing of "Jingle Bells."

On New Year's Day, though, the last thing many people want to hear is a bell. Heads are usually achy enough without the unwelcome noise of doorbells, alarm bells, or even church bells.

I have created a list of "bell" songs that can be enjoyed during the other eleven months of the year. They are neither seasonal nor are they the type of bells that make your head throb after a night out.

10. "One Less Bell to Answer" by The Fifth Dimension: Marilyn McCoo softly sings about trying to find a positive outcome after an unwanted breakup.

9. "Pavlov's Bell" by Aimee Mann: The folk singer-songwriter is heading for Idaho with a companion named Mario in this lively ballad from Lost in Space. In the chorus she admits that she "nearly fell, Trading clothes and ringing Pavlov's bell."

8. "Hell's Bells" by ACDC: The classic rock song from Back in Black opens with the ringing of ominous bells. The song then gets really scary when Brian Johnson's whiney vocals erupt as the voice of Satan.

7. "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward: This 1979 disco classic backs Ward's high-pitched chorus with great percussion work. The song is still famous for its drawn-out pronunciation of "be-e-e-ell."

6. "My Doorbell" by The White Stripes: Jack White's most lively track on Get Behind Me Satan features him thinking about his doorbell ringing.

5. "Ring Them Bells" by Bob Dylan: The best track from Oh Mercy shows that Dylan has not lost his ability to inspire. He says that "the mountains are filled with lost sheep" and that "they're breaking down the distance between right and wrong."

4. "Bell Bottom Blues" by Derek and the Dominoes: The track contains one Eric Clapton's most enduring choruses, "Do you want to see me crawl across the floor to you?" Then he follows the question with the plea, "I don't want to fade away, Give me one more day please."

3. "Wedding Bell Blues" by The Fifth Dimension: Marilyn McCoo personalized this Laura Nyro composition by asking her band mate, "Will you marry me, Bill?" Bells and a happy tempo make the band's version much more optimistic than Nyro, who mostly worries "Am I ever going to see my wedding day?"

2. "Tubular Bells" by Michael Oldfield: The song has a pleasant melody, but it scares the daylights out of anyone who heard it as the theme song of "The Exorcist."

1. "The Bells" by Phil Ochs: The folk legend sets to music the famous Edgar Allan Poe poem. It's difficult to duplicate the insanity of the last stanza with just a guitar, but Ochs does well with the happiness of the first two verses.