“One Less Bell to Answer” made it No. 2 on the U.S. pop charts in 1970. But The 5th Dimension track feels like it was sourced from a much earlier era, one where heartbreaking torch songs of love lost ruled the day.
What is the song about? Who were its writers, and how was it written? And how did a television appearance help the song become a surprise hit? Here is the story of “One Less Bell to Answer,” a song where the absence of household chores signifies the devastation left behind by a breakup.
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An “Answer” Record
The songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David made the pop charts their personal playground in the ’60s. The combination of Bacharach’s ingenious, feathery melodic touch and David’s sophisticated yet relatable lyrics was simply impossible to deny. Their songs were often covered by soul and R&B artists, with Dionne Warwick being the most famous interpreter of their work on classics like “Walk on By” and “A House Is Not a Home.”
As it turned out, “One Less Bell to Answer” would help give the duo a springboard hit to start the ’70s, even though the song had been kicking around for a few years before that. Its origins are a bit murky, as the two men contradicted each other in interviews about it after the fact. Bacharach claimed his then-wife Angie Dickinson used the title phrase, while David claimed it was someone at a party he was attending.
In any case, they both agreed that once David learned of the phrase, he thought it was a fabulous foundation for a sad ballad. Keely Smith recorded it first in 1967, and there was also a version done by Rosemary Clooney the following year. But the big hit version came courtesy of a group that no one at the time would have predicted would be a good fit for it.
Taking the 5th
In the late ’60s, The 5th Dimension put together an impressive string of hits that might best be deemed psychedelic soul. Songs like “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “Up, Up and Away” tapped into the flower-power tenor of the times. Still, in Marilyn McCoo, they had a singer who had the chops for sweeping ballads, if only they could find just the right one.
Their regular producer Bones Howe presented the group with a series of demos for potential inclusion on their 1970 album Portrait. One of them was “One Less Bell to Answer.” The demo was actually performed by Dionne Warwick, which made the band wonder why Warwick hadn’t released her own version. In any case, they jumped at the chance to do their own take.
Perhaps because it did sort of contradict their normal style, the band didn’t choose “One Lass Bell to Answer” as a single, at least not originally. After three singles from the album came and went without much fanfare, they decided to release it after they appeared on an episode of the TV show It Takes a Thief and sang the song. Good move, because the song became one of the biggest hits of their career.
What is the Meaning of “One Less Bell to Answer”?
The narrator of the song begins by listing all the ways her life should be improved upon the sudden departure of her lover: One less bell to answer / One less egg to fry. But then the facade quickly drops: I should be happy / But all I do is cry. She can’t quite break away from the old routine: Though I try to forget, it just can’t be done / Each time the doorbell rings, I still run.
David’s lyrics build in terms of the intensity of the feelings, right in line with Bacharach’s melody, which trips effortlessly through different keys while McCoo hangs right with it. It all leads to the inevitable, heartbreaking conclusion that she’s lost far more than she’s gained in this turn of events: One less man to pick up after / No more laughter / No more love.
“One Less Bell to Answer” helped The 5th Dimension pivot away from the groovy late ’60s to the soulful early ’70s. McCoo’s performance is one for the ages, as she takes full advantage of the chance to tackle a song that somehow fell into her and her band’s collective laps.
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