"The Three Bells", also known as "The Jimmy Brown Song", "Little Jimmy Brown", or simply "Jimmy Brown", is a song made popular by the Browns in 1959. The song is an English adaptation of the French language song "Les Trois Cloches" written by Jean Villard, with English lyrics by Bert Reisfeld. The single reached number one in the U.S. on Billboards Hot C&W Sides chart and the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1959. Origin The song is an English adaptation of the French language song "Les Trois Cloches" written by Jean Villard (also known as Gilles). This French song narrates the life of someone named Jean-François Nicot who lived in a small village at the bottom a valley, starting with his birth, then his marriage and ending with his death, events all accompanied by ringing of the bells. The song was recorded a cappella by Edith Piaf with the French vocal group Les Compagnons de la chanson with an arrangement by group member Marc Herrand in July 1946. Piaf and Les Compagnons introduced the song to an American audience in a tour in 1947. Two different English versions of "Les trois cloches" were written in 1948 – "While the Angelus Was Ringing" (with unrelated lyrics and recorded by Frank Sinatra among others), and "The Three Bells". The English lyrics of "The Three Bells" was written by Bert Reisfeld based broadly on the French original, and the name of the person in the song was changed from Jean-François Nicot to Jimmy Brown. The Melody Maids recorded the English version in 1948. In 1950, Piaf herself recorded the English version. In 1951, The Andrews Sisters also recorded the song. Their version was the longest song the Andrews Sisters recorded for the label Decca Records, and although it was well-received by Billboard, the release failed to chart. Les Compagnons de la chanson themselves also recorded an English version of "The Three Bells". This version reached No. 14 in the United States in 1952, and No. 21 in the UK in 1959. The Browns' recording The most successful version of the song was recorded by country group the Browns in 1959. The Browns at that time were considering quitting the music business, and for what they intended to be their last recording, they chose "The Three Bells". Bonnie Brown had first heard the song being played on a local radio station (a deejay had