Occasionally as I’m out and about in my adopted home of NE Minneapolis, I like to play a little game: in any given location, look around and count the number of church steeples (or domes, as the case may be for some of the Eastern Orthodox churches) within visible range. The minimum score seems to be one, and I think I’ve maxed out at about five.

This area is known for the ubiquitous houses or worship, but an unacknowledged side-effect is the frequently audible church bells. It’s also one of the simple things I love here — they’re pleasant to listen to, and an occasionally useful reminder of the passage of time. Lately, however, I’ve become aware of a strange and somewhat unsettling phenomenon:

Nearly every time I hear church bells ringing, AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” pops into my head.

What to make of this? Not sure. I’m not really even an AC/DC fan, I don’t think I’ve ever owned one of their albums in entirety. And I’m sure there’s plenty of fascinating history behind the tolling bells — that some might revel in the years of tradition they represent. But here I am, waiting for the guitar riff to kick in.

In the epic battle between loud music and established tradition, chalk this one up as a victory for Rock ‘n’ Roll.