Hellfire (song)
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Hellfire is a song from Disney's 1996 animated feature The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The song is sung by the film's villain, Frollo, who is voiced by Tony Jay.
The song is one of Disney's darker and more mature ones, as it deals with Frollo's struggle with his lustful feelings for Esmeralda, and his fears that they will damn him. He is extremely devoted to the Catholic church and realizes he has sexual feelings for a gypsy woman whom he believes to be an evil witch. He sings of his frustration, for he does not want to go to Hell.
The song contains parts of the Confiteor (Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa), of which another part was sung in the mini-song before Hellfire, entitled Heaven's Light. As well, the ending of the song contains the Kyrie eleison, sung at the ending as Frollo sings "God have Mercy on her, God have Mercy on me", paralleling the Greek.
An instrumental version of this song is featured in the HalloWishes fireworks show held as part of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom theme park.
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[edit] Lyrics
Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti (I confess to God almighty)
Beatae Mariae semper Virgini (To blessed Mary ever Virgin)
Beato Michaeli archangelo (To the blessed archangel Michael)
Sanctis apostolis omnibus sanctis (To the holy apostles, to all the saints)
Beata Maria (Blessed Mary)
You know I am a righteous man
Of my virtue I am justly proud
Et Tibi Pater (And To You Father)
Beata Maria
You know I'm so much purer than
The common vulgar weak licentious crowd
Quia Peccava Nimis (That I Have Sinned)
Then tell me Maria
Why I see her dancing there?
Why her smould'ring eyes still scorch my soul?
Cogitatione (In Thought)
I feel her
I see her
The sun caught in her raven hair
Is blazing in me out of all control
Verbo et Opere (In Word and Deed)
Like fire
Hellfire
This fire in my skin
This burning desire
Is turning me to sin
It's not my fault!
Mea Culpa (Through My Fault)
I'm not to blame!
Mea Culpa (Through My Fault)
It was the gypsy girl the witch who sent this flame!
Mea Maxima Culpa (Through My Worst Fault)
It's not my fault!
Mea Culpa (Through My Fault)
If in God's plan
Mea Culpa (Through My Fault)
He made the Devil so much stronger than a man!
Mea Maxima Culpa (Through My Worst Fault)
Protect me Maria
Don't let the siren cast her spell
Don't let her fire sear my flesh and bone
Destroy Esmeralda
And let her taste the fires of Hell
Or else let her be mine and mine alone
Hellfire!
Dark fire!
Now gypsy it's your turn
Choose me or your pyre
Be mine or you will burn!
God have mercy on her
God have mercy on me
But she will be mine or she will burn!
[edit] The Video
A priest and his altar servers walk through their church, chanting the beginning of the Confiteor and burning incense The camera pans
upwards, through a stained glass window and over Paris, then switches to Frollo looking out from his balcony at the church. As he begins to sing the
first verse, he moves to his fireplace, where he gazes into the flames. A flaming apparition of Esmeralda appears, dancing provocatively.
Through the second verse, Frollo draws away from the fireplace, taking a hidden piece of Esmeralda's costume, both fondly caressing it and
looking on it with despisement. He kneels in despair on the word 'Sin', and huge red cloaked figures appear, chanting the words 'Mea Culpa'.
Frollo desperately shouts the call and response part, looking at the figures as if pleading for his innocence. The figures melt and are draw into
the fireplace, nearly taking Frollo with them as they sing the last lines of the call and response.
Frollo simply sings in front of the fire, holding out the cloth as some more shots of the fiery Esmeralda continuing her dance show, but she seems to
act as if being burnt at a stake when Frollo says "let her taste the fires of hell". Another apparition, larger and formed of smoke, appears
briefly, which Frollo attempts to embrace. The song briefly halts when a guard interrupts to tell him Esmeralda has escaped. He is dismissed,
and the song continues. Frollo casts the cloth into the fire, and backs against the wall as the shadows of the robed figures from earlier appear,
and after the last line of the song Frollo collapses.
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[edit] See also
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)
