His awards include seven Tonys, three Grammys including Best Contemporary Classical Composition for Requiem, seven Oliviers, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, two International Emmys, the Praemium Imperiale, the Richard Rodgers Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, a BASCA Fellowship and the Kennedy Center Honor.
He currently owns six London theatres, including the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and the London Palladium.
Judas' Death
Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics
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My God, I saw him
He looked three-quarters dead
And he was so bad
I had to turn my head
You beat him so hard
That he was bent and lame
And I know who everybody's
I don't believe he knows
I acted for our good
I'd save him all the suffering
If I could
Don't believe
Our good
Save him
If I could
(Priest)
Cut the confessions
Forget the excuses
I don't understand why
You're filled with remorse
All that you've said
Has come true with a vengence
The mob has turned against him
You've backed the right horse
(Caiaphas)
What you have done
Will be the saving of Israel
You'll be remembered forever
For this
And not only that
You've been paid for your efforts
Pretty good wages
For one little kiss
(Judas)
Christ!
I know you can't hear me
But I only did what you wanted me to
Christ!
I'd sell out the nation
For I have been saddled
With the murder of you
I have been spattered
With innocent blood
I should be dragged
Through the slime and the mud
I have been spattered
With innocent blood
I should be dragged
Through the slime and the mud
I don't know how to love him
I don't know why he moves me
He's a man
He's just a man
He's not a king
He's just the same
As anyone I know
He scares me so!
When he's cold and dead
Will he let me be?
Does he love me too?
Does he care for me?
Ohhhhh...
My mind is darkness now
My god I am sick
I've been used
And you knew
All the time
God I'll never ever know
Why you chose me for your crime
For your foul bloody crime
You have murdered me!
You have murdered me!
(So long, Judas
Poor old Judas
The lyrics to Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Judas' Death" come from the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, and they present the final thoughts of the character of Judas Iscariot, who, after betraying Jesus and taking the money from the High Priests for his capture, has become a shadow of his former self, full of guilt and despair. The song starts with him confessing to witnessing Jesus' last moments, but also feeling remorse for playing a part in his fate. Judas expresses how he doesn't think Jesus understands he only wanted to help their cause, to spare him his suffering, to prevent an unnecessary war, and to preserve their beliefs. But he knows he will be remembered as the one who betrayed and condemned Jesus to death.
After this, two other characters enter the conversation, the Priests and Caiaphas, who congratulate Judas for his actions and tell him he has essentially saved Israel from a possible revolt. They tell him he was paid good money for the simple kiss that led to Jesus' arrest and assure him that the people have turned against him. The song ends with Judas lamenting his betrayal and attempting to justify his actions to Jesus one last time. At the same time, he fears that now that he has taken part in such a gruesome act, his life and future are ruined, and he'll always be known as the one who betrayed the Messiah.
Line by Line Meaning
My God, I saw him
I saw Jesus, who looked like he was going to die
He looked three-quarters dead
Jesus looked almost dead
And he was so bad
And he was in such terrible condition
I had to turn my head
I couldn't bear to look at him
You beat him so hard
You, the priests, beat him brutally
That he was bent and lame
Jesus was so badly beaten that he could barely stand
And I know who everybody's going to blame
I know that everyone will blame me for Jesus' death
I don't believe he knows I acted for our good
I don't believe Jesus knows I betrayed him for what I thought was for the greater good
I'd save him all the suffering if I could
I would save Jesus from all the pain if I had the power to do so
Cut the confessions forget the excuses
Stop confessing and making excuses
I don't understand why you're filled with remorse
I don't understand why you feel guilty
All that you've said has come true with a vengeance
Everything that you predicted about Jesus has come true, with a vengeance
The mob has turned against him, you've backed the right horse
The crowd has turned against Jesus, and you have chosen the winning side
What you have done will be the saving of Israel
Your betrayal of Jesus will save Israel from Roman rule
You'll be remembered forever for this
You will be remembered always for your role in Jesus' death
And not only that you've been paid for your efforts
You have also been well paid for betraying Jesus
Pretty good wages for one little kiss
You received a lot of money for betraying Jesus with just one kiss
Christ! I know you can't hear me but I only did what you wanted me to
Jesus! I know you can't hear me, but I betrayed you because I thought it's what you wanted
Christ! I'd sell out the nation
Jesus! I would betray my whole country
For I have been saddled with the murder of you
Because of my betrayal, I am responsible for your death
I have been spattered with innocent blood
I have the blood of an innocent man on my hands
I should be dragged through the slime and the mud
I deserve public humiliation for my actions
I don't know how to love him
I don't know how to reconcile my love for Jesus with my betrayal
I don't know why he moves me
I don't understand why I'm so drawn to Jesus
He's just a man, he's not a king
Jesus is not a king, just a regular human like me
He's just the same as anyone I know
Jesus is just like any other person I know
He scares me so!
Jesus terrifies me
When he's cold and dead will he let me be?
When Jesus is dead, will I be able to live guilt-free?
Does he love me too? Does he care for me?
Does Jesus still love me, despite my betrayal?
My mind is darkness now, my god I am sick
I am consumed by guilt and confusion
I've been used, and you knew all the time
I have been manipulated, and God knew this would happen
God I'll never ever know, why you chose me for your crime
I will never understand why God chose me to betray his son
For your foul bloody crime, you have murdered me!
Your sin, which involved brutal violence, has destroyed my soul!
So long, Judas, poor old Judas
A final goodbye to Judas, who has brought about his own demise
Contributed by Anna J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.