overture
Andrew Lloyd Webber Simon Lee & Andrew Lloyd-Webber Lyrics


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This trophy from our saviours, from our saviours from the enslaving force of Rome!

With feasting and dancing and song, tonight in celebration,
We greet the victorious throng, returned to bring salvation!

The trumpets of Carthage resound! Hear, Romans, now and tremble!
Hark to our step on the ground!
Hear the drums, Hannibal comes!

Sad to return to find the land we love, threatened once more by Roma's far-reaching grasp

No no no no!
Senor if you please! Rome
Me say Rome
Roma? Rome, Rome is very hard
Well once again from "Sad to return" (very very hard)
Please (Rome) senor

Sad to return to find the land we love, threatened once more by Rome's far-reaching grasp

Tomorrow we shall brighten the chimes of Rome, til I rejoice your army has come home

Bid welcome to Hannibal's guests, the elephants of Carthage!
As guides on our conquering quests, Dido sends Hannibal's friends!

Once more to the ? arms ?
Once more to the sweetness of charms
My heart ?

The trumpeting elephants sound, hear, Romans, now and tremble!
Hark to their step on the ground, hear the drums! Hannibal comes!

Thanks ? all again
Thank you very much
You were very good this man is near marvelous thank you
This way gentlemen this way
Rehearsals, as you see, are under way, for a new production of
Chalumeau's 'Hannibal'.
Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen please, ladies and g'
Madam Giry? Thank you
May I have your attention please
As you may know for some weeks there have been rumours of my
Imminent retirement.
I can now tell you that these were all true,
And it is now my pleasure to introduce you to you the two gentlemen who now own the Opera Populaire,
M. Richard Firmin and M. Gilles Andre.

Gentlemen, Signora Carlitta Guidicelli,
Our leading soprano for 19 seasons now.
Of course of course I've experienced all your greatest roles in your
Damn Signor Ubaldo Piangi.
An honor, Signor.
If I remember rightly Alyssa has a rather fine aria
In act III of Hannibal I wonder Alyssa as a personal favor
If you would oblige us with a private rendition
And of course if monsieur Reyer objects
Now if my manager commands
Monsieur Reyer, ? commands
Will two bars will quite sufficient




Two bars will be sufficient
Senora

Overall Meaning

The Overture is the opening song in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Martin Levan's musical, Hannibal. The first line, "This trophy from our saviours, from our saviours from the enslaving force of Rome!" sets the stage for the audience, letting them know that the characters are celebrating their victory over Rome. The lyrics then go on to describe the celebrations that will take place, including feasting and dancing. The line "Hear, Romans, now and tremble!" shows how the characters are reveling in their triumph over the Romans.


The lyrics continue with a shift in tone as the characters acknowledge the threat that Rome still poses to them. The repetition of the line "Sad to return to find the land we love, threatened once more by Rome's far-reaching grasp" emphasizes their frustration and disappointment. The mention of Hannibal's guests, the elephants of Carthage, adds to the excitement of the celebration and sets the stage for the next scenes in the musical.


Line by Line Meaning

This trophy from our saviours, from our saviours from the enslaving force of Rome!
We are celebrating our triumph over Rome, the enslaving force that once threatened us, and we have earned this trophy as a result.


With feasting and dancing and song, tonight in celebration, We greet the victorious throng, returned to bring salvation!
We are celebrating the return of our victorious troops who have succeeded in bringing us salvation, and we are doing so through feasting, dancing, and song.


The trumpets of Carthage resound! Hear, Romans, now and tremble! Hark to our step on the ground!
We are warning Rome of our arrival and inspiring fear in them through the resounding trumpets of Carthage and the sound of our footsteps on the ground.


Hear the drums, Hannibal comes!
We are announcing the arrival of Hannibal, our leader, through the beating of the drums.


Sad to return to find the land we love, threatened once more by Roma's far-reaching grasp No no no no! Senor if you please! Rome Me say Rome Roma? Rome, Rome is very hard Well once again from 'Sad to return' (very very hard) Please (Rome) senor
It is disheartening to return to our beloved land and find it threatened once again by Rome's far-reaching grasp. Please excuse our repetitious use of the word 'Rome,' as it is a difficult word to pronounce.


Tomorrow we shall brighten the chimes of Rome, til I rejoice your army has come home
We will continue to strike at Rome until our army returns home and I can finally rejoice.


Bid welcome to Hannibal's guests, the elephants of Carthage! As guides on our conquering quests, Dido sends Hannibal's friends!
We are welcoming Hannibal's trusted allies - the elephants of Carthage - and presenting them as guides in our quest for victory, sent to us by Dido herself.


Once more to the ? arms ? Once more to the sweetness of charms My heart ?
We are returning again to the arms of victory and the sweet charms that it brings, and my heart is filled with joy.


The trumpeting elephants sound, hear, Romans, now and tremble! Hark to their step on the ground, hear the drums! Hannibal comes!
Now even the elephants are sounding their trumpets and their footsteps can be heard, causing the Romans to tremble in fear once again. Hannibal is on his way, and the drums announce his arrival.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD SHERMAN, RICHARD M. SHERMAN, ROBERT SHERMAN, ROBERT B. SHERMAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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