Hellfire
Patrick Page The Hunchback of Notre Dame Ensemble (Studio Cast Recording) & The Hunchback of Notre D Lyrics
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Beatae Mariae semper Virgini
Beato Michaeli archangelo
Sanctis apostolis omnibus sanctis
Frollo: Beata Maria
You know I am a righteous man
Of my virtue I am justly proud (Et tibit Pater)
Beata Maria
The common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd (Quia peccavi nimis)
Then tell me, Maria
Why I see her dancing there
Why her smold'ring eyes still scorch my soul (Cogitatione)
I feel her, I see her
The sun caught in her raven hair
Is blazing in me out of all control (Verbo et opere)
Like fire, Hellfire
This fire in my skin
This burning desire
Is turning me to sin
It′s not my fault (Mea culpa)
I'm not to blame (Mea culpa)
It is the gypsy girl
The witch who sent this flame (Mea maxima culpa)
It's not my fault (Mea culpa)
If in God′s plan (Mea culpa)
He made the devil so much stronger than a man! (Mea maxima culpa)
Protect me, Maria
Don′t let this 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! (Kyrie Eleison)
God have mercy on her
(Kyrie Eleison)
God have mercy on me (Kyrie Eleison)
But she will be mine
Or she will burn!
The lyrics of "Hellfire" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame are from the perspective of the villainous character, Claude Frollo. Frollo is a righteous man, as he reminds himself and confesses in Latin at the beginning of the song. However, his desires for the gypsy girl, Esmeralda, conflict with his beliefs and eventually consume him.
Frollo sees Esmeralda dancing and it sparks an intense physical desire in him. He sees her as a temptation and a witch who is responsible for his sinful thoughts. He feels that he cannot control his desires and blames her for it. He begs the Virgin Mary for protection, but ultimately decides that he must either possess her or destroy her.
Line by Line Meaning
Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti
I confess to Almighty God
Beatae Mariae semper Virgini
To the blessed Mary, ever Virgin
Beato Michaeli archangelo
To the blessed Archangel Michael
Sanctis apostolis omnibus sanctis
To the holy Apostles and all the saints
Beata Maria
Blessed Mary
You know I am a righteous man
I am a man of high moral standards
Of my virtue I am justly proud (Et tibit Pater)
I'm proud of my moral excellence
Beata Maria
Blessed Mary
You know I′m so much purer than
I'm much more virtuous than
The common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd (Quia peccavi nimis)
The ordinary, vulgar, weak, and sinful people
Then tell me, Maria
So tell me, Mary
Why I see her dancing there
Why do I see her dancing there?
Why her smold'ring eyes still scorch my soul (Cogitatione)
Why do her smoldering eyes burn my soul?
I feel her, I see her
I feel her presence, I can see her
The sun caught in her raven hair
Her black hair is catching the sunlight
Is blazing in me out of all control (Verbo et opere)
It's igniting a passion in me that I can't control
Like fire, Hellfire
My desire is burning like fire, a hellish fire
This fire in my skin
This fire burning inside me
This burning desire
This intense passion
Is turning me to sin
Is leading me towards sin
It′s not my fault (Mea culpa)
I'm not to blame
I'm not to blame (Mea culpa)
I'm not responsible for this
It is the gypsy girl
The gypsy girl is responsible
The witch who sent this flame (Mea maxima culpa)
She sent this passion, and I bear the maximum guilt for giving in to it
It's not my fault (Mea culpa)
I'm not to blame
If in God′s plan (Mea culpa)
If this is God's plan
He made the devil so much stronger than a man! (Mea maxima culpa)
If God made the devil stronger than a man, then I bear the maximum guilt for my weakness
Protect me, Maria
Protect me, Mary
Don′t let this siren cast her spell
Don't let this seductress enchant me
Don't let her fire sear my flesh and bone
Don't let her passion burn and consume me
Destroy Esmeralda
Eliminate Esmeralda
And let her taste the fires of hell
Send her to hell to face her punishment
Or else let her be mine and mine alone
Alternatively, let her be mine and only mine
Hellfire, dark fire
Burning in hellish flames
Now gypsy, it′s your turn
Now, it's your turn, gypsy
Choose me or your pyre
Choose me or be condemned to death
Be mine or you will burn! (Kyrie Eleison)
Be mine or suffer divine punishment
God have mercy on her
May God have mercy on her
(Kyrie Eleison)
Lord, have mercy
God have mercy on me (Kyrie Eleison)
May God have mercy on me
But she will be mine
But she will be mine
Or she will burn!
Or she will be punished for her rejection
Writer(s): Stephen Schwartz, Alan Menken
Contributed by Stella K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@elisabethblackwood3921
Musically speaking, Hunchback is Disney's most underrated achievement. I really don't think any score before or since compares
@Dreamingroses93
Elisabeth Blackwood AMEN!!!!
@PersianMapper
A guy like you is still a shit song though
@doubtyea
that high note in the bells song just hits something so right
@justinwlacy
@@PersianMapper Really, everything to do with the Gargoyles should be cut from that movie. Give me Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame without any trace of the worst comic relief trio ever and it would be my favorite Disney movie ever, no question.
@PersianMapper
@@justinwlacy I see where you're coming from, but I actually disagree. Victor and Laverne (The tall and the old gargoyles) are actually pretty useful when it comes down to giving Quasimodo moral advice. It's that stupid fat gargoyle who ruins the entire serious tone of the movie
@katieleighh
“What makes a monster and makes a man” literal chills when they sing that
@wandanemer2630
Every damn time! Even as a kid, in the movie, it just gave The Chills!!
@prismatism
Bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells of Notre Daaaaammme
@metalheadjakob
A fantastic line.