Out There
Tom Hulce; Tony Jay Lyrics
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The world is wicked
It's I alone whom you can trust in this whole city
I am your only friend
I who keep you, teach you, feed you, dress you
I who look upon you without fear
How can I protect you, boy, unless you
Away in here
You are deformed
(I am deformed)
And you are ugly
(And I am ugly)
And these are crimes
For which the world
Shows little pity
You do not comprehend
(You are my one defender)
Out there they'll revile you
As a monster
(I am a monster)
Out there they will hate
And scorn and jeer
(Only a monster)
Why invite their calumny
And consternation
Stay in here
Be faithful to me
(I'm faithful)
Grateful to me
(I'm grateful)
Do as I say
Obey
And stay
In here
Safe behind these windows and these parapets of stone
Gazing at the people down below me
All my life I watch them as I hide up here alone
Hungry for the histories they show me
All my life I memorize their faces
Knowing them as they will never know me
All my life I wonder how it feels to pass a day
Not above them
But part of them
And out there
Living in the sun
Give me one day out there
All I ask is one
To hold forever
Out there
Where they all live unaware
What I'd give
What I'd dare
Just to live one day out there
Out there among the millers and the weavers and their wives
Through the roofs and gables I can see them
Ev'ry day they shout and scold and go about their lives
Heedless of the gift it is to be them
If I was in their skin
I'd treasure ev'ry instant
Out there
Strolling by the Seine
Taste a morning out there
Like ordinary men
Who freely walk about there
Just one day and then
I swear I'll be content
With my share
Won't resent
Won't despair
Old and bent
I won't care
I'll have spent
One day
Out there
The lyrics of Tom Hulce's song "Out There" express the frustration and isolation of a deformed person who longs to be accepted in society. The song is a reflection of the themes explored in Victor Hugo's novel, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," which was adapted by Disney into an animated movie in 1996. The singer of the story is Quasimodo, who is kept isolated in Notre Dame Cathedral by his guardian, Frollo. Frollo convinces Quasimodo that the world outside is cruel and that he should stay hidden in the cathedral to be safe.
The lyrics reveal Frollo's perspective that he is the only one who Quasimodo can trust in the whole city. He teaches Quasimodo, feeds him, dresses him, and protects him but at the same time, he warns him that he is deformed and ugly and that the world outside will revile him as a monster. Frollo convinces Quasimodo that he cannot survive without him and that he should stay inside the cathedral. However, Quasimodo longs to be part of society and to live out there for one day, to experience what it feels like to be ordinary.
The lyrics of "Out There" reveal the tension between the desire for acceptance and the fear of rejection, and the conflict between the need for protection and the longing for freedom. The song highlights the importance of inclusion and the harm that is caused by exclusion. It's a powerful reminder that no one should be judged by their appearance or isolated from society based on their differences.
Line by Line Meaning
The world is cruel
The world is tough and brutal with no mercy.
The world is wicked
The world is full of evil and immorality.
It's I alone whom you can trust in this whole city
You can only rely on me, nobody else in this city.
I am your only friend
I'm your sole companion.
I who keep you, teach you, feed you, dress you
I'm the one who looks after you, educates you, feeds you and clothes you.
I who look upon you without fear
I'm not afraid of you and accept you as you are.
How can I protect you, boy, unless you
I cannot protect you, unless...
Always stay in here
You remain inside this place all the time.
Away in here
Being out of society is the only safety.
You are deformed
You have physical abnormality.
And you are ugly
You're unattractive in appearance.
And these are crimes
The world considers such abnormality to be a punishable offence.
For which the world
The society stands against you.
Shows little pity
No compassion is shown towards you for being different.
You do not comprehend
You fail to understand that...
Out there they'll revile you
In the outside world people will despise you.
As a monster
You'll be perceived as a creature of horror.
Out there they will hate
People out there will have hatred towards you.
And scorn and jeer
They will ridicule and mock you.
Why invite their calumny
Why welcome their slander?
And consternation
And cause yourself disappointment and anxiety?
Stay in here
It is better to be safe and remain inside.
Be faithful to me
Stay loyal to me.
Grateful to me
Show gratitude to me.
Do as I say
Obey me.
Obey
Do as you're told.
And stay
Remain where you are.
In here
Inside this place.
Safe behind these windows and these parapets of stone
Secure within these walls made of stone and these windows.
Gazing at the people down below me
Staring down at the people below me.
All my life I watch them as I hide up here alone
All my life, as I keep myself secluded from the world, I have watched them down there.
Hungry for the histories they show me
Keen to learn about their stories and past.
All my life I memorize their faces
I have kept their faces in my memory all my life.
Knowing them as they will never know me
I recognize them, they do not recognize me.
All my life I wonder how it feels to pass a day
I've always wondered how it would be to live a typical day in their lives.
Not above them
Not superior to them.
But part of them
But to be one of them.
And out there
But in the outside world.
Living in the sun
Leading a normal life in the bright daylight.
Give me one day out there
Allow me one day outside these walls.
All I ask is one
I'm just asking for one day.
To hold forever
To treasure for eternity.
Out there
In the outside world.
Where they all live unaware
Where all the people down there live oblivious to my life here.
What I'd give
What I'd do.
What I'd dare
What I'd be bold enough to attempt.
Just to live one day out there
Just to have the opportunity to spend one day amongst them.
Out there among the millers and the weavers and their wives
Out there with ordinary men, women and families going about their lives.
Through the roofs and gables I can see them
I can see them through the openings and roofs up here.
Ev'ry day they shout and scold and go about their lives
Every day they're doing their things and getting into arguments and conflicts.
Heedless of the gift it is to be them
Unmindful of the preciousness of their own lives.
If I was in their skin
If I could live as one of them.
I'd treasure ev'ry instant
I'd value every single moment.
Strolling by the Seine
Walking leisurely by the Seine river.
Taste a morning out there
Experience what a typical morning is like.
Like ordinary men
Like all other men out there.
Who freely walk about there
Who roam around freely.
Just one day and then
Just one day is enough.
I swear I'll be content
I guarantee my satisfaction.
With my share
Satisfied with my lot.
Won't resent
Won't feel envious of their lives.
Won't despair
Won't feel hopeless or discouraged.
Old and bent
Even when I'm old and frail.
I won't care
I won't be distressed or upset.
I'll have spent
I will have lived.
One day
One day amongst them.
Out there
In the outside world.
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Alan Menken, Stephen Laurence Schwartz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind