8._Trial Before Pilate
Webber Lyrics
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And why is this? Was Herod unimpressed?
We turn to Rome to sentence Nazareth.
We have no law to put a man to death.
We need him crucified.
It's all you have to do.
We need him crucified.
Talk to me Jesus Christ.
You have been brought here
Manacled, beaten by your own people.
Do you have the first idea why you deserve it?
Listen King of the Jews,
Where is your kingdom?
Look at me. Am I a Jew?
I have no kingdom in this world.
I'm through.
There may be a kingdom for me somewhere.
If you only knew.
Then you are a king?
It's you that say I am.
I look for truth and find that I get damned.
But what is truth?
Is truth a changing law?
We both have truths.
Are mine the same as yours?
Crucify him! Crucify him!
What do you mean?
You'd crucify your king?
We have no king but Caesar!
He's done no wrong.
No, not the slightest thing.
We have no king but Caesar!
Crucify him!
What is this new respect for Caesar?
'Till now this has been noticeably lacking.
Who is this Jesus? Why is he different?
You choose Messiahs by the sack full.
We need him crucified,
It's all you have to do.
We need him crucified,
It's all you have to do.
Talk to me, Jesus Christ.
Look at your Jesus Christ.
I'll agree he's mad.
Ought to be locked up,
But that is not a reason to destroy him.
He's a sad little man.
Not a King or God.
Not a thief,
I need a crime!
Crucify him!
Behold a man,
Behold your shattered King.
We have no King but Caesar.
You hypocrites,
You hate us more than him.
We have no King but Caesar,
Crucify him!
I see no reason. I find no evil.
This man is harmless, so why does he upset you?
He's just misguided, thinks he's important,
But to keep you vultures happy I shall flog him.
Crucify him! Crucify him!
(Thirty-nine lashes, Pilate counts)
Where are you from Jesus?
What do you want Jesus?
Tell me.
You've got to be careful.
You could be dead soon,
Could well be.
Why do you not speak when
I hold your life in my hands?
How can you stay quiet?
I don't believe you understand.
You have nothing in your hands.
Any power you have, comes to you from far beyond.
Everything is fixed, and you can't change it.
You're a fool Jesus Christ.
How can I help you?
Pilate, Crucify him!
Remember Caesar.
You have a duty
To keep the peace, so crucify him!
Remember Caesar.
You'll be demoted.
You'll be deported. Crucify him!
Remember Caesar.
You have a duty
To keep the peace, so crucify him!
Remember Caesar.
You'll be demoted.
You'll be deported. Crucify him!
Remember Caesar.
You have a duty
To keep the peace, so crucify him!
Remember Caesar.
You'll be demoted.
You'll be deported. Crucify him!
Don't let me stop your great self-destruction.
Die if you want to, you misguided martyr.
I wash my hands of your demolition.
Die if you want to you innocent puppet!
In "Trial Before Pilate," from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, Pontius Pilate is struggling to deal with the demand of the crowd to execute Jesus Christ. He is wrestling with whether to condemn a man that he sees as innocent to keep the peace or to do what he believes is right. The opening lines of the song express his frustration that Jesus has been returned to him after his appeal to King Herod failed. Pilate then tells the crowd that they need to turn to Rome to condemn Jesus to death since their own laws do not allow it. The crowd demands that Jesus be crucified, and Pilate is caught in a difficult position. He knows that Jesus has done no wrong, but he is wary of the threat of revolt from his people agitating for Christ's execution.
Throughout the song, Pilate tries to question Jesus about who he is, why the people are so angry, and what truth really is. Jesus responds with references to the kingdom beyond this world, highlighting the spiritual and ideological nature of his teachings. Pilate is still unsure of what to do but wants to placate the crowd's demands. In the end, he gives in and orders Jesus to be flogged and crucified, washing his hands off the decision, proclaiming himself innocent of Jesus's blood.
The song's themes reflect the conflict between earthly power, justice, and morality. Pilate struggles with his moral conscience and his political obligations, reflecting a common human struggle to balance individual ethics with societal responsibilities. The lyrics also highlight the danger of mob mentality, with the crowd's demand for the execution of Jesus contrasting sharply with Pilate's rational arguments for his acquittal. The song is a commentary on the flawed nature of humanity in decision-making, with even the most powerful and important people often making flawed choices, influenced by external factors like public opinion and social norms.
Line by Line Meaning
And so the king is once again my guest.
King Herod has sent you back to me, but why? Was he unimpressed by you?
We turn to Rome to sentence Nazareth.
We have found this Nazarene guilty but we have no authority to put him to death so we ask Rome to execute him.
We have no law to put a man to death.
We have no law which empowers us to give a person a death penalty.
We need him crucified. It's all you have to do.
All we need from you is to have this man crucified, and we will be satisfied.
Talk to me Jesus Christ.
Speak to me, Jesus Christ.
You have been brought here. Manacled, beaten by your own people. Do you have the first idea why you deserve it?
You were brought here by your own people, in shackles, bloodied and beaten. Do you know why they did this to you?
Listen King of the Jews, where is your kingdom? Look at me. Am I a Jew?
You are the king of the Jews, so where is your kingdom? Tell me now. Look at me. Do you take me for a Jew?
I have no kingdom in this world. I'm through. There may be a kingdom for me somewhere. If you only knew.
My kingdom is not here in this world. My work here is done. My true kingdom is not here on earth, but in heaven, if only you knew.
Then you are a king? It's you that say I am. I look for truth and find that I get damned.
So, do you consider yourself to be a king? Yes, that's what you say I am. I seek the truth, but in doing so, I am condemned.
But what is truth? Is truth a changing law? We both have truths. Are mine the same as yours?
But what is truth? Is truth always changing? We both have our own truths, but are they similar, or completely different?
Crucify him! Crucify him!
Crucify him! Kill him by nailing him to the cross!
What do you mean? You'd crucify your king?
What do you mean by this? You wish to put your own king on the cross?
We have no king but Caesar!
We do not have a king of our own. Our only king is Caesar.
He's done no wrong. No, not the slightest thing.
This man has done nothing wrong, not even a small mistake.
Who is this Jesus? Why is he different? You choose Messiahs by the sack full.
Who is this Jesus Christ? What makes him different from all the other Messiahs who come in droves?
Behold a man, behold your shattered king. We have no king but Caesar.
Look at this man, this broken and beaten king. We do not have a king of our own, Caesar is the only king we have.
You hypocrites, you hate us more than him.
You hypocrites. You hate us, the Roman Empire, more than you hate this man.
I see no reason. I find no evil. This man is harmless, so why does he upset you? He's just misguided, thinks he's important, but to keep you vultures happy I shall flog him.
I see no reason to have this man put to death. I can find no evil he has done. He is harmless, so why does he upset you? He is just a misguide person who thinks he is important. But to satisfy you vultures, I will have him scourged.
Where are you from Jesus? What do you want Jesus? Tell me. You've got to be careful. You could be dead soon, could well be. Why do you not speak when I hold your life in my hands? How can you stay quiet? I don't believe you understand.
Where do you come from, Jesus? What do you want? Tell me. You need to watch what you say. You could be dead soon. So why do you not speak when I have the power to spare your life or condemn you to death? How can you keep silent? I don't believe you comprehend the gravity of your situation.
You have nothing in your hands. Any power you have, comes to you from far beyond. Everything is fixed, and you can't change it.
You have no power at all. Any authority you have comes from a higher power beyond your reach. Everything is predetermined, and you can't alter it.
You're a fool Jesus Christ. How can I help you?
You are foolish, Jesus Christ. How can I be of any assistance to you?
Pilate, Crucify him! Remember Caesar. You have a duty to keep the peace, so crucify him!
Pilate, order him to be crucified! Remember Caesar, you have a responsibility to maintain order and keep the peace, so have him crucified!
You'll be demoted. You'll be deported. Crucify him!
You will be demoted, you will be exiled. Crucify him!
Don't let me stop your great self-destruction. Die if you want to, you misguided martyr. I wash my hands of your demolition. Die if you want to, you innocent puppet!
Do not let me interfere with your own downfall. Die if you want, you misguided martyr. I refuse to be involved in your destruction. Die if you want to, you blameless pawn!
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER, TIM RICE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind