God Help the Outcasts

"God Help the Outcasts" is a song from Disney's 1996 animated feature film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The soft ballad was written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz and recorded by by American singer and actress Heidi Mollenhauer in her film role as the singing voice of Esmeralda for a scene inside Notre Dame after she sees how Quasimodo and her people are treated by society.

It replaced another song, "Someday," which was cut when the directors wanted a quieter song in a cathedral. A pop version of "Someday", with slightly altered lyrics, is performed over the movie's credits. A pop cover of "God Help the Outcasts" was recorded by American entertainer Bette Midler and is featured on the film's soundtrack, though it is not used in the movie itself. It is 3:26 minutes long and Track 16 - the final track The film version is track 5 on the film soundtrack and is 3:45 minutes long. Extra voices were provided by Brian Cummings, Debi Mae West, and Lisa Russo.

Production
The song was adapted for the German stage version of the animated film, known as Der Glöckner von Notre Dame. Stephen Schwartz said "the scene...with all its candles and projected re-creation of Notre Dame, I thought was absolutely stunning".

Stephen Shwartz explains that "The song 'Someday' was originally written for the Disney animated feature THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME as a possible replacement for the song 'God Help the Outcasts'. Ultimately, we went with the other song instead", though adds that "since everybody liked 'Someday' as well, it was then used as an end title credit for the film". While both songs find a home in the musical version ("in the stage version, 'Someday' is used towards the end, when Esmeralda is being led to execution"), in the film, the songs took place at the same point in time - "Esmeralda's first entrance into Notre Dame cathedral [where she is both] awed by the serenity and splendor of the place [and] brings with her a bitter and acute awareness of the injustice of her situation and that of her people and the less fortunate of society in general".

Musical Version
Hilf den Verstoßenen (God Help the Outcast) is for the most part the same as the Disney version with one exception, Quasimodo sings in it. This add-on makes the song a little longer. Another minor difference is that unlike the parishioners in the Disney that sings about wanting wealth, fame, glory together in the stage show the first two lines are sung in solos. Musically the song is identical to the Disney version.

Lyrics
Esmeralda: I don't know if You can hear me Or if You're even there I don't know if You would listen To a gypsy's prayer Yes, I know I'm just an outcast I shouldn't speak to You Still I see Your face and wonder... Were You once an outcast too?

God help the outcasts Hungry from birth Show them the mercy They don't find on earth God help my people We look to You still God help the outcasts Or nobody will

Parishioners: I ask for wealth I ask for fame I ask for glory to shine on my name I ask for love I can possess I ask for God and His angels to bless me

Esmeralda: I ask for nothing I can get by But I know so many Less lucky than I Please help my people The poor and downtrod I thought we all were The children of God God help the outcasts Children of God

Musical Lyrics
ESMERALDA I don't know if you can hear me Or if you're even there I don't know if you would listen To a Gypsy's prayer Yes, I know I'm just an outcast I shouldn't speak to you Still, I see your face and wonder Were you once an outcast too?

God help the outcasts Hungry from birth Show them the mercy They don't find on Earth God help my people They look to you still God help the outcasts Or nobody will

QUASIMODO God help the outcasts Hungry from birth Show them the mercy They don't find on Earth

PARISHIONERS I ask for wealth I ask for fame I ask for glory to shine on my name I ask for love I can possess I ask for God and His angels to bless me

ESMERALDA I ask for nothing I can get by But I know so many Less lucky than I Please help my people The poor and downtrod I thought we all were The children of God

QUASIMODO God help the outcasts

ESMERALDA God help the outcasts Children of God

QUASIMODO Children of God

ESMERALDA / QUASIMODO Children of God

Critical reception
The New York Times said "The score, with lively music...and nicely agile lyrics, soars to sanctimonious heights with the lilting, catchy power ballad God Help the Outcasts", and added that it was "a sure thing for next year's Oscar show". None of the songs from Hunchback were nominated the Academy Award for best original song.

Going Home to Heaven called the song "a bolder stroke than [the Disney team] had ever done before", and says that the messages of this piece, along with Hunchback songs like Sanctuary and The Bells of Notre Dame are "very powerful".