Hellfire

"Hellfire" is a song from Disney's 1996 animated feature The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The song is sung by the film's main antagonist, Judge Claude Frollo. The song "Hellfire" was intended to contrast the song "Heaven's Light", which was a song that was sung by Quasimodo moments earlier, expressing his feelings of love for Esmeralda.

The song is considered to be one of the darkest songs in any Disney film, depicting both Hell and lust, two subjects that are generally considered to be inappropriate for young children. This song and sequence prompted the ratings board of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to consider a PG rating for the film. The sequence contains also heavy visuals to match the lyrics, including provocative dancing from images of Esmeralda in the fire.

Lyrics
Priests: Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti (I confess to God almighty) Beatae Mariae semper Virgini (To blessed Mary ever Virgin) Beato Michaeli archangelo (To the blessed archangel Michael) Sanctis apostolis omnibus sanctis (To the holy apostles, to all the saints)

Frollo: Beata Maria You know I am a righteous man Of my virtue I am justly proud (Et tibit Pater (And to you, Father)) Beata Maria You know I'm so much purer than The common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd (Quia peccavi nimis (That I have sinned)) Then tell me, Maria Why I see her dancing there Why her smold'ring eyes still scorch my soul (Cogitatione (In thought)) I feel her, I see her The sun caught in her raven hair Is blazing in me out of all control (Verbo et opere (In word and deed))

Like fire Hellfire This fire in my skin This burning Desire Is turning me to sin

It's not my fault (Mea culpa (Through my fault)) I'm not to blame (Mea culpa (Through my fault)) It is the gypsy girl The witch who sent this flame (Mea maxima culpa (Through my most griveous fault)) It's not my fault (Mea culpa (Through my fault)) If in God's plan (Mea culpa (Through my fault)) He made the devil so much Stronger than a man (Mea maxima culpa (Through my most griveous fault)) Protect me, Maria Don't let the 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

(song pauses, guard knocks on the door) Guard: Minister Frollo, the gypsy has escaped Frollo: (speaking) What? Guard: She's nowhere in the cathedral. She's gone. Frollo: But how? I... Never mind. Get out, you idiot! I'll find her! I'll find her if I have to burn down all of Paris!

(song resumes) Hellfire Dark fire Now gypsy, it's your turn Choose me or Your pyre Be mine or you will burn (Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy)) God have mercy on her (Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy)) God have mercy on me (Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy)) But she will be mine Or she will burn!

Disney Parks
Hellfire has become a track commonly associated with Disney Villains as an instrumental in various Disney park shows, such as in World of Color, the Tokyo DisneySea version of Fantasmic!, and in fireworks shows such as Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams, and HalloWishes.

Trivia

 * Hellfire is often considered the darkest song in any Disney film, and it, along with Frollo in general, are very popular in online fan communities and are often parodied/edited, much like Gaston and his respective songs.
 * One of the most popular by far would be the famous Youtube series The Frollo Show, wherein this scene has been parodied where the furnace has been portrayed as a television & a computer with Internet connection & even featured an image of Panty Anarchy from the anime Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt or any random anime character, dancing in the furnace instead of Esmeralda & even the fire from the furnace has been named Bleemo, who is a parody of Beemo from Adventure Time. Also, the song in the series has been parodied with different lyrics, especially by Frollo's cousins.
 * The Freemasons sing 'mea culpa' meaning 'through my fault'. But 'mea' is feminine, and 'meus' is masculine.
 * The Nostalgia Critic lists "Hellfire" as the Number One "Greatest Villain Song" and pointing out that instead of a typical villain song describing how evil and despicable they are, Frollo instead sings about how he's slipping into insanity.