God Help the Outcasts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "God Help the Outcasts" |
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|---|---|
| Song by Heidi Mollenhauer | |
| from the album The Hunchback of Notre Dame: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack | |
| Released | 1996 |
| Recorded | 1996 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:44 |
| Label | Walt Disney |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | |
"God Help the Outcasts" is a special song from Walt Disney Pictures' animated movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). It was written by Alan Menken (who wrote the music) and Stephen Schwartz (who wrote the words).
The song is a pop ballad, which is a slow, emotional song. It's sung by Heidi Mollenhauer, who is the singing voice for the character Esmeralda. In the movie, Esmeralda is praying. She asks God to help people who are treated unfairly, like herself and the Roma. The song shows that Esmeralda is a kind and caring person. This is also when Quasimodo starts to fall in love with her.
After the song was written, the movie directors and Disney's CEO talked about whether the movie needed a more cheerful song. They even wrote another song called "Someday" to replace it. But in the end, they decided that "God Help the Outcasts" fit the scene better because it was a more serious and religious ballad.
Famous singer Bette Midler also recorded a pop version of "God Help the Outcasts" for the movie's soundtrack. Many critics liked the movie version of the song, praising its words, music, and Heidi Mollenhauer's singing. Other artists, like Lara Fabian and Jodi Benson, have also covered the song. It's even in the movie's stage musical.
Contents
How the Song Was Made
The songwriters, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, had just worked together on Disney's Pocahontas (1995). After they finished "God Help the Outcasts," Disney's CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg, asked them to write another song. He felt the movie was a bit dark and needed a more hopeful song. This new song was "Someday."
Even though "Someday" was written as a possible replacement, the directors, Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, decided that "God Help the Outcasts" was a better fit for the movie's mood. The Deseret News newspaper said that "Someday" was very powerful, but "God Help the Outcasts" was a more personal prayer for Esmeralda.
Heidi Mollenhauer, who sang the song, said it was a very exciting and sometimes overwhelming experience. She found it challenging to express all the feelings the song brought out in her. Since Esmeralda's speaking voice was done by Demi Moore and her singing voice by Heidi, it was important that their voices sounded smooth together.
What the Song Means
"God Help the Outcasts" is like a quiet, powerful prayer. It's a ballad that sounds a bit like a Broadway show tune, but it's also very gentle. It's considered one of the most spiritual songs from an animated movie.
The song has a serious tone, which was unusual for a Disney animated film at the time. It's about faith and how people are sometimes treated unfairly because they are different. Esmeralda sings about how she doesn't know if God can hear her, but she asks for help for her people. She wonders if God would listen to "a gypsy's prayer."
The song also asks people to be kind and unselfish. Esmeralda sings, "Please help my people, the poor and downtrodden/I thought we all were the children of God.” This part makes you think about how everyone should be treated with kindness.
Different Languages
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When The Hunchback of Notre Dame first came out, it was released in 30 different languages around the world. Later, 5 more versions were added, making a total of 35 official versions!
For example, the Canadian singer Lara Fabian sang the song in Canadian French, called "Que Dieu Aide Les Exclus." She even sang it twice for the Canadian soundtrack: once for the movie and once as a separate single. This was a special thing that hadn't been done before.
Mietta, who sang Esmeralda's part in the Italian version, even won an award for being the best non-English Esmeralda singer!
Highlighted versions were released later than 1996
| "God help the outcasts" worldwide | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Languages | Performer(s) | Title | Translation |
| Arabic | جيهان الناصر (Gihan Elnaser) | "يا رب أرحمهم" ("Ya rab erhamhom") | "God, have mercy on them" |
| Cantonese | 陳美鳳 (“Mei Fung Chan”; May Chan) | "流浪人之歌" (unknown) | "Song of the Homeless" |
| Catalan | Àngels Gonyalons | "Déu, salva els pàries" | "God, save the outcasts" |
| Czech | Leona Machálková | "Chraň Bůh ty bídné" | "God, protect the miserable ones" |
| Danish | Evy Krogh | "Gud vær' barmhjertige" | "God, be merciful" |
| Dutch | Vera Mann | "Esmeralda's Gebed" | "Esmeralda's Prayer" |
| English | Heidi Mollenhauer | "God help the outcasts" | |
| Finnish | Tiina Lymi | "Auta, oi Luoja" | "Help, oh God" |
| Flemish | Vera Mann | "God Heb Genade" | "God have mercy" |
| French (Canada) | Lara Fabian | "Que Dieu aide les exclus" | "May God help those left out" |
| French (Europe) | Claudia Benamou | "Les bannis ont droit d’amour" | "The banned ones have a right to love" |
| German | Ute Lemper | "Gott, deine Kinder" | "God, your children" |
| Greek | Άλκηστις Πρωτοψάλτη (Alkistis Protopsálti) | "Η προσευχή της Εσμεράλδας" ("I prosefchí tis Esmeráldas") | "Esmeralda’s prayer" |
| Hebrew | ריקי גל (Riki Gal) | "ילדי אלוהים" ("Yaldei Elohim") | "Children of God" |
| Hungarian | Koós Réka | "Isten óvja a számkivetettek" | "God Protects The Exile" |
| Icelandic | Edda Heiðrún Backman | "Guð náði gleymda" | "God, help the outcast" |
| Indonesian | Tisa Julianti | "Tuhan bantu yang terbuang" | "God help the outcasts" |
| Italian | Mietta | "Dio, fa’ qualcosa" | "God, do something" |
| Japanese | 保坂知寿 (Hosaka Chizu) | "ゴッド・ヘルプ" ("Goddo herupu") | "God help" |
| Korean | 문희경 (Moon Hee-kyung) | "이방인의 기도" ("Ibang-ine kido") | "The prayer of a stranger" |
| Malaysian | Juwita Suwito | "Tuhan, tolonglah" | "Oh God, please help" |
| Mandarin Chinese | 楊昆 (Yáng Kūn) | "苍天的泪" ("Cāngtiān de lèi") | "Heaven’s tears" |
| Norwegian | Benedicte Adrian | "De utstøtte" | "The outcasts" |
| Polish | Anna Ścigalska | "Modlitwa Esmeraldy" | "Esmeralda’s prayer" |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | Rosanah Fienngo | "Salve os proscritos" | "Save the outcasts" |
| Portuguese (Europe) | Dora Fidalgo | "Protege os párias" | "Protect the outcasts" |
| Romanian | Delia Matache | N/A | N/A |
| Russian | Екатерина Гусева (Yekaterina Guseva) | "Боже, помоги отверженным" ("Bozhye, pomogi otvyerzhennym") | "God, help the outcasts" |
| Slovak | Zuzana Mauréry | "Pane, si jedným z nás" | "Lord, you’re one of us" |
| Spanish (Europe) | Sol Pilas | "Oración de Esmeralda" | "Esmeralda’s prayer" |
| Spanish (Latin America) | Fernanda Meade | "Dios ayude a los marginados" | "God, help the outcasts" |
| Swedish | Sharon Dyall | "Esmeraldas bön" | "Esmeralda’s supplication" |
| Thai | ผุสชา โทณะวนิก (Pusacha Donavanik) | "ขอพรให้คนจน" ("Kŏr pon hâi kon jon") | "Bless the poor" |
| Turkish | Sertab Erener | "Yardim et tanrim" | "Dear God, help out" |
| Ukrainian | Мила Нітіч (Mila Nytych) | N/A | N/A |
Awards and Recognition
Even though many thought "God Help the Outcasts" would be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, it wasn't. Disney songs often won this award, but this time, The Hunchback of Notre Dame only got a nomination for its music score.
Despite not winning an Oscar, "God Help the Outcasts" is still very popular. In 2013, Moviefone called it a "hopeful and sweet anthem." It was also listed as one of the most "Notable Songs" from the film. On BuzzFeed's list of the "102 Best Animated Disney Songs," it ranked fifty-fourth.
How the Song is Used Today
Live Performances
"God Help the Outcasts" was changed for the stage musical version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In the German musical, it became a duet sung by Esmeralda and Quasimodo. This change showed Quasimodo's deep care for others. However, in the later English stage production, it went back to being a solo song for Esmeralda.
Jodi Benson, who is famous for voicing Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid, performed "God Help the Outcasts" live in 2010.
Other Versions
Many artists have recorded their own versions of "God Help the Outcasts." In 1996, singer Debbie Gravitte recorded a mix of "God Help the Outcasts" and "Someday" for her album. American theatre actress Kerry Butler also made a well-known recording in 2008. Gospel singer Cynthia Clawson covered the song on her album in 1999.
