Tag Archives: Song

05Sep 2011

The Music of the Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame Heaven’s Light

by Jessica

Quasimodo’s “Love” Song

Quasimodo's figurines from "Heaven's Light" Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney picture image — Quasimodo’s figurines from “Heaven’s Light”

“Heaven’s Light” and “Hellfire” are meant to be listened together. Both parts represent the basic nature of The Hunchback of Notre Dame: how feelings can be internalized and twisted according to the individual.

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Hellfire Disney picture image — Frollo and an illusion of Esmeralda during Hellfire

However I’m going to look at “Heaven’s Light” and “Hellfire” separately, because of the intensity of “Hellfire” and the simplicity of “Heaven’s Light.”

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image — Quasimodo singing Heaven’s Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

“Heaven’s Light” is the second ballad in the film and is Quasimodo’s final song though it’s reprise later in the movie. It’s the only “romantic” song to make into movie. In this song Quasimodo equivalents love to being heavenly. Since Quasimodo believes himself to be hideous, he thinks he not meant for love. However since Esmeralda gave him a peak on the cheek without fear, he calls her an angel and he’s hopeful that she could love him. He loves the concept of love. This hopefulness is gestalt of song.

There is lot going on in this song: Quasimodo explains what love is like, he feel he’s not meant for it but then not a beat goes by and he turns his hopeful-o-meter up to max, as he hopes that Esmeralda could love him because she wasn’t afraid of him. The song seems to do a lot. This is because it’s such a short song and that’s it feels a light all over the place. Quasimodo goes from being emo to sappy. “Anarkia” in Notre Dame de Paris has a similar feel to it.

Victor and Laverne's drawing of Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image — Victor and Laverne’s drawing of Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Hugo draws Djali Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image — Hugo draws Djali Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The elements of humor in this song by the gargoyles is actually good. It’s relevant and cute to the song. In the song each gargoyle draws a picture. The pictures reflect their personalities, Laverne and Victor draw Esmeralda and Hugo draws Djali. It’s cute relevant humor. I like Victor’s drawing the best.

I have to admit that for me this song gets a little lost because it’s the song that comes right before “Hellfire,” which is for many people is their favorite song in the film as well as many people’s favorite villain songs. However listening to the song in isolation, it’s a sweet, well done song that develops Quaismodo’s character as both hopeful and naive.

The Reprise

Quasimodo reprise Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image — Quasimodo reprise Heaven’s Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Phoebus and Esmeralda Kiss Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image — Phoebus and Esmeralda Kiss Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Later when the song is reprised it’s a bittersweet sting to Quasimodo as his heart breaks as he watches Esmeralda and Phoebus kiss.

All in all it’s a good song, not terrible but not not fanatic. It’s one flaw is being next to Hellfire.

Team Quaismodo
by Hunchstore

Next Time – Hellfire.

19Aug 2011

The Music of the Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame “Out There”

by Jessica

The “I Want” Song

Frollo and Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image — Frollo and Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Out There is for all intended purposes is a solo but its prelude is duet between Frollo and Quasimodo. Frollo sings about how awful the world is as a means for controlling Quasimodo. When Frollo departs the scene, the mood of the song changes into Quasimodo singing about a yearning to venture beyond the tower and go flocking with the normal people.

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image — Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Ariel Disney The Little Mermaid picture image — Ariel Disney The Little Mermaid

There is no good way to say it, “Out There” is a knock off of “Part of your World” from the Little Mermaid. Lots of Disney characters sing this “wanting more” type of song but Out There and Part of that World express the some thought. And it’s interesting that they both point to a direction; up for Ariel and down for Quasimodo and they both mention a desire for the sun and to be with “the people”. They also kind of look alike, red hair and they both wear green. (2026 – Maybe a be harsh calling Out There a Knock Off but they are quite similar and outside of the scope them being I want Songs)

So how is the song on a music level? Got say, the song it’s self is pretty typical Disney fare. It’s one of the typical songs you’ll hear in a Disney movie, the dreamer’s song. It’s usually the main character singing about wanting something more. This song is just Quasimodo singing about even if just one day he wants to apart of the people. The music is fine, it’s nice and symphonic. The lyrics are very repetitive: he wants to be to live a day with the regular people, I get.

Quasimodo does come off naive to think that just because people live “out there” this qualifies them as normal and he also insinuates that it’s a gift for them to be normal despite the whole issue with Romani who have to live in catacombs to avoid Frollo’s genocide tendencies.

The singing is where this song fails for me. Hulce’s vibrato has too much of a wobble for me. I think this fast vibrato is meant to give Quasimodo an innocence and naivety but it too much wobble. The wobbly vibrato ruins Hulce’s performance for me and do think he a decent enough singer otherwise. (Again 2026 edit – this take of mine has change over the years.)

Quasimodo's song "Out There" Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame — Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Quasimodo singing "Out There" Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney picture image — Quasimodo singing “Out There” Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The best part of the song in the movie is the visuals. I remember the first time I saw it, the part where Quasimodo slid down the buttress was my favorite visual, I thought it looked fun, of course as a kid I thought it was a water slide and not a support structure. I really enjoy Quasimodo interacting with the Notre Dame, he may be dreaming on being on terra firma but Notre Dame is like his private playground.

Belle, Carpet, Pumbaa Disney Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King — Belle, Carpet, and Pumbaa

Frollo in the Square during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image — Frollo in the Square during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Satellite Dish during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image — Satellite Dish during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

There are a few things that appear in the song that many viewers don’t seem to notice. The first are cameos, which people notice. The Cameos are Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Pumba (The Lion King) and Carpet (Aladdin). Two other things, is Frollo can be seen in the square as Quasimodo is looking down and a satellite dish can be seen on a house in the bird’s view of Paris or La Cite in this case.

So the song is by no means in the top tier of the songs in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, it by no means is it the worst. It’s just a VERY typical formulaic Disney song.

2026 Edit- To be honest, this review is rather harsh. I held it in 2011 but not so much in 2026. And to prove a point “Out There” ranked quite high when I ranked Disney “I Want” Songs with a statical survey. So take than 2011 version of me.