Hellfire (song)
| "Hellfire" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Tony Jay | |
| from the album The Hunchback of Notre Dame: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack | |
| Released | 1996 |
| Recorded | 1996 |
| Genre | Musical theatre |
| Length | 5:22 (including "Heaven's Light") |
| Label | Walt Disney |
| Composer | Alan Menken |
| Lyricist | Stephen Schwartz |
| Producers |
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"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, who is voiced by Tony Jay.
When lustful thoughts regarding the beautiful Romani woman Esmeralda enter Frollo's mind, he "panics and seeks to rid himself of [its] source". This internal struggle prompts "Hellfire", which has been described as "one of the best villain songs of all time". Frollo "confronts his lusting for Esmeralda, blaming her (and God) for turning towards darkness, and pleading to be saved". He sings "destroy Esmeralda, and let her taste the fires of hell, or else let her be mine and mine alone" while the image of Esmeralda "provocatively dances in front of him".
This scene of lust and longing that the song is centered on received press coverage at the time of the film's release, along with the alterations made to give the film a G rating.