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"God Help the Outcasts" is a song written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz for Walt Disney Pictures' 34th animated feature film ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame ''(1996). A pop ballad, the song is performed by American singer Heidi Mollenhauer as the singing voice of Esmeralda on American actress Demi Moore's behalf, who provides the character's speaking voice. A prayer, "God Help the Outcasts" is a somber hymn in which a beset Esmeralda asks God to shield outcasts and gypsies like herself against racism and discrimination at the hands of Paris and Judge Claude Frollo. The song also establishes Esmeralda as a selfless, empathetic character with whom Quasimodo falls in love. After Menken and Schwartz wrote "God Help the Outcasts", directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale and Disney CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg debated whether or not the film required a more uplifting song; Menken and Schwartz wrote the inspirational "Someday" with which to replace "God Help the Outcasts" at the behest of Katzenberg. However, Wise and Trousdale ultimately decided that "God Help the Outcasts", a religious ballad, was more suitable for the scene. American singer Bette Midler recorded a pop rendition of "God Help the Outcasts" for the film's soundtrack. "God Help the Outcasts" has garnered generally positive reviews from both film and music critics, who enjoyed the song's lyrics and music, as well as Mollenhauer's performance. Others, however, felt that the song was too sentimental and overwrought, specifically Midler's rendition. In addition to Midler, "God Help the Outcasts" has since been covered several artists, including singer Lara Fabian in French and ''The Little Mermaid'' == Background == "God Help the Outcasts" was written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, both songwriters who had just recently collaborated on writing the music for Disney's ''Pocahontas'' (1995). Upon completing "God Help the Outcasts", Menken and Schwartz composed "Someday" at the behest of Disney CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg; the filmmaker suggested that the dark, somber film required "a more liftable song of inspiration." Also a ballad, "Someday" was to have served "as an energetic alternative to 'God Help the Outcasts'."〔 Ultimately, directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale decided that “God Help the Outcasts” "fit the tone of the scene more effectively." According to the ''Deseret News'', "Someday" was excluded from ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame ''"because it was ... too powerful", while "God Help the Outcasts" is "a more humble, personal song for Esmeralda to sing as she prayed for God's help." Although both "God Help the Outcasts" and "Someday" are similar, "God Help the Outcasts" specifically mentions outcasts while the latter "is about all people coming to together ... for the betterment of everyone." In addition to this, while "God Help the Outcasts" is religious, "Someday" is, according to'' The Musical Theater of Stephen Schwartz: From Godspell to Wicked and Beyond'', "more of an anthem of hope than a prayer." Dubbing "God Help the Outcasts" one of the highlights of her career, singer Heidi Mollenhauer described the experience in an interview with South Pasadena High School as "very exciting, a little terrifying, and sometimes overwhelming". On recording the song, Mollenhauer said, "The challenge really was to be able to release all that this song made me feel. I get choked up every time I talk about it because I think it's such a beautiful moment."〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=The Making of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (2/2) )〕 Because Esmeralda is voiced by two different actresses, it was mandatory that Mollenhauer's singing voice blend with actress Demi Moore's husky speaking voice "seamlessly."〔 Mollenhauer's performance of "Someday" is featured on the re-release of ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame.''〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「God Help the Outcasts」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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