How Music Tells the Story in “God Help the Outcasts”
Details
| Title | How Music Tells the Story in “God Help the Outcasts” |
| Author | Brett Boles |
| Duration | 1:34 |
| File Format | MP3 / MP4 |
| Original URL | https://youtube.com/watch?v=gSjN_v765fw |
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Description
In “God Help the Outcasts” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz use subtle musical choices to make the song feel deeply spiritual.
The harmony often uses a perfect plagal sound (iv-I) — reminiscent of that classic “Amen” sound (IV-I) — gently anchoring the song in reverence. And the vocal line itself tells the story: the lowest note in the song falls on the word “earth,” while the highest note arrives on “God.”
It’s elegant, intentional musical storytelling — the melody literally traces the journey from the earthly to the divine.
👉 Songwriting takeaway: when your harmony and melodic shape mirror your lyric, the listener feels the meaning without needing to be told.
