Out There

"**Out There**" is the second song from Disney's 1996 animated feature, *The Hunchback of Notre Dame*.

## Background

It began with a dark introduction by the main villain and antagonist, Claude Frollo, telling Quasimodo to stay up in the bell tower where he will not be reviled as a monster. This introduction featured a weaving of two counter melodies sung by them, with the use of the phrase "Stay In Here" bringing the text of the rest of the song into contrast, "Out There."

Once Frollo left the scene, everything seemed so much brighter and Quasimodo sang about his dreams of leaving the bell tower and leading a normal life among the people he saw every day. This song may have been what finally convinced him to escape down into the Festival of Fools.

## Lyrics

### Movie Version

**Frollo:**

The world is cruel

The world is wicked

It's I alone whom you can trust in this whole city

I am your only friend

I who keep you, teach you, feed you, dress you

I who look upon you without fear

How can I protect you, boy, unless you always

Stay in here,

Away in here?

*Remember what I've taught you, Quasimodo.*

You are deformed

**Quasimodo:**

I am deformed

**Frollo:**

And you are ugly

**Quasimodo:**

And I am ugly

**Frollo:**

And these are crimes for which the world shows little pity

You do not comprehend

**Quasimodo:** You are my one defender

**Frollo:**

Out there, they'll revile you as a monster

**Quasimodo:**

I am a monster

**Frollo:**

Out there, they will hate and scorn and jeer

**Quasimodo:** Only a monster

**Frollo:**

Why invite their calumny and consternation?

Stay in here

Be faithful to me

**Quasimodo:**

I'm faithful

**Frollo:**

Grateful to me

**Quasimodo:**

I'm grateful

**Frollo:** Do as I say

Obey

**Both:**

And/I'll stay in here

**Quasimodo:**

Safe behind these windows and these parapets of stone

Gazing at the people down below me

All my life, I watch them as I hide up here alone

Hungry for the histories they show me

All my life, I memorize their faces

Knowing them as they will never know me

All my life, I wonder how it feels to pass a day

Not above them

But part of them

And out there, living in the sun

Give me one day out there, all I ask is one

To hold forever

Out there, where they all live unaware

What I'd give

What I'd dare

Just to live one day out there

Out there among the millers and the weavers and their wives

Through the roofs and gables I can see them

Ev'ry day they shout and scold and go about their lives

Heedless of the gift it is to be them

If I was in their skin

I'd treasure ev'ry instant

Out there, strolling by the Seine

Taste a morning out there, like ordinary men

Who freely walk about there

Just one day and then, I swear

I'll be content

With my share

Won't resent

Won't despair

Old and bent

I won't care

I'll have spent one day out there!

### Demo Version

**Frollo**

The world is cruel

The world is wicked

It's I alone whom you can trust

In this whole city

I am your only friend

Remember what I taught you, Quasimodo.

You are deformed

**Quasimodo**

I am deformed

**Frollo**

And you are ugly

**Quasimodo**

And I am ugly

**Frollo**

And these are crimes for

Which the world shows little pity

You do not comprehend

**Quasimodo**

You are my one defender...

**Frollo**

You are such a monster they would hurt you if they could

They would call you you hideous and hateful

**Quasimodo**

A monster...

**Frollo**

Everything I tell you boy I do for your own good

I'm surprised to find you so ungrateful

**Quasimodo**

Only a monster

**Frollo**

Out there you'd become their prey

**Quasimodo**

Master I am sorry I've offended you this way

**Frollo**

But they can't hurt you out there

Not if you obey and stay

In here

### Musical Version

**Frollo**

The world is cruel

The world is wicked

It's I alone whom you can trust

In this whole city

I am your only friend

I who keep you, teach you, feed you, dress you

I who look upon you without fear

How can I protect you boy

Unless you always stay in here

Away in here...?

Remember what I taught you, Quasimodo.

You are deformed

**Quasimodo**

I am deformed

**Frollo**

And you are ugly

**Quasimodo**

And I am ugly

**Frollo**

And these are crimes for

Which the world shows little pity

You do not comprehend

**Quasimodo**

You are my one defender...

**Frollo**

Out there they'll revile you as a monster

**Quasimodo**

I am a monster...

**Frollo**

Out there they will hate and scorn and jeer

**Quasimodo**

Only a monster...

**Frollo**

Why invite their curses and their consternation?

Stay in here!

Here you will be happier by far

You don't know how fortunate you are...

Once I was as blessed as you,

A novice priest in service to

This holy church which was, I knew

My sanctuary

Oh, then my duty called

Paris was burning

Sin, vice, corruption ev'rywhere

For me to rout

Out there...

**Quasimodo**

You are good to me, master. I'm sorry.

**Frollo**

I see the great unwashed are beginning to congregate. It appears that I will have to dip my handkerchief in perfume and hold it to my nose to get me through this day. Well then, I must be off.

Out where it's dark

**Loni**

Out where it's bright

**Frollo**

Out where it's dirty

**Charles**

Out where it's busy

**Frollo**

Out in that morally debauched

And putrefied world

**Gargoyles**

There's such a wide world to share

**Frollo**

I am so thankful for our sanctuary

**Antoine**

If you go out, it can remain our secret

**Frollo**

Our secret sanctuary

**Gargoyles**

Oh, if this once you go

**Frollo**

I've kept you pure

**Gargoyles**

Out in the air

**Frollo**

Year after year

**Antoine**

It may be right...

**Charles**

It may be wrong...

**Loni**

But you will know...

**Frollo**

Knowing that you're...

**Gargoyles**

How you would fare...

**Frollo**

Always

In here...

**Gargoyles**

Out there...

**Quasimodo**

Safe behind these windows

And these parapets of stone

Gazing at the people down below me

All my life I watch them

As I hide up here alone

Hungry for the histories they show me

All my life, I memorize their faces

Knowing them as they will never know me

All my life, I wonder

How it feels to pass a day

Not above them

But part of them

And out there

Living in the sun

Give me one day out there

All I ask is one

To hold forever

Out there

Where they all live unaware

What I'd give

What I'd dare

Just to live one day out there

Out there among the millers

And the weavers and their wives

Through the roofs and gables I can see them

Ev'ry day they shout and scold

And go about their lives

Heedless of the gift it is to be them

If I was in their skin

I'd treasure ev'ry instant

Out there

Strolling by the Seine

Taste a morning!

Out there

Like ordinary men

Who freely walk about there

Just one day and then

I swear, I'll be content

With my share

Won't resent, won't despair

Old and bent, I won't care

I'll have spent one day

Out there!

## Trivia

* This song was comparable to "Part of Your World" from *The Little Mermaid*, as they're both about the protagonists' struggle with living in their own little purgatory and wanting to explore the outer world. The first half of the song also shared similarities to Mother Knows Best and Stay With Me, where the film's antagonists/parental figures lecture the protagonist on the importance of staying secluded from the world and always listening to their every word.
* At one point during the song, Belle from *Beauty and the Beast*, the Magic Carpet from *Aladdin*, and Pumbaa from *The Lion King* can be seen in the village.
* The Spanish group Ketama made a version of this song, deleting Frollo's part.
* This song was included on the tape, *Disney Sing Along Songs: Topsy Turvy;* however, the serious and dark introduction was edited out to make the song seem less darker for younger audiences.

## Gallery

Hunchback-disneyscreencaps com-1359.jpgHunchback-disneyscreencaps com-1417.jpgHND 23.pngBelle, Magic Carpet, and Pumbaa appear during the song.