Topsy Turvy

"**Topsy Turvy**" is the third song of Disney's 1996 animated feature, *The Hunchback of Notre Dame*. The choral introduction of "Come one, come all" was reminiscent of the main theme of "The Bells of Notre Dame" as the opening of the scene was displayed with beautiful views of the Cathedral. The main theme, Topsy Turvy, was a vivacious, light and energetic movement that features comedic lyrics that interplayed between Clopin and the chorus. Upon the realization that Quasimodo was actually that disfigured, the theme from the introduction of "Out There" was developed upon furthermore as Frollo saw him and became furious, angry, and livid at his insubordination.

## Plot

It's the Festival of Fools, and the bouncy number was led by Clopin, the host of the event. After describing the events on Topsy-Turvy Day, there was a lengthy dance by Esmeralda, setting up the bulk of the movie's plot as Frollo, Phoebus, and Quasimodo all became enamored with her at the same time. At the end of the song, Quasimodo was crowned the King of Fools, and received warmly, before things took a sharp turn for the worst.

## Lyrics

Film Version=

**Chorus:** Come one, come all

Leave your looms and milking stools,

Coop the hens and pen the mules

Come one, come all

Close the churches and the schools

It's the day for breaking rules

Come and join the Feast of...

**Clopin:** ...Fools!

Once a year, we throw a party here in town

Once a year, we turn all Paris upside down

Every man's a king and every king's a clown

Once again it's Topsy Turvy Day

It's the day the devil in us gets released (Good is bad and best is worst and west is east)

It's the day we mock the prig and shock the priest (On the day we think the most of those with least)

Everything is topsy turvy

At the Feast of Fools

**Chorus:** Topsy Turvy

**Clopin:** Everything is upsy-daisy

**Chorus:** Topsy Turvy

**Clopin:** Everyone is acting crazy

Dross is gold and weeds are a bouquet

That's the way on Topsy Turvy Day

(instrumental break)

**Chorus:** Topsy Turvy

**Clopin:** Beat the drums and blow the trumpets

**Chorus:** Topsy Turvy

**Clopin and Chorus:** Join the bums and thieves and strumpets

Streaming in from Chartres to Calais

**Clopin:** Scurvy knaves are extra scurvy

On the sixth of "Januervy"

**Clopin and Chorus:** All because it's Topsy Turvy Day

**Clopin:** Come one, come all

Hurry, hurry; here's your chance

See the mystery and romance

Come one, come all

See the finest girl in France

Make an entrance to entrance

Dance la Esmeralda...

Dance!

(instrumental)

Here it is, the moment you've been waiting for

Here it is, you know exactly what's in store

Now's the time we laugh until our sides get sore

Now's the time we crown the King of Fools!

So make a face that's horrible and frightening

Make a face as gruesome as a gargoyle's wing

**Hugo**: (spoken) Hey!

**Clopin**: For the face that's ugliest will be the King of Fools. Why?

**Chorus:** Topsy Turvy

**Clopin:** Ugly folks, forget your shyness

**Chorus:** Topsy Turvy

**Clopin:** You could soon be called "Your Highness"

**Chorus:** Put your foulest features on display

**Clopin and Chorus:** Be the king of Topsy Turvy Day

(instrumental)

**Clopin:** Ev-er-y-bo-dy!

**Chorus:** Once a year, we throw a party here in town

**Clopin:** Hail to the king!

**Chorus:** Once a year, we turn all Paris upside down

**Clopin:** Ha ha! Oh, what a king

**Chorus:** Once a year, the ugliest will wear a crown

**Clopin:** Girls, give a kiss

**Chorus:** Once a year on Topsy Turvy Day

**Clopin:** We've never had a king like this

**Clopin and Chorus:** And it's the day we do the things that we deplore

On the other three hundred and sixty-four

Once a year, we love to drop in

Where the beer is never stopping

For the chance to pop some popinjay

And pick a king who'll put the top in

Top...sy... Tur...vy...

**Clopin:** Topsy Turvy

Mad and crazy

Upsy-daisy

Topsy Turvy Day!

MAN

Hurry, hurry

Spill the fish on to the dock

WOMEN

Raise the maypole

Up at the chapel of Braque

OTHERS

Hurry, hurry

Gather the choirs and

Light the bonfires and

Sit on the roofs

ALL

Hurry, hurry

It's nearly twelve of the clock

Come one, come all

Leave your looms and milking stools

Coop the hens and pen the mules

Come one, come all

Close the churches and the schools

It's the day for breaking rules

Come and join the feast of...

CLOPIN

Fools!

Once a year, we throw a party here in town

Once a year, we turn all Paris upside-down

Ev'ry man's a king and ev'ry king's a clown

Once again it's topsy turvy day

It's the day the devil in us gets released

It's the day we mock the prig and shock the priest

Ev'rything is topsy turvy at the feast of fools

CROWD

Topsy turvy!

CLOPIN

Beat the drums and blow the trumpets!

CROWD

Topsy turvy!

CLOPIN / CROWD

Join the bums and thieves and strumpets

streaming in from Chartres to Calais

CLOPIN

Scurvy knaves are extra scurvy

On the sixth on Janu-urvy

CLOPIN / PEOPLE

All because it's topsy turvy day!

QUASIMODO

Out there with all the colors

And the noises and the smells,

Brighter, louder than my dreams provide me

And tomorrow, when I’m back there

Watching from the bells

I will always have this day inside me

CROWD

Topsy turvy!

CLOPIN / PEOPLE

Come one, come all

CLOPIN

Hurry, hurry, here's your chance

See the mystery and romance

CLOPIN / PEOPLE

Come one, come all

CLOPIN

See the finest girl in France

Make an entrance to entrance

Dance la Esmeralda...

Dance!

FROLLO

Look at that disgusting display.

PHOEBUS

Yes, sir!

ESMERALDA

Sorry. Wonderful mask!

CLOPIN

And now, ladies and gentlemen, the piece de resistance!

Here it is, the moment you've been waiting for

Here is is, you know exactly what's in store

Now's the time we laugh until our sides get sore

Now's the time we crown the king of fools!

You all remember last year's king...

So make a face that's horrible and frightening

Make a face that's gruesome as a gargoyle's wing

For the face that's ugliest will be the king of fools

Why?

CROWD

Topsy turvy!

CLOPIN

Ugly folks, forget your shyness

CROWD

Topsy turvy!

CLOPIN

You could soon be called "your highness"

CROWD

Put your foulest features on display

Be the king of topsy turvy day

ESMERALDA

Hey, you're going to join in the competition, right? Come on, you didn't go to all the trouble of making that great mask for nothing! You get 5 sous if you win!

CROWD

Topsy turvy!

Topsy turvy!

Topsy turvy!

CLOPIN

Ladies and gentlemen, we asked for the ugliest face in Paris, and here he is!

Ev'rybody!

CROWD

Once a year we throw a party here in town

CLOPIN

Hail to the king!

CROWD

Once a year we turn all Paris upside-down

CLOPIN

Oh what a king!

CROWD

Once a year the ugliest will wear the crown

CLOPIN

Girls, give a kiss!

CROWD

Once a year on topsy turvy day

CLOPIN

We've never had a king like this!

CLOPIN / CROWD

It's the day we do the things that we deplore

On the other three hundred and sixty-four

Once a year we love to drop in

Where the beer is never stoppin'

For the chance to pop some popinjay

And pick a king who'll put the "top" in

Topsy turvy day!

Topsy turvy!

Mad and crazy, upsy-daisy

Topsy turvy day

Hey!

Once a year we throw a party here in town

Once a year we turn all Paris upside down

Every man's a king and every king's a clown

Once again it's Topsy Turvy Day

It's the day the devil in us gets released

It's the day we mock the prig and shock the priest

Everything is topsy turvy at the Feast of Fools!

Topsy Turvy!

Everything is upsy daisy!

Topsy Turvy!

Everyone is acting crazy

Dross is gold and weeds are a bouquet

That's the way on Topsy Turvy Day

Come one, come all!

Here it is, the moment you've been waiting for

Here it is, you know exactly what's in store

Now's the time we laugh until our sides get sore

Now's the time we crown the King of Fools!

So make a face that's horrible and frightening

Make a face as gruesome as a gargoyle's wing

For the face that's ugliest will be the King of Fools!

Topsy Turvy!

Ugly folk, forget your shyness

Topsy Turvy!

You would soon be called Your Highness!

Put your foulest features on display

Be the king of Topsy Turvy Day!

Once a year we throw a party here in town

Once a year we turn all Paris upside down

Once a year, the ugliest will wear a crown

Once a year on Topsy Turvy Day

And it's the day we do the things that we deplore

On the other three hundred and sixty-four

Once a year we love to drop in

Where the beer is never stoppin'

For the chance to pop some popinjay

And pick a king who'll put the top in

Topsy Turvy Day!

Topsy Turvy!

Beat the drums and blow the trumpets

Topsy Turvy!

Join the bums and thieves and strumpets

Streaming in from New York to L.A.

Scurvy knaves are extra scurvy

On the sixth of January

All because it's Topsy Turvy Day!

Topsy Turvy!

## Trivia

* The lyrics "It's the day the devil in us gets released, It's the day we mock the prig and shock the priest" were changed to "Good is bad and best is worst and west is east, On the day we think the most of those with least" in some merchandises due to mature themes.
* Due to his knowledge of Quasimodo's past, Clopin seemed to have realized that the hooded figure was Quasimodo and intentionally followed him to pull him out of hiding in order to introduce him to the public to get rid of his shyness and make sure that Quasimodo enjoys himself. This was evidenced by the following.
	+ When Quasimodo hid his face behind some balloons, Clopin cut the strings with a large pair of scissors.
	+ When Quasimodo hid in a closed puppet show, Clopin pulled open the curtains to reveal Quasi to the children.
	+ Before Esmeralda's dance, Clopin pushed Quasimodo to the front of the stage.
	+ During the crowning of the "King of Fools" Clopin encouraged Quasimodo with the lyrics "ugly folks, forget your shyness" and "you could soon be called Your Highness".
	+ And finally, when Esmeralda attempted to unmask Quasimodo, prompting reactions of fear and disgust from the crowd, Clopin justified Quasi's appearance by crowning him the King of Fools.
* At one point, a "horse with two rear ends" costume can be seen during the song. This is a possible reference to an insult Aladdin gave Prince Achmed and his horse after Achmed humiliated him in front of a crowd.
* The *Sing-Along Songs* version of the song noticeably removed Esmeralda's pole dance due to its mature content.
* The Sixth of "Januervy" historically was observed by the Catholic Church as the Feast of the Epiphany or la fête des rois in France.  A tradition on that day is to have king's cake or galette des rois, with the person who found the toy king being crowned king for the day.
	+ This tradition was later transplanted into Mardi Gras, of which the traditional colors of green, gold, and violet are worn by Quasi and Clopin respectively
* The historic Feast of Fools occurs on the Monday before Mardi Gras.