Ave Maria [Dennis DeYoung]

Ave Maria
Written by Dennis DeYoung
Lead Vocals by Dennis DeYoung

Frollo
What can I do
Never before have I been untrue
I've given my life
No family or friends no children no wife
I've asked no reward
Just the work of our Lord

Where can I go
With every breath I fear for my soul
God how I've tried
To keep these passions locked up inside
But now I confess
To these sins of the flesh

Esmerelda that gypsy that temptress has stolen my heart
Here in a world where it's hard to believe
A spell has been cast over me
Tell me what can I do
Ave Maria
Pray for me in my moment of need
Ave Maria
How I hope tonight that you'll send your guiding light to me

Quasimodo
Look at this face
All that I've known is fear and disgrace
I yearn for love
Mother of God look down from above
And give me the words that speak only to her

For all of my life
I've been consumed
By anger and spite
Could you not see
How the whole world reacted to me

I pity the child
Who has been so reviled
But the moment she touched me I swear that my soul came alive
And though I fear love never could be
For her and someone like me
I need to know

Ave Maria
Pray for all the banished children of Eve
Ave Maria
How I hope tonight
That you'll send your guiding light to me

(Repeat chorus in duet)

Interpretation

Ave Maria is Latin for "Hail Mary," and the name of a very well known song. In the Catholic Church at the time of the Hunchback of Notre Dame (set in Paris in 1842), prayers in the church were in Latin, so a prayer for Mary to intercede would include the words "Ave Maria".

Father Frollo is praying for Mary to help him by interceding with her son, Jesus Christ.  He is falling in love with Esmerelda and concerned that he is breaking is vow of celibacy and devotion as a priest.

Quasimodo is praying for Mary to help him by giving him words to speak to Esmerelda, who is the only person to truly treat him as just another person. He wants for them to fall in love and be together always, but he's afraid that she could never love him back.