The Belly of the Whale
“The Plagues”
performed by Ralph Fiennes
and Amick Byram
from The Prince of Egypt
soundtrack
[Chorus]:
Thus sayeth the Lord:
Since you refuse to free my people
all through the land of Egypt…I send a pestilence and plague
into your house, into your bed
into your streams, into your streets
into your drink, into your bread
upon your cattle, on your sheep
upon your oxen in your field
into your dreams, into your sleep
until you break, until you yield.
I send the swarm, I send the horde.
Thus sayeth the Lord![Moses]:
Once I called you brother…
Once I thought the chance
to make you laugh
was all I ever wanted.[Chorus]:
I send the thunder from the sky.
I send the fire raining down.[Moses]:
And even now I wish that God
had chose another.
Serving as your foe on his behalf
is the last thing that I wanted…[Chorus]:
I send a hail of burning ice
on ev’ry field, on ev’ry town.[Moses]:
This was my home…
All this pain and devastation,
how it tortures me inside…
all the innocent who suffer
from your stubbornness and pride…[Chorus]:
I send the locusts on a wind
such as the world has never seen
on ev’ry leaf, on ev’ry stalk
until there’s nothing left of green.
I send my scourge, I send my sword.
Thus sayeth the Lord![Moses]:
You who I called brother,
why must you call down another blow?[Chorus]:
I send my scourge, I send my sword.[Moses]:
Let my people go.[Moses and Chorus]:
Thus sayeth the Lord![Ramses]:
You who I called brother,
how could you have come to hate me so?
Is this what you wanted?[Chorus]:
I send the swarm, I send the horde…[Ramses]:
Then let my heart be hardened
and never mind how high the cost may grow.
This will still be so:
I will never let your people go…[Chorus]:
Thus sayeth the Lord:[Moses]:
Thus sayeth the Lord:[Ramses]:
I will not…[Moses, Ramses, and Chorus]:
let your (my) people go!
this song is horrible. the entire song is about God’s punishments on his people.
I send a pestilence and plague
into your house, into your bed
into your streams, into your streets
into your drink, into your bread
upon your cattle, on your sheep
upon your oxen in your field
into your dreams, into your sleep
until you break, until you yield.
I send the swarm, I send the horde.
Thus sayeth the Lord!
why would God punish his people in such a devestating sort of way? it is hard to understand why this is happening, which is probably why Moses is singing this song. most songs seem to be about confusion in this movie.
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Not only am I a fan of this movie, but also of this song. Talk about a fun piece.
Anyhow, I think this really represents the belly of the whale, ot at least one form that the belly could take. Moses, in this song is torn between following his GOd and his loyalty to the brother he grew up with. Moses sings in the song that he wishes God had sent another to be Ramses’ foe. He is distraught over bringing pain to his brother, his brother’s family, and his old home. This is truly the belly for Moses, chosing between his adoptive family and his God.
So, all told, I really think this is the epitome of the Belly and is well rendered in the context of Moses’ journey.
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Probably my favorite disney song that I can remember at this time. I just listened to it twice not because I didn’t understand it but because I enjoy listening to it.
This is such a down point in thier lives but it is necessary for them to come out as a better person on the other side. Moses does not want this to happen and wishes that God had chosen someone else to do this work. He feels bad about the inocent people that are hurt by the Pharoah’s works.
After this, Moses comes out as a different person as he fulfills his hero journey as he leads the Jews out of Egypt.
This is a great song for the belly of the whale.
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I think this song really captures the belly of the whale… Moses is being asked to turn against the boy he has been raised with; the man he thought was his brother. At this moment Moses is questioning his call because everything is so confusing.. He hasn’t really helped his people yet, he’s being asked to turn against his brother, and his people are bearing the brunt of the plagues as much has the egyptians. He probably feels abandoned and is questioning his mission and his role in God’s plan, thus exemplifying the hero in the belly of the whale.
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Moses is obviously very conflicted between his duty and his love for his former brother. In order for him to help the Hebrews go, he has to accept that his brother will now suffer. Moses is leaving behind his old life, and this song really shows the struggle that it is and how torn it makes him. Moses says,
“Once I called you brother…
Once I thought the chance
to make you laugh
was all I ever wanted.”
It’s clear now that Moses has to totally abandon his way of life in order to fulfill his destiny and to help the Hebrews. Moses says that he wished that God has chosen another in order to do this task, because of the conflict between him and his brother that is causes. But in choosing the right path even throughout this struggle, Moses is staying true to himself and what he knows is right.
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i think this song is great for the Belly of the Whale unit. The Belly of the Whale is kind of like the bottom or the well where things cant get any worse. It is part of our journey because sometimes you have to fail completely in order to stand up wipe yourself off and climb out of the well. This song shows how one brother sends plagues to another brother begging him to let the slaves be free. The pharoh will not listen even though hundreds of people in Egypt are dying from the plagues. The pharoh wont back down until the final devestating plague comes and kills his son. Sometimes it takes something as drastic as that to realize we need to make changes. The Prince of Egypt is such a great movie!
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This is a really good song for the belly of the whale. This is the most challenging part of the hero journey. This line explains that struggle Moses goes through with his own brother: You who I called brother,
how could you have come to hate me so?
Is this what you wanted?
This song is also really pretty. It amazes me how just about every song in the movie “The Prine of Egypt” is insanely beautiful. The lyrics fit with the idea of struggle and the ultimate hardship that a person needs to face. Moses declares: Let my people go! And it completely fits with the entire concept.
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Moses is facing his own Belly of the Whale as he acts as God’s deliverer of the plagues. In Moses’s case, every single plague is acting as a guardian. These plagues are not only encouraging Ramses to release the Lord’s people from Egypt: they are also making sure that Moses does not run from the sacredness that is God’s will. Now that Moses has entered the sacred space, there is no chance for Moses to go back to Ramses as his beloved brother. All of the deaths and loses greatly put strain on Moses. This strain pushes Moses to complete his stage of the Belly of the Whale.
All of the Lord’s people in Egypt are relying on Moses (and God) to take them out of Egypt. All throughout the process, the people, especially Moses, are changing in more ways than one. First, they have greater respect for and hope toward God. Second, they are rebelling in a way that they never would have tried earlier. Third, the relationship between all of Egypt is changing, strengthing some and weakening others. All of these changes are causing Moses (and the Lord’s people) to evolve in a way that they can no longer return to what they were.
This is the true spirit of the Belly of the Whale.
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I find it very interesting that this song was chosen to represent “the belly”. A section of the old testament which is generally seen as a triumph of God´s will is converted into a personal story of the heroes affected. In the lesson the belly was described as a seeming death of the hero after all that he knows is taken away. There are several lines within the song that follow this theme.
This was my home…
All this pain and devastation,
how it tortures me inside…
all the innocent who suffer
from your stubbornness and pride…
One of the main reasons carrying out these tasks is so difficult for Moses is because he used to live as part of this world. By doing this he is scorning all the was his life and I guess that is what qualifies this song more than anything.
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This song is absolutely perfect for the belly of the whale. Moses has been forced to look at his life and see things for what they really are. He has realized that his brother is not the good guy that he used to know and love; rather a evil person who is enslaving those that Moses knows and loves. In this song Moses has been confronted with what he must do; what his calling is. His calling is to free his people and God’s people from Egypt. When the song says:
“This was my home…
All this pain and devastation,
how it tortures me inside…
all the innocent who suffer
from your stubbornness and pride…”
Moses knows that things aren’t as they used to be and now with the aid of the plagues he will try to over come and free his people because that is what his calling is.
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I have to say the best songs have been the ones from the Prince of Egypt.
As far as how it works with the Belly of the Whale, I had a little bit of trouble making the connection at first. However, what I found was that the Belly is represented by the pain Moses feels from knowing what will be happening to innocent Egyptians. this is best seem in the lines:
This was my home…
All this pain and devastation,
how it tortures me inside…
Moses accepts his call, but temporarily “dies” when he feels this pain and regret for what it will bring.
I’m not sure how correct that is, but that’s just the way I perceived it from listening to the song. Sorry if it’s not right! =/
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Moses says that once he called the Pharaoh his brother but now he wishes that God would have chosen another person to be his brother and serve on his behalf. Moses thought he wanted to be Pharaoh’s brother but then when he realized that he was an israelite and could’ve had a very hard life he was very confused. He was unsure of why God chose him to be saved and be the brother of Pharaoh. Moses was proud to be in that family and be his brother until he was faced with the truth and saw how Pharaoh treated the people that he could have been one of. Moses sees the suffering of the people that is caused by the one he called brother. The pain and devestation was Moses’s home but he was saved as a baby and he is now fulfilling his calling by standing up for these people and asking for thier freedom. Moses is asking pharah to let his people go and taking action.
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This song is a good representation of the belly stage of the hero journey, and Moses’ journey was certainly that of a hero. This point in Moses’ journey was undoubtedly the hardest, as he had to send so much bad fortune on his own brother. He surely had trouble doing this but did because he knew he had to in order to fulfill his calling. Moses faces this “belly” stage with conviction, knowing what he has to do and overcoming the low point in his hero journey.
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This is one of the darker songs we’ve listened to so far but that makes sense since this song demonstrates the Belly of the Whale stage of the Hero Journey. The Jews are enslaved in Egypt and the 10 plagues obliterated what little morale anyone in Egypt might still possess, so things are looking pretty bleak. Despite their tough situation, it was important that the Jews persevered even when they saw no end in sight. By continuing their Hero Journey, they effectively passed through the Belly of the Whale and moved on to wherever they are called to next. This song complements The Sparrow well because Emilio experiences terrible things seemingly without reason. He is confused as to why God would allow these tragedies to happen and in the end he isn’t sure. An important note about the Belly of the Whale is that it isn’t always something that is deserved or even explainable. It is a stage of the Journey that must be survived and a Hero will have to live with it in order to fulfill his/her destiny.
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This song, to me, does not seem appropriate for this stage of the hero journey. More accurately, I think that it would fit in better with other stages of the hero journey. The Belly of the Whale, at least to my understanding is the “worst” part of the road of trials, or the deepest trough, out of which the hero must climb in order to achieve triumph. Though it is easy to think of the plagues of Egypt as a sort of road of trials, that vision is not entirely accurate. Rather, in the film the plagues are a tool used by Moses (and God) to coerce Egypt to free the Jews. The freedom, or more specifically God’s covenent with the Jews can be seen as Moses’s boon to humanity (its not the land itself, as he dies before he gets there). In that way, it seems that rather than suffering through a road of trials, Egypt in the form of Ramses is a Tyrant preventing Moses from delivering his boon to humanity.
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I think this song really relates well to the Belly of the Whale. The Belly of the Whale is the point in the journey that feels like leaving everything behind and is almost a death of the previous self/known world.
I don’t remember exactly what happens in the Prince of Egypt, but from the song it seems something like Moses being mad at Ramses for not letting his people go. It is definitely Moses’ Belly of the Whale, when he must face his brother Ramses, who is of much higher status, about the wrong he is doing. He is leaving behind the non-confrontational life he knew, and is going through a metamorphosis for doing so and helping so many. This hard time when Moses is so disappointed in his brother was the Belly of the Whale before Moses’ people were freed (I think they were..), a Belly of the Whale much larger than most of us will probably encounter along our journeys.
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Defininitely a belly song. Can you imagine water turning to blood or boils covering your entire body? Ugggh. But I think Moses probably had more of a problem with his brother. I can’t imagine having to totally defy him. Not only did he grow up with him, he probably understood the extent of his power better than anyone else… and the cruelty associated with that power. You know that pharoah must have seen him as a murderer and bretrayer; I just can’t imagine ever turning my back on my brother.
I have to imagine that this is the absolute most difficult time in Moses’ history, even worse than the desert stage in his later years. Watching your brother deny the God that you hae developed such an intense love for must be difficult. And then to watch God kill your nephew…. wow. Moses must have been a pretty strong guy.
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This is very interesting for the belly, but all in all the song makes sense. Things are about as bad as they have been, the world, represented by Moses’s former adoptive brother Rameses, is furious with Moses. On top of that, it seems that the Israelites are farther than ever from getting freed. Not chronologically, obviously, but seemingly and in terms of how Rameses feels. Also, I feel like mentioning that most historians feel that the Israelites were not really slaves in Egypt, but whatever. Anyway, on top of all of this, Moses is starting to hate his heroic destiny and questioning his journey. However, he’s not giving up, suggesting that he has not abandoned the hope that will get him out of this belly.
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ok so i know that this portrays the stuggles one goes through on their journey, but what really strikes me is that Moses has to go through his ‘brother’ in order to fulfill his destiny. The personal strength that that had to take is… well a lot. And i’m sure that the brother does not understand why Moses is acting this way because its so different from what he is used to.
that being said…i think this is the belly for Moses because this probably was the hardest thing that he had to do- inflicting those who are keeping his people in the city with disasterous things, as well as going against the one he called brother.
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I think this song fits with the belly of the whale well because i think the greatest tragedy of the belly of the whale is when someone loses their faith. I think that when people feel the worst is when we feel like we are abandoned. when we feel like no one loves us, that we are unworthy to live b/c we are unlovable. In this song, Moses is wondering why so many innocents have to suffer. He is having to hurt one of the people he loved the most in the whole world. He feels that he left the world and abandoned it all for god. It then turns out God is not kind b/c he can hurt all these people and b/c he is asking Moses to hurt his brother. How can you love a God that is evil?
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Going into this dilemma, Moses expected to have some difficulties in convincing his brother, Ramses, into compliance. But after encountering the problem, it seemed as if Ramses’ stubbornness would never let up and that both of them would be destroyed in there attempt to gain or retain what they dearly wanted. Moses says, “This was my home…All this pain and devastation, how it tortures me inside…all the innocent who suffer from your stubbornness and pride…” This excerpt is clear evidence that Moses himself is also affected by the plagues of Egypt. No matter the reason behind his actions, these people he and his God are now tormenting were once his people and the representative head of them, Ramses, was raised as his brother. Him and Ramses were family, best friends, each others closest confidant, and it is a testament to Moses’ attachment to his call that in order to complete his herojourney, he must become an advisory to one of the people he loves the most.
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I think this song definately shows the evident struggle that goes on in the Belly of the Whale. Moses clearly doesn’t want all of these innocent people to suffer and he doesnt want his brother to suffer either. So, he is torn between his love for God and His people and the lives of the people of his old life. The struggle is exactly what the Belly of the Whale is all about.
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To me, the belly of the whale means that you have hit the bottom in your life. This song really represents the belly of the whale for Moses and Ramses. It looks like, to me, that they are both close to the bottom in their life, the worst part of their life. This is an awful time in Ramses life because all these bad things are happening and he is too stubborn to stop it. This is an awful time in Moses’ life because he is looked as the bad guy because God, through Moses, is making all these bad things happen to the egyptians. Moses feels bad about it and even wishes that he was not chosen for this journey. I think that this is a great song for the belly of the whale.
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To me, this song represents the belly of the whale in that there is this massive misunderstanding between the world (Ramses) and the hero (Moses). Both of them believe that the other hates him, even though each is simply doing what he believes is right. Moses begins to feel the disconnect between the world he grew up in and his golden seed calling him forward to rebel against his brother and best friend to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. This is the worst possible fate the world-centered Moses could have imagined, and the old Egyptian part of himself must completely die before he can be reborn as the hero of the Hebrews. Moses must accept God as his supernatural aid in order to begin that upword path toward continuing his hero journey, and he must trust God’s plagues upon his brother as necessary to his hero journey, though it is the last thing Moses might want.
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OK I’m not gonna lie… this song creeps me out. I don’t like it. However, it is informative and lays out clearly the various punishment God laid upon his people. However, it is depressing because it talks about the suffering and torture of the people.
All this pain and devastation,
how it tortures me inside…
all the innocent who suffer
from your stubbornness and pride…
Yeah, not happy stuff. However, it does portray a strong message and it did make me think more about the suffering and different punishments such as the locusts. At the beginning I didn’t even know they were speaking, so I would’ve missed the entire beginning section if i wasn’t looking at the lyrics, so maybe if the song wasn’t so creepy the meaning would be able to get through more clearly.
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This song is at a very crucial part of the movie, just as the belly of the whale is a signficant part of the hero journey. The belly of the whale describes the very difficult, deep part of the journey. At this point of the movie, Moses must take drastic, difficult measures in order to gain freedom. The plagues are all very awful events that effect many people, while it may be one step closer to “letting his people go”, it is still a very hard time…not only for Moses, but all the people of Egypt. This song emphasizes a struggle, just as the belly of the whale is a struggle. Human must go through the belly of the whale in order to fufill journey, just as Moses does.
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I think that this is the perfect song for the Belly of the Whale. The Belly is one of the most trying and challenging times in the hero journey. This song shows that Moses is struggling because he not only has been choosen by God to help his people, but in doing so he has to harm his family. He stuggles with understanding how he can be fulfilling his jouney if he has to hurt the people he loves.
This was my home…
All this pain and devastation,
how it tortures me inside…
all the innocent who suffer
from your stubbornness and pride…
This verse really shows this struggle that Moses faces. He feels confused and upset about what he has been called to do. Overall, this song is the perfect fit for the Belly and shows the internal struggle that many heros face.
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this song fits perfectly for the belly of the whale.
moses is asked to destroy the life he lived before he left the palace
he’s also confused about why God would ask him to destroy his brother’s life, and hurt him.
Ramsey is also confused and is hurt that his brother would turn against him like that. He is stubborn and refuses to listen to Moses.
This song shows the struggle one goes thru when going thru the belly of the whale. It shows all the conflicting interests and voices.
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This song perfectly represents the belly of the whale, especially in the verses:
“And even now I wish that God
had chose another.
Serving as your foe on his behalf
is the last thing that I wanted…
This was my home…
All this pain and devastation,
how it tortures me inside…
all the innocent who suffer
from your stubbornness and pride…”
Moses is tormented internally by having to work against his foster brother, and he is tormented externally by said foster brother hardening his heart. Even so, he understands that he must follow God’s call and free the Israelites.
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The Prince of Egypt is such a good movie that has equally good songs that represent different stages of the hero journey. I think “The Plagues” accurately represents the Belly of the Whale because the belly is the stage in the journey where the hero is forced to let go of his or her former life and make sacrifices. Here, Moses has to turn against his foster brother in order to help free his people and be loyal to God. This is shown in this verse:
And even now I wish that God
had chose another.
Serving as your foe on his behalf
is the last thing that I wanted…
Moses does not want to be a foe to Ramses, but he knows that this is something that he has to do in order to continue on his hero journey.
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This song definitely applies for the belly piece of the journey. In this song, Moses is reflecting on everything that is happening around him. He is seeing the conflict between his duty to God and the love for this brother, and understands that once all is done there will be no turning back, as his former life will no longer be there. Although he is truly heart-broken by all the pain he is causing his brother, and the innocent people of his former life, he cannot turn his back on God. Through the conflict Moses wishes nothing more than for God to have chosen another, but none the less carries on with his duties, knowing that he has chosen the better life for himself, and his people.
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i like this song a lot. It has a really intense beat that you just can’t help to be enthralled. this is a great song for the belly of the whale because moses is conflicted, but finally knows what he has to do. His childhood brother has turned into his enemy and Moses knows that he has to free his true people from the torment of Ramses. It is just a great song that captures the meaning of the belly.
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For some twisted reason that I am not fully aware of, this was one of my favorite parts of the movie whenever I watched it last … when I was a kid. The Belly of the Whale is the lowest part of the journey … literally on the picture on the windows … and also for the emotions of the world and for the hero. Here occurs the main blow … the bulk of the hardest part of the hero journey and the tension between Moses and Ramses shows this very well. Moses loved his brother and just wished to make him laugh … he played on these streets, and now he has to destroy his brother in God’s name … he knows its right but inside he is torn he says. Ramses feels the same. This song is excellent for the belly of the whale because not only at the same time do we see the final destruction but we also hear and see the torment that the hero journey is causing … it seems that there is no bright future for anyone … but oh wait till you see the end of the movie and hear that song =).
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i think this song can be seen as the belly of the whale in a few ways. one being moses feels he has hit rock bottom because he does not want to cause his “brother” pain. he loves him, at one time all he ever wanted was a chance to make him laugh. causes this kind of pain and destruction on his brothers kingdom cannot be easy and he feels low. it could also be the belly for ramses and the egyptians because all this suffering and pain could make them feel as if they have hit rock bottom as well.
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this song is an excellent representation of the belly.
“And even now I wish that God
had chose another.
Serving as your foe on his behalf
is the last thing that I wanted…”
the belly is supposed to be the time when it is the hardest for you to accept and follow through with your call and continue on your journey. this is especially evident in this stanza; moses wishes he had not been called to free the hebrew slaves and fight against his brother. ultimately thought, i think this song really makes it apparent that we are not fulfilling our call for oursleves but for some greater purpose. moses is acting on Gods behalf, for “his” people, even though he has never evern known them. he is not acting by his own will, but Gods because this was the last thing that he wanted…
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Well, first of all, I love this movie. I think every single song in it sends out a different and important message of its own. This song is a perfect match for ‘The Belly of the Whale’ stage in our hero journeys. Moses was in a state of confusion, questioning why he was the one chosen to do so much for his people. He was not angry; he felt bad for the people who were enslaved by the Pharaoh and wanted to help them. However, Moses continued questioning his call but chose to go forth with it. He knew that it would be for the better of his people and for himself. And, by following God’s call, Moses was a changed man and his people were free. This just goes to show that even at the most down part of a person’s life, they must continue to keep hope because it can only get better from there.
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So, I love this movie, but I am not a fan of this song! It honestly freaks me out at the beginning when God is talking about putting Plagues on the Egyptians, I send a pestilence and plague
into your house, into your bed
into your streams, into your streets
into your drink, into your bread
upon your cattle, on your sheep
upon your oxen in your field
into your dreams, into your sleep
until you break, until you yield.
I send the swarm, I send the horde.
Thus sayeth the Lord!
I don’t like to think of God doing things like this because he is an all loving God, right? However, this song does seem good for the belly of the whale part of the hero journey. Moses is torn between following God or following his brother, whom he finds out is not really his brother by birth. Moses chooses God though and his family and loved once have turned into his enemies within minutes. This song hasn’t been my favorite but it’s definitely a good one!
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oh my god. this is the fourth time I’m writing this blog post up and I don’t really understand what I’m doing wrong. I’ve never had this problem and I’m on the verge of throwing my keyboard at my moniter. so to sum up the 5 short paragraphs that I wrote on my third attempt at posting this:
1) This is not my favorite movie nor do I remember it from my childhood. I watched this movie for the first time in freshman religion. It was okay for my taste
2) The Plagues is appropriate for the Belly of the Whale
3) My interpretation of the B of the W is that it’s where youve hit rock bottom and you doubt everything you are and everything else that’s influenced you to this point. You’re situation you happen to be in is conflicting and devastating and hard to deal with. And you just don’t know where to go from here. two words: It sucks.
4) In the Plagues, Moses is conflicted and is suffering from watching the people suffer. He hates that him and Ramses are awful towards each other. And he doubts whether he’s the right man for God’s job.
5) Lastly, I gave props to Moses for being so faithful to God. I think that if God asked me to withstand watching my people, including the Egyptians AND the Jewish people, through all their sufferings from the plagues that I think I may have caused I’d be sucker. I couldn’t take it. I’d do something else because plagues are awful and are no fun. No one wants to be in one or see one.
That’s about all I said.
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This song is intense. I think it represents the Belly of the Whale very well, because the situation that Moses is in during this song is a very diffivult and seemingly hopeless one. He says, “And even now I wish that God had chose another. Serving as your foe on his behalf was the last thing that I wanted.” He’s forced to turn against his brother, someone he’s loved and held dear his entire life, in order to carry out God’s will and free his people. He describes how the pain and devastation that is caused by Ramses’ refusal to free the Hebrews tortures him inside. Sounds like a Belly to me.
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I like this song. i think it really ties in well with the sparrow. I know both are supposed to represent the belly of the whale…
okay, so in the sparrow, emilio sees it as god seducing and raping him, and is accordingly heartbroken. in the prince of egypt, first the jews feel abandoned by god, and then pharoah (who thinks he’s been good and loyal to his god) believes that his god has abandoned him. i think the pharaoh especially feels the deepest part of the belly of the whale when he loses his son, who also was a representation of his eternity (living on through his heirs). I have no clue where i’m going with this….
Moses wishes that his brother-now pharaoh-could learn what he has to learn through the belly without all of the pain and suffering he is undergoing, but just like emilio, it’s a necessary step in his growth as an individual. and i guess that’s what the belly comes down to. something that’s incredibly painful for everyone involved (such as in the sparrow when those who listened to emilio’s story felt immense pain for him), but something that’s key and essential to becoming closer to god, or closer to your destiny, whichever you believe.
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the belly of the whale is a time in the hero’s journey where he is questioning whether he is on the right path and whether or not he should just turn around and go back to his previous life or let someone else take the journey for him. It is a low point in the journey, probably the lowest, because it is a time of trial, confusion, and hardship. In this song Moses is brewing between staying friends with his brother like they were before or continuing being the person God wants him to be even though turning around would be the easy way out. The belly of the whale is always a struggle for the hero, but luckily most persevere through this trying time.
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The belly of the whale is one of the most difficult steps of the hero journeys, and I think that a true hero becomes a hero once they get out of the belly of the whale. This song is one about two brothers who believed their lives were perfect, yet once Moses’s SA told him where he really came from and showed him the path of his hero journey, both of their lives became separate journeys. Ramses chose to ignore his path, yet Moses realized his hero potential, and chose to go through all of the obstacles. When Moses says, “You who I called brother, why must you call down another blow?” he realizes that he is stuck in the belly of the whale, but that he must persevere, or else he will be stuck where he is and retrace his steps on the hero journey. His brother was his best friend, but on the hero journey it is necessary to realize what is an obstacle and what is necessary to overcome.
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Great song especially now that its Passover this definitely relates. This is also a perfect Belly of the Whale song. In that situation I would find it extremely difficult to have faith and keep moving forward. The kind of blind faith Moses has in G-d is miraculous and quite honestly we don’t see it enough today. I already started reading The Alchemist and his blind faith has gotten him screwed in a way already. I am only 50 pages or so and he got his money taken from him in his blind faith, but hopefully it gets better. Other than that this book is perfect and you can automatically see the Hero Journey within this book. Now back to the song after my somewhat tangent. Moses right now seems to want to give up and wishes G-d had chosen someone else, which is why this is the belly of the whale. Moses doesn’t want to continue, and this is when I feel he needs to remember the reason he started his Hero Journey. In general, when things get tough in life I try to think about what caused something to be tough, and why I made that decision. Usually this can renew my spirits and boost my morale to keep on with the path I have chosen.
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As my peers have so eloquently stated previously, this song epitomizes the belly of the whale. During this moment within a hero’s life, specifically his/her hero journey, the protagonist loses faith and begins to question his/her golden seed. Years after leaving his family, socioeconomic status, and all else he held dearly in Egypt, we find Moses attempting to rid Egypt of slavery in the name of God. As the Lord’s plagues devastate Egypt and destroys his fraternal relationship with Pharaoh Ramses, Moses sinks into “the Belly”. Though he never doubts his mission’s value, he, at times, feels unworthy to carry it out. Furthermore, at this point in the movie, Moses can’t stand the fact that his ordained mission hurts his brother, his nephew, and the rest of his family. Initially, such doubt inhibits Moses’ effectiveness. However, upon reconnecting with his Hebrew brother and sister, Moses is able to focus steadfastly on his noble cause in the midst of his adopted brother’s persecution. Consequently, Moses is able to wear the king down and free his people…for the time being…
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This represents the belly of the whale perfectly. At this point in the movie Moses is so conflicted and down about what he has to do. However, he is determined to have his people freed and do what God asks of him. He is forced to go head to head so to speak wth his brother and this is the conflict, not simpyacting on god’s behalf, which puts him in the bely of the whale. Moses even states that he wishes god had chose another to serve as Ramses Foe on God’s behalf, I think that this song is an awesome repreesentation of the Belly of the Whale.
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alright well when i saw the video and listen to the song, all i could think about was emilio. i mean really, could there be a more fitting song for the belly of the whale? god, here, is the only major supernatural aid in the life and journey of moses… what does he do? makes him look like the bad guy. makes him the most mis-understood freedom fighter. makes him really take a hard look at all of the destruction and terror that his “call” is reigning below him and ask if this is really worth it. he has to turn against his adoptive brother and causes the worst pain a good parent can experience– the death of a child. this must have been EXACTLY what emilio was feeling. i think the video makes so much more sense as being more than just a description of the great and terrible beauty of the almighty power of god when i think of it this way. this way it makes sense. it doesn’t seem quite so horrible if the ends justify the means… but then again how often has that philosophy caused hell all over the world? hm. now i’m kind of stuck. because, it in a way, makes complete sense to me now as to what the belly is. but i’m also feeling just as confused as i was before i had this brief spark of enlightenment… haha guess that’s the hero journey in brief though
anyhow, i think the song is fitting and ms haffley thank you for another puzzle… these are making me think way more than i realized
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so talk about intense. I would have to say this song definitely has the epic factor. but um as for the hero journey and the belly of the whale it fits pretty well. It took me a while to think about how it related to that stage of the hero journey but looking at it more closely (and not at 7:30 in the morning during zero hour) i definitely see how it fits. At this point in the movie, Moses is facing a huge struggle in his journey. He is fighting against his brother that he is extremely close to in order to help his people. It represents his journey of leaving his old world behind and responding to his call, attempting to change the world. In this song there is extreme struggle on both sides and with the help of Moses’s supernatural aid he has a voice in the fight. This time of extreme struggle clearly represents Moses’s belly of the whale and his attempts to get through the hardest part of his journey.
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This was my home…
All this pain and devastation,
how it tortures me inside
my favorite line. love hurts. this must have been moses’ belly, as he was forced to destroy the city and nation and people who raised him, partially made him who he is.
I think it would be really cool to choreograph something to this song. duet: male, hooj chorus. how wild would that be to see on stage???
i wish that god had chose another…
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this song depresses me kind of a lot because it is all just about god sending plagues to punish the people. this is also a good song for the belly of the whale section. at one point moses says:
“Once I called you brother…
Once I thought the chance
to make you laugh
was all I ever wanted.”
he doesn’t want to hurt his brother, but he is on his journey and he really can’t stop god from doing what he is going to do. even though something bad is going to happen to his brother, moses really can’t/shouldn’t stop it. this is one point where moses could feel like turning back and refusing his call, but he pushes through to the end.
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first of all, when i hear this song its just so powerful. i love the whole chorus of people doing the “thus say the lord” thing really loudly. I really think this is a deep piece because of the obvious hardship moses is going through with Ramses. Even though this is just a dramatized Disney relationship that probably never existed (i love the movie btw) it succesfully portrays a moment when Moses is in the belly. He is seeing the land he grew up in being smothered in plagues and he is dealing crap from a brother loved and its really hard for him to get past this.
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At first, I was somewhat confused by this song being associated with the belly of the whale because it happens near the end of the movie, and I was under the impression that the belly typically happened toward the beginning of the road of trials. But after a little bit of thought, I guess the belly can be at the end, and either way, Moses still has a sea to part and 40 years of walking ahead of him if you want to think of it that way. I would definitely say though that there is some belly action going on in this song. First, the fact that he has to call down plagues that harm people he used to know and practically destroy the place where he grew up would be enough, but the fact that he’s fighting with his brother makes it that much harder. How hard Moses has to push Ramses in the end just shows how stubborn Ramses was and how little hope there was during this song which is why it is an excellent choice to depict the belly of the whale.
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I’m SO glad that we use a lot of stuff from this movie because it and and all of its songs are GREAT!! but anyways…this song is perfect for the belly stage because moses has to act against his brother (who he loved) to fulfill his hero journey. I love how Moses and Ramses both start their verses by saying either “once i called you brother” or “you who i called you brother.” It emphasizes the fact that they it is hard for them to be against each other because of their relationship in the past. Both of them are going through a struggle. Moses is not only going against his brother, but his previous home. This verse:
This was my home…
All this pain and devastation,
how it tortures me inside…
all the innocent who suffer
from your stubbornness and pride…
shows that Moses realizes the injustice going on and that it needs to be fixed, so he goes on with his calling. However, Ramses says that “never mind how high the cost may grow,” he will never let “your people go.” Thus the two brothers are opposing each other leading to a blue whale with a big fat belly. YAY
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Sweet song… NOT, but all jokes aside I think this song kind of stinks. Anyway, it does do a good job of showing the Belly of the Whale. When times get to an all time low and you are faced with a difficult decision, you must not choose the easiest one but you must chose the one that allows you to progress through your hero journey.
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This is a harsh song, and very good for the belly of the whale. The reason I say this is because this song seems to capture a low point of the movie/ lives of these two people. all of the things that is going on is like a down ward spiral getting worse and worse. This song always brings up a lot of questions about God, and what/ who/ how God really is. I feel like the things that happen to the people in this song seem unfair. Sure, God wanted to free his people but I thought all people were his people, if God can play favorites, I think I might too. Also, the people that were getting hurt seem to be innocent, I mean what did the palace servants ever do to deserve the pleauges?I think all of this un fair stuff going on does help this song’s case for the belly of the whale because the belly doesn’t seem like an awesome place to be.
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i really like this song. i’m sorry, but i’ve already written two posts that didn’t get published and fucked up, but anyway. here i am writting another one. basically they are all suffering because rameses feels betrayed and moses is sick of having this duty that rameses interferes with. God is plauging innocent people. but bad people too. bellies rock?
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ok, so anyway, i believe that this song portrays a lot of painful emotion, but it gets across the point that there was so much suffering going on in egypt, that it had to be ended. ending the caste and bring social justice would of course be a hellish ordeal, but it had to be done.
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i don’t really like this song, but i like this movie! throughout the movie, moses is told what to do by God. he’s faced with many challenges along the way, but eventually has to get serious. at this point in the movie, God tells moses a series of plagues will fall upon the earth, which really hurts the people, this is acted as the belly of the whale.
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So this is one of my favorite soundtracks of all time =]
I think it really embodies the torn emotion felt by Moses and Ramses.
Moses doesnt want to hurt his “brother” or the innocent.
In order for him to save his people though,
he must use gods power.
Ramses is devestated that the brother he loved has turned against him
and because of that hurt, he refuses to let the people go.
They are both on different hero journeys that cross
and unfortunately mmust work against each other to fulfill their journey.
Moses has an unfair advantage, God on his side,
but the trial they are going through during the song represents the difficulties experienced in the belly.
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I love this song and hate this song at the same time. In all the parts of the hero journey, I myself struggle most with the belly of the whale stage. As The Sparrow teaches us, or perhaps as we have learned throughout our lives, sometimes bad things happen for supposedly no reason. But if God is trying to let our golden seeds flourish, I never understood how he could let us suffer so? Suffering is not something I accept greatly. I think this is conveyed so nicely in this song, as we see the struggling of the two brothers, and how one accepts his hardship faithfully and the other falls of the wagon here and refuses to just believe that things happen for a reason. It is in the belly of the whale that we are truly tested, and only if we can continue to have faith and persist will we (and the people) truly be let go.
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This song couldn’t do a better job of illustrating the torn nature of the Belly of the Whale. Moses has to decide where his loyalty lies, “betraying” either his brother or God. The Belly of the Whale is about those tough times in our life that prove to be a beneficial experience later on. Of course Moses can’t know at the time that his decision to support his people will eventually pay off. It’s all about the experience. And the Belly of the Whale is definitely a learning one. In the song, God is sending all of these negative things Moses’s way. If we can deal with all of these burdens, we’ll eventually be able to see God’s intentions of making us better people.
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This song does a great job of portraying the belly of the whale. The people in the song are at there lowest point due to the devastation the plague has brought. The pharaoh didnt care until he was hit by the plague personally. The belly is all about the you vs. the world, or at least the mirage of that through your own struggles. It when all hope is almost lost. The people in the song are experiencing their belly.
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Alright. Song is grand. I think this song does a great job describing the internal conflict of someone who is in their belly of the whale. Moses makes it very clear that he does not want to be the one to punish Ramses and the Egyptians, but that God has chosen him to do so. He is being asked to do something that he doesn’t want to do, but for a call from God. This is so typical of all heroes. When the hero leaves the world, he/she leaves her comfort zone and has to experience an uncomfortableness. It also shows that in the belly, the hero must learn, to an extent, how to be indifferent when he/she is transforming the world into what it is called to be. Each time God throws another plague on Ramses and the Egyptians, it hurts Moses to stand by and do nothing more than it hurts Ramses to watch his people suffer. However, Moses stands strong, hoping that Ramses will give in, creating a world where neither Egyptians nor Hebrews will have to suffer from the other.
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