Jesus Christ Superstar

Jesus Christ Superstar (1971) is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on gospel accounts of the last week of Jesus' life, and highlights political and interpersonal struggles of Judas Iscariot and Jesus.

Sing me your songs, but not for me alone. Sing out for yourselves, for you are blessed.

Jesus

Neither you, Simon, nor the fifty thousand, nor the Romans, nor the Jews, nor Judas, nor the twelve, nor the priests, nor the scribes, nor doomed Jerusalem itself understand what power is, understand what glory is, understand at all.

• Think while you still have me. Move, while you still see me 'cause you'll be lost, you'll be sorry when I'm gone!

• Sing me your songs, but not for me alone. Sing out for yourselves, for you are blessed. There is not one of you who cannot win the kingdom: the slow, the suffering, the quick, the dead.

• Neither you, Simon, nor the fifty thousand, nor the Romans, nor the Jews, nor Judas, nor the twelve, nor the priests, nor the scribes, nor doomed Jerusalem itself understand what power is, understand what glory is, understand at all.

• To conquer death you only have to die.

• The end is just a little harder, when brought about by friends.

• This is my blood you drink. This is my body you eat.

• One of you denies me, one of you betrays me.

• Show me there's a reason for your wanting me to die. You're far too keen on where and how, but not so hot on why. Alright, I'll die! Just watch me die! See how I die!

• God, thy will is hard but you hold every card. I will drink your cup of poison. Nail me to your cross and break me. Bleed me, beat me, kill me. Take me now before I change my mind.

• Judas, must you betray me with a kiss?

• You have nothing in your hands. Any power you have comes to you from far beyond. Everything is fixed, and you can't change it.

• It is finished. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit!

Judas

• Jesus! You started to believe the things they say of you. You really do believe this talk of god is true! And all the good you've done will soon get swept away. You've begun to matter more than the things you say.

• You have set them all on fire. They think they've found the new Messiah. And they'll hurt you when they find they're wrong.

• All your followers are blind. Too much heaven on their minds.

• People who are hungry, people who are starving, they matter more than your feet and hair!

• I have no thought at all about my own reward. I really didn't come here of my own accord. Just don't say I'm damned for all time!

• Jesus: And that's not all I see. One of you here dining, one of my twelve chosen will leave to betray me!

Judas: Cut out the dramatics. You know very well who!

Jesus: Why don't you go do it?

Judas: You want me to do it?

Jesus: Hurry, they're waiting.

Judas: If you knew why I do it—

Jesus: I don't care why you do it.

Judas: To think I admired you, for now I despise you!

Jesus: You liar... You Judas...

Judas: You wanted me to do it! What if I just stayed here and ruined your ambition? Christ, you deserve it!

Jesus: Hurry you fool. Hurry and go. Save me your speeches. I don't want to know. Go!

• You sad, pathetic man. See where you've brought us to. Our ideals die around us, and all because of you! But now the saddest part of all, is someone has to turn you in like a common criminal, like a wounded animal. A jaded mandarin.

• Christ, I know you can't hear me, but I only did what you wanted me to. Christ, I'd sell out the nation, for I have been saddled with the murder of you. I have been spattered with innocent blood. I shall be dragged through the slime and the mud.

• I don't know how to love him. I don't know why he moves me. He's a man. He's just a man. He is not a king, he is just the same as anyone I know. He scares me so! When he's cold and dead, will he let me be? Does he love...does he love me too? Does he care for me?

• My mind is darkness now. My God, I'm sick. I've been used, and you knew, all the time. God, I'll never ever know why you chose me for your crime, your foul, bloody crime. You have murdered me!

• Every time I look at you I don't understand why you let the things you did get so out of hand. You'd have managed better if you'd had it planned. Now why'd you choose such a backward time and such a strange land? If you'd come today, you would have reached the whole nation. Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication.

• Tell me what you think about your friends at the top. Who'd you think besides yourself was the pick of the crop? Buddha, was he where it's at? Is he where you are? Could Mohammed move a mountain or was that just PR? Did you mean to die like that? Was that a mistake or did you know your messy death would be a record-breaker?

Peter

• You've got the wrong man lady, I don't know him. And I wasn't where he was tonight, never near the place.

• I had to do it, don't you see? Or else they'd go for me.

Simon Zealotes

• There must be over fifty thousand screaming love and more for you. Everyone of fifty thousand would do whatever you ask him to do. Keep them yelling their devotion, but add a touch of hate at Rome. You will rise to a greater power. We will win ourselves a home! You'll get the power and the glory, for ever and ever and ever!

Mary Magdalene

• Try not to get worried, try not to turn on to problems that upset you, oh. Don't you know everything's alright, yes, everything's fine.

• Should I bring him down? Should I scream and shout? Should I speak of love, let my feelings out? I never thought I'd come to this. What's it all about?

• I don't know how to love him, I don't see why he moves me, he's just a man, just any man.

• It's what he told us you would do. I wonder how he knew?

Caiaphas

• One thing I'll say for him, Jesus is cool.

• I see bad things arising: the crowd crown him king which the Romans would ban. I see blood and destruction, our elimination because of one man.

• Fools, you have no perception! The stakes we are gambling are frighteningly high. We must crush him completely, so like John before him this Jesus must die.

• Think of the things you could do with that money: choose any charity, give to the poor. We've noted your motives. We've noted your feelings. This isn't blood money. It's a fee, nothing more.

Annas

• A trick or two with the lepers and the whole town's on its feet.

• Cut the protesting. Forget the excuses. We want information. Get up off the floor.

Pontius Pilate

• Then I saw thousands of millions crying for this man. And then I heard them mentioning my name, and leaving me the blame.

• Who is this broken man cluttering up my hallway? Who is this unfortunate?

• Ah, so this is Jesus Christ. I am really quite surprised. You look so small...not a king at all.

• Well this is new: respect for Caesar? 'Til now this has been noticeably lacking. Who is this Jesus? Why is he different? You Jews produce messiahs by the sackful!

• You hypocrites! You hate us more than him!

• Where are you from, Jesus? What do you want, Jesus? Tell me. You've got to be careful. You could be dead soon, could well be. Why do you not speak when I hold your life in my hands? How can you stay quiet? I don't believe you understand!

• Don't let me stop your great self-destruction! Die if you want to, you misguided martyr! I wash my hands of your demolition. Die if you want to, you innocent puppet!

External links

• Encyclopedic article on Jesus Christ Superstar on Wikipedia
• Media related to Jesus Christ Superstar on Wikimedia Commons
• Official website