It was 1998. Jeffrey Katzenberg had a chip on his shoulder after leaving Disney, and he wanted to prove that animation could be "adult." Not adult in the way we think of now—with crude jokes or gore—but emotionally mature. He succeeded. But honestly, the movie wouldn't be half as powerful without the songs from Prince of Egypt. People still talk about the animation, the parting of the Red Sea, and the star-studded voice cast, yet the music is the actual heartbeat of the film.
It’s visceral.
Stephen Schwartz, the man who eventually gave us Wicked, was at the height of his powers here. He didn't just write "cartoon songs." He wrote theological, psychological character studies that just happened to be catchy.
The Sound of 1998: Why These Songs From Prince of Egypt Stand Out
If you grew up in the 90s, you were used to the "I Want" song formula. Ariel wanted to be on land. Hercules wanted to go the distance. But the songs from Prince of Egypt operate differently. They aren't just about personal desire; they’re about identity crises, systemic oppression, and the terrifying weight of divine intervention.
Take "Deliver Us."
Most opening numbers in animated films are meant to establish the world. This one establishes a genocide. The sheer scale of the orchestration, combined with the haunting Hebrew "Hosanna," tells you exactly what kind of movie you're watching. It isn't a fairy tale. It’s an epic. Hans Zimmer worked on the score, and you can hear his fingerprints everywhere—the heavy percussion, the sweeping strings, and that sense of impending doom that he eventually brought to movies like Gladiator or Inception.
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Schwartz spent time in Egypt and Israel to get the "vibe" right. He didn't want a Westernized version of the Middle East. He wanted something that felt ancient and grounded. You can hear it in the modes he uses. The music isn't just major or minor; it’s Phrygian dominant. It’s gritty.
The Theological Brawl of "The Plagues"
If you ask any fan about the best songs from Prince of Egypt, they’ll probably scream-sing "The Plagues" at you. It’s basically a heavy metal Broadway duet.
Most animated villains sing about how evil they are (think "Be Prepared"). But Rameses isn't a villain in the traditional sense. He's a brother who feels betrayed. The song overlays Moses’ plea for his people with Rameses’ refusal to let go of his legacy. The counterpoint—where both characters sing different melodies over each other—is a masterclass in musical storytelling.
"I send the thunder and the hail... I send the fire from the sky!"
It’s terrifying. It’s not just a song; it’s a narrative collision. You feel the stakes. You feel the tragedy of two men who loved each other now being forced into a cosmic war. This is why the movie resonates with adults just as much as kids. It respects the audience's intelligence enough to show that sometimes, there are no "happy" solutions, only necessary ones.
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"Through Heaven's Eyes" and the Perspective Shift
Brian Stokes Mitchell has a voice that could move a mountain. In "Through Heaven's Eyes," he voices Jethro, and the song serves as the emotional pivot of the entire film.
Moses is lost. He’s a prince turned murderer turned shepherd. He thinks his life is worthless because he’s no longer "royal." The song basically tells him to shut up and look at the bigger picture. It uses the metaphor of a tapestry—you can't judge the beauty of a rug by a single thread. It’s a message about humility and purpose that feels earned. It’s also incredibly fun to listen to. The rhythmic "hey!" shouts and the frantic fiddle work give it a celebratory energy that balances out the darker themes of the rest of the soundtrack.
Interestingly, many people think Val Kilmer (Moses) or Ralph Fiennes (Rameses) did their own singing. Nope. While they did the dialogue, the singing was handled by Amick Byram and Brian Stokes Mitchell. The blending is so seamless you barely notice, which is a testament to the sound editing of the era.
The Cultural Phenomenon of "When You Believe"
You can't talk about songs from Prince of Egypt without mentioning the Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey powerhouse duet. At the time, putting those two on a track together was like merging two different galaxies.
But here’s the thing: the version in the movie is actually better than the radio pop version.
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In the film, "When You Believe" starts as a quiet, tentative prayer by Tzipporah (Michelle Pfeiffer). It’s sung as the Hebrews are finally walking out of Egypt. It’s fragile. Then, a children’s choir starts singing in Hebrew ("Mi Chamocha"). It’s a direct reference to the Song of the Sea from the Torah. It feels authentic. It feels like a community exhaling after 400 years of holding its breath.
The pop version is a great 90s ballad, sure. But the movie version is a liturgical celebration. It won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1999, beating out Diane Warren and Randy Newman. It deserved it.
The Songs That Were Cut (And Why They Matter)
Every great soundtrack has its "lost" tracks. For The Prince of Egypt, there were several iterations of songs that didn't make the final cut because they shifted the tone too much.
Early on, there was a song called "Humiliation" that was meant to show the Egyptian perspective on the plagues. It was eventually scrapped because it made the Pharaoh’s court look a bit too pathetic, which weakened the rivalry between Moses and Rameses. Schwartz also wrote "Death of the Firstborn," which ended up being an instrumental sequence in the film. Honestly? That was the right call. Sometimes the music needs to step back and let the silence—or the haunting score—do the heavy lifting.
The score itself, composed by Hans Zimmer, is just as vital as the lyrical songs. The track "The Burning Bush" is a terrifying, ethereal piece of music that uses a "whispering" choir to represent the voice of God. It’s not a booming, deep-voiced God; it’s a multi-tonal, haunting presence.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Musicians
If you’re revisiting these songs from Prince of Egypt or looking to understand why they work so well from a technical perspective, here is what you should look for:
- Listen for the Counterpoint: In "The Plagues," listen to how Moses and Rameses sing different lyrics simultaneously. This is a classic Broadway technique used to show conflicting viewpoints. Try to track one voice at a time to see how the melodies weave together.
- Study the Instrumentation: Hans Zimmer used many traditional Middle Eastern instruments, like the oud and various types of percussion, to ground the orchestral sound. If you're a composer, notice how he blends these with a standard 90-piece orchestra.
- Analyze the Lyrics for Character Arc: Look at "All I Ever Wanted." It’s a song about denial. Moses is literally singing to the walls of his palace, trying to convince himself his life isn't a lie. The lyrics are desperate, even though the melody is "princely."
- Watch the Collector's Editions: If you can find the "Making Of" documentaries, Stephen Schwartz explains his process of visiting the Sinai Peninsula. It’s a masterclass in how to research for a period-piece musical.
- Compare the Versions: Listen to the "When You Believe" movie version versus the "Prince of Egypt: Nashville" or "Inspirational" albums released at the time. The 1998 marketing for this movie was insane—they released three separate albums for one film.
The music of The Prince of Egypt remains a high-water mark for Western animation. It didn't treat its audience like children. It treated them like people capable of feeling grief, awe, and hope. It’s why, nearly thirty years later, we’re still talking about it.