Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: show-tunes
Song Meaning of “Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say) [From “Jesus Christ Superstar”]” by Andrew Lloyd Webber
This song explores the inner conflict faced by Jesus in his final hours before his death on the cross. At this point in the musical, Jesus realizes that he must face his fate and the agony of his upcoming death. The song is filled with uncertainty, desperation, and sorrow.
The theme of this song is that of inner anguish and the battle we all face in life when we are faced with a difficult task that we know must be done. It is a momentary conflict between our own fears and the knowledge that our decision must be made, however hard it may be.
The title refers to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus went to pray for heavenly support before his arrest. It was here that he asked God the Father to spare him from his suffering and allow Heaven to intervene, only to eventually accept his fate. This struggle and guilt is echoed in the song’s lyrics, in which Jesus pleads with God and pleads with us to understand his struggles.
The lyrics describe Jesus’ pleading with the Father but also with us – to understand his fight and his ultimate will to accept what must be done in the face of adversity and adversity that of death. Though Jesus knew the agony and burden of his decision, he still chose to go through with it, out of love and devotion to God.
The song is a reminder to us of the importance and value of our free will-making.