Galavant's Most Defiant Song - Off on a Hero's Journey A Soliloquy On How to Achieve Greatness by Dan
The next song would be the End Reprise of the Pilot episode, but it’s just a recap of the episode, so I’m going to go into the next episode “Joust Friends”, and it starts with the Galavant, Isabella and Si- the diversity hire waking up, and singing the song “Hero’s Journey”. This song makes reference to Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey”, which basically determines how the story would go. But does it fit the theory put forth by Campbell? Let’s take a look.
Galavant: I'm off on a hero's journey
Out where adventure lies
On a quest the poets will sing about
This is where Galavant pretty much states that he’s accepting the call to adventure, and a certain awareness that he’s in a story. At several points, some of the characters are a bit self-aware, but often it is part of the songs that they really appear.
Isabella: With destiny at your shoulder
Sid: An ego of massive size
Galavant: And a face most chicks have a thing about
Isabella continues with Galavant’s line, acknowledging that Galavant has an important duty ahead of him. The squire brings up Galavant’s fatal flaw, which is his narcissism, which he clearly isn’t aware it’s a problem.
Isabella: And so what if you're still hung-over?
Galavant: Right
Isabella complains that Galavant is still recovering from his drunken day from the first episode. This can also be an allusion to the fact that Galavant has to overcome this vice to become a greater hero.
Sid: So what if you smell like slop?
Galavant: Yeah
Isabella: So what if you've got that pesky little muffin top?
Galavant: Wait, now, hold on!
Here we have Sid doing his job and cleaning Galavant, commenting on how Galavant’s stink isn’t pleasant to the other two. Isabella makes a comment about something.
Isabella and Sid: You're off on a hero's journey
Galavant: A champion through and through
Galavant, Isabella and Sid: More or less, doing what all the heroes do
They are heading off on horseback, finally having left for their journey, figuring out that they need Galavant to become the hero they need, but they aren’t sure what he’s going to be facing in the future.
Galavant: And I ride to save my one true love
Sid: Though she ripped your heart in two
Galavant: Not true
Sid: Pretty true
Isabella: Very true
Galavant: To destroy the king she was forced to wed
Isabella: More like chose to wed
Galavant: Not true
Isabella: Kinda true
Sid: Gotta say, sorta true
This might seem like quite a bit to analyze all at once, but it does do some recap of the first episode, and Galavant’s objectives, and that is to oust King Richard and save Madalena, but Isabella and the diversity hire remind him how Madalena broke his heart, to the point where he broke. Many monsters and men have tried to break him, but it was a woman that broke him. In some stories, breaking the heart of a knight is a way of putting forth a call for adventure. But Galavant is not yet ready to accept that Madalena chose to marry King Richard, and had no problems ditching Galavant (and if the implications are true, then he saved her several times over) and became a golddigger.
Galavant: And I ride to help the princess
Who I've taken 'neath my wing
In this line, Galavant acknowledges that he is willing to help Isabella save her parents, even if interests coalign. He vainly implies that Isabella is a helpless, fainting woman missing her fainting couch, and is teaching her the ways of the world. The way he says it does come across as rather arrogant… Let’s not forget that his fatal flaw is his narcissism.
Isabella: If he finds out I'm working for the king
Galavant: Wait, what was that?
Isabella: What? Never mind!
Galavant: Did you just say?
Isabella: Not a thing
Here we come into a bit of “dialogue” in the song, which is often used in many songs across the series. Isabella comments on how she has to keep her affiliation with Richard secret, which Galavant thinks he overhears, in a situation that brings humour to the forefront. This part actually shows her own Hero’s Journey, where she needs to find what is important for her. It is also implied that she does feel some guilt for manipulating Galavant this way, and it shows that she is a good person at her core.
Isabella: You're...
Isabella and Sid: Off on a hero's journey
Galavant: And this my hero's vow
Isabella continues by cutting off Galavant from questioning her, and goes into the next stanza, as they go back to the primary line “Off on a hero’s journey”, and it leads into Galavant putting forth a vow to become victorious. This is very important when a hero is brought forth, as a vow is not something to be taken lightly. For someone who still needs to work to get back in shape, making an oath gives the hero motivation to move forward.
I'll return
Sid: Rising victorious
This is his vow, to go to fight, rescue Madalena, and return home victorious, This is the Hero’s Journey very much summarized. The hero must overcome challenges in order to win, at the end of the day.
Isabella: And how
No really. I mean, how?
Galavant: Nothing's gonna stop my journey nooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
Isabella asks a question that is needed to achieve the objective… which is Galavant rescuing the gold digger from the buffoonish king, and Isabella to rescue her parents, but this also tells us that the adventure is often far more valuable than the objective. This is actually a very important question to ask, as the task seems almost impossible. Galavant’s response is to simply say that nothing’s going to stop his journey. This says that he has renewed resolve to confront his past,
The end of the song has Galavant holding the note for a good 20 seconds, with Isabella and Si- With Isabella continuing to sing “Off on a Hero’s Journey” in the meantime. This is a rather good ending to the song.
I would have to say that this is a different way of recapping the previous episode, and setting up the first steps in the Hero’s Journey, as Campbell has brought forth the theory.
This is quite the lively song. Maybe not as catchy as “Galavant”, but it’s still a good song.
LOL - love this, thanks for featuring another fun song from Galavant!
Great essay love this song