The powerful song “Hell No” in The Color Purple movie draws most of its lines directly from the book’s original text, primarily from one letter early in the book.
Book-Movie Differences Highlighted by this Song
This song merges two different moments from the book into one scene: (Moment 1) Sofia confronts Celie about advising Harpo to beat her and (Moment 2) Sofia leaves Harpo years later to live at her sister’s house.
Another movie difference happens with the line, “Hell no.” In the book, Sofia only says this to the mayor’s wife. To great effect, in my opinion, the filmmakers turned this line into a signature catchphrase for Sofia’s character, used in various points of the movie.
Annotating Movie Elements in the Book
For annotating movie-book links, I recommend choosing a tab color just for movie references. In addition to tabbing the page, use margin notes to describe exactly how lines of text gets translated into film. Consider using the ample blank space at the beginning of each letter to make notes too. That space is perfect for making longer notes like: “This letter has lines that were used in the song Hell No from the movie/musical.”
Start By Finding the 4 Letters the Song Draws From
- Letter ending in “I sleeps like a baby now”
- p 40 (in the edition pictured)
- Letter ending in “…more shingles for the roof.”
- p 65
- Letter ending in“…drive on up past the house.”
- p 68
- Letter ending in “…her two little slits for eyes.”
- p 86
8 Side-by-Side Comparisons of the Song and Text
Book Quote
“You told Harpo to beat me, she said.”
p 40
Song Lyric
“You told Harpo to beat me?!”
Book Quote
“I loves Harpo, she say. God knows I do. But I’ll kill him dead before I let him beat me.”
p 40
Song Lyric
“I love Harpo
God knows I do
But I’ll kill him dead
‘Fore I let him or anybody beat me”
Book Quote
“She say, All my life I had to fight.
I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my brothers. I had to fight my cousins and my uncles. A girl child ain’t safe in a family of men. But I never thought I’d have to fight in my own house.”
p 40
Song Lyric
“All my life I’ve had to fight
I had to fight my daddy
I had to fight my brothers
My cousins, my uncles too
But I never, never, never, never
Never, never though I’d have to fight
In my own house!”
Book Quote
“I say, You feels sorry for me, don’t you?
[…]
She say, To tell the truth, you remind me of my mama. She under my daddy thumb. Naw, she under my daddy foot. Anything he say, goes.”
p 40
Song Lyric
“I feel sorry of you
To tell you the truth
You remind me of my momma
Under your husband’s thumb
No, under your husband’s foot
What he say go”
Book Quote
BOOK QUOTE
“She say, All my life I had to fight.
I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my brothers. I had to fight my cousins and my uncles. A girl child ain’t safe in a family of men. But I never thought I’d have to fight in my own house.”
p 40
Song Lyric
“Girl child ain’t safe
In a family of mens”
Book Quote
“He your husband, I say. Got to stay with him. Else, what you gon do?
[…]
I need a vacation, she say.”
p 65
(the next letter Sofia’s sisters come)
Song Lyric
“Well, watcha gon’ do, then?
My sister’s coming to get me
I think I need a vacation
Up and away from here
But Harpo’s your husband
You got to stay with him”
Book Quote
“Well, sometime Mr. _____ git on me pretty hard. I have to talk to Old Maker. But he my husband. I shrug my shoulders. This life soon be over, I say. Heaven last all ways. You ought to bash Mr. _____ head open, she say.
Think bout heaven later.”
p 42
Song Lyric
“Sometimes my husband get on me so hard / It hurt me all over
Be he’s my husband
So, I’ll just talk to my old maker
This life soon be over
Heaven last always
Well, what you oughta do
Is bash Mister’s head open
And think on heaven later”
Book Quote
“Hell no.”
p 85
Song Lyric
“Hell no (hell no)
Hell no
Hell no
Hell no
Hell no
Let’s go”
This post is dedicated to Celie from The Color Purple, who I will forever picture as Fantasia singing “Celie’s Pants” in red sequined slacks and a vivid red geometric patterned top.
Started in 2024, all of my posts have a dedication, sometimes to people, sometimes to characters, sometimes to ideas!
Annotate With Sara 