"If I Can't Love Her" is a song sung by the Beast in the Act I finale of the musical version of Beauty and the Beast.
Belle, frightened for her life after the Beast's violent tantrum over her intrusion in the West Wing, has fled the castle. The Beast, aware of his potentially fatal mistake, thinks back to the day he became what he is, and laments that had he known then what he knows now, he could have done things differently, but didn't. He then realizes that he will have to change his ways if he ever wishes to return himself and his servants to human form.
Later, when Belle sees in the magic mirror that her father is in trouble, the Beast lets Belle go, dashing all his hopes of breaking the spell.
The song is particularly famous for its spectacular element of the Beast standing on a balcony looking out to the starry night sky.
Lyrics[]
Beast:
And in my twisted face
There's not the slightest trace
Of anything that even hints at kindness
And from my tortured shape
No comfort, no escape
I see, but deep within is utter blindness
Hopeless
As my dream dies
As the time flies
Love a lost illusion
Helpless
Unforgiven
Cold and driven
To this sad conclusion
No beauty could move me
No goodness improve me
No power on earth, if I can't love her
No passion could reach me
No lesson could teach me
How I could have loved her
And make her love me too
If I can't love her, then who?
Long ago I should have seen
All the things I could have been
Careless and unthinking, I moved onward
No pain could be deeper
No life could be cheaper
No point anymore, if I can't love her
No spirit could win me
No hope left within me
Hope I could have loved her
And that she'd set me free
But it's not to be
If I can't love her
Let the world be done with me
No pain could be deeper
No life could be cheaper
No point anymore if she can't love me
No hope she would do so
No dream to pursue so
I look to myself
Despise all the things I see
For I know that she
Cannot set me free
Let the world be done with me
No spell has been broken
No words have been spoken
No point anymore if she can't love me
No hope she would do so
No dream to pursue, so
I finally know that I will always be
In this hopeless state
And condemned to wait
Wait for death to set me free
Trivia[]
- While the song was not in the film, an instrumental portion of the tune to the lyrics, "Long ago I should have seen/All the things I could have been," was used for the Prologue. It's also heard when Belle sees the torn portrait of the Prince, the Beast decides against killing Gaston, and the spell is broken.
- In the 2017 remake of the original movie, the song is replaced by "Evermore".
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