If I Can't Love Her
Disney/Original Broadway Cast Recording Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's not the slightest trace
Of anything that even hints of kindness
And from my tortured shape
No comfort, no escape
I see, but deep within is utter blindness
Hopeless
As my dream dies
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 love her and made 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.
"If I Can't Love Her" is a song from the Broadway adaptation of Disney’s animated classic, Beauty and the Beast. The song displays the character of the Beast's deep inner turmoil and self-loathing as he realizes that he is unable to fulfill his only chance of escaping the curse, falling in love with another and being loved in return. The Beast sings about how he needs love to break the curse, but his outer appearance is too frightening for anyone to open up and love him. He regrets not being able to change himself sooner and is left stranded with his heart filled with hatred while longing for love, returning to self-pity.
The lyrics of "If I Can't Love Her" express the Beast's sadness and loss of hope as he realizes that he cannot be saved. The phrase "And from my tortured shape, No comfort, no escape" mirrors the Beast's lamentable feeling of being trapped by his body and circumstances even though his heart is full of remorse. He acknowledges that no one can break the curse on his behalf, expressing his helplessness with the words "No spirit could win me, No hope left within me". It's even more heartbreaking when he contemplates his loss by saying, "No point anymore if I can't love her." As the song crescendos, this despair reaches a dramatic peak with the Beast's ultimate conclusion: "If I can't love her, let the world be done with me."
Line by Line Meaning
And in my twisted face
In my distorted countenance
There's not the slightest trace
There is no hint or shred
Of anything that even hints of kindness
Of any benevolent suggestion
And from my tortured shape
And from my anguished silhouette
No comfort, no escape
There is no relief or route out
I see, but deep within is utter blindness
My sight may function, but I am blind to all else
Hopeless
Despondent
As my dream dies
As my aspiration fades
As the time flies
As time elapses
Love a lost illusion
Romance is an unrealized dream
Helpless
Powerless
Unforgiven
Unabsolved
Cold and driven
Unsympathetic and propelled
To this sad conclusion
To this melancholic end
No beauty could move me
No loveliness could impact me
No goodness improve me
No virtue could better me
No power on earth, if I can't love her
No force on this planet, if I cannot love her
No passion could reach me
No fervor could touch me
No lesson could teach me
No education could instruct me
How I could have love her and made her love me too
How I could have adored her and made her love me as well
If I can't love her, then who?
If I cannot love her, then who can?
Long ago I should have seen
I ought to have noticed a long time ago
All the things I could have been
All the possibilities I could have achieved
Careless and unthinking, I moved onward
I advanced thoughtlessly and negligently
No pain could be deeper
No suffering could be more profound
No life could be cheaper
No existence could be more worthless
No point anymore, if I can't love her
There is no objective any longer, if I cannot love her
No spirit could win me
No resolve could conquer me
No hope left within me
There is no aspiration remaining in me
Hope I could have loved her and that she'd set me free
I wished I could have loved her, and that she would have emancipated me
But it's not to be
But it is not destined to happen
If I can't love her
If I cannot love her
Let the world be done with me.
Let the world be finished with me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Alan Menken, Tim Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mrblue8439
I saw Beauty and The Beast live 2 times in my life. This song is the one that always made me shed a tear. Such a powerful song
@tiffanystevens5296
Does anyone have the full song