Do You Love Me?
Jerry Bock Lyrics
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"Golde, I have decided to give Perchik permission to become engaged to our daughter, Hodel."
(Golde)
"What??? He's poor! He has nothing, absolutely nothing!"
(Tevye)
"He's a good man, Golde.
So what can we do?
It's a new world... A new world. Love. Golde..."
Do you love me?
(Golde)
Do I what?
(Tevye)
Do you love me?
(Golde)
Do I love you?
With our daughters getting married
And this trouble in the town
You're upset, you're worn out
Go inside, go lie down!
Maybe it's indigestion
(Tevye)
"Golde I'm asking you a question..."
Do you love me?
(Golde)
You're a fool
(Tevye)
"I know..."
But do you love me?
(Golde)
Do I love you?
For twenty-five years I've washed your clothes
Cooked your meals, cleaned your house
Given you children, milked the cow
After twenty-five years, why talk about love right now?
(Tevye)
Golde, The first time I met you
Was on our wedding day
I was scared
(Golde)
I was shy
(Tevye)
I was nervous
(Golde)
So was I
(Tevye)
But my father and my mother
Said we'd learn to love each other
And now I'm asking, Golde
Do you love me?
(Golde)
I'm your wife
(Tevye)
"I know..."
But do you love me?
(Golde)
Do I love him?
For twenty-five years I've lived with him
Fought him, starved with him
Twenty-five years my bed is his
If that's not love, what is?
(Tevye)
Then you love me?
(Golde)
I suppose I do
(Tevye)
And I suppose I love you too
(Both)
It doesn't change a thing
But even so
After twenty-five years
It's nice to know
In this scene from Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye has decided to allow Perchik the permission to propose to his daughter Hodel. Golde, Tevye's wife, is surprised because Perchik is poor and has nothing. Tevye defends Perchik saying that he is a good man, Hodel likes him, and the world has changed. Tevye then asks Golde if she loves him, but Golde is quite distracted with everything happening- the daughters getting married, trouble in the town, and being tired. Though Tevye is insistent and seeks an answer from her. Golde resists at first, saying that they have been married for so long and she has already done everything, hence it does not matter. Tevye tells the story of their wedding day when they were both scared and nervous. Tevye asks Golde three times if she loves him, and finally, Golde admits that after living with him for 25 years, she supposes she does love him.
Line by Line Meaning
"Golde, I have decided to give Perchik permission to become engaged to our daughter, Hodel."
Tevye announces giving permission to his daughter to marry to a guy named Perchik.
"What??? He's poor! He has nothing, absolutely nothing!"
Golde explodes in disbelief and anger over the fact that Perchik is poor and possesses absolutely nothing.
"He's a good man, Golde. I like him. And what's more important, Hodel likes him. Hodel loves him. So what can we do? It's a new world... A new world. Love. Golde..."
Tevye reasons that Perchik is a good person and Hodel loves him, hence he, being the father, likes him too. He believes that it's a new world where love, a feeling previously not enough for marriage, is now important. Golde, his wife's opinion is what he seeks about this.
"Do you love me?"
Tevye asks Golde if she loves him, inquiring about their marital bond.
"Do I what?"
Golde looks perplexed and repeats Tevye's words to gain clarity.
"Do you love me?"
Tevye repeats again, seeking an answer to his question.
"You're upset, you're worn out Go inside, go lie down!Maybe it's indigestion"
Golde, distracting herself from the question, orders Tevye to go inside, lie down because maybe indigestion is causing him distress.
"Golde I'm asking you a question..."
Tevye prods Golde to answer the question he needs to know.
"You're a fool"
Golde calls Tevye 'fool', possibly because it is inappropriate to ask such a question now, after years of being married.
"I know..."
Tevye acknowledges Golde's comment that he is a fool.
"But do you love me?"
Tevye reiterates that he wants Golde to answer his question if she loves him.
"Do I love you? For twenty-five years I've washed your clothes Cooked your meals, cleaned your house Given you children, milked the cow After twenty-five years, why talk about love right now?"
Golde lists all the things she has done for Tevye over the years- washing clothes, cooking, cleaning, bearing and raising children, and even milking cows. She is astonished that Tevye needs even more affirmation of her love at this point in their life.
"Golde, The first time I met you Was on our wedding day I was scared"
Tevye reminisces about the first time he met Golde, which was during their wedding day. He confesses that he was scared then.
"I was shy"
Golde admits her initial shyness during her wedding day.
"I was nervous"
Tevye confesses that he was nervous too during their wedding day.
"So was I"
Golde corroborates with Tevye and confesses that she was nervous too during their wedding day.
"But my father and my mother Said we'd learn to love each other And now I'm asking, Golde Do you love me?"
Tevye recalls that his father and mother had assured him that they will learn to love each other with time. He asks Golde again if she loves him now that it has been years since their wedding day.
"I'm your wife"
Golde reminds Tevye that she is his wife, hence the answer to his question about love should be affirmative.
"I know..."
Tevye acknowledges that Golde is his wife.
"But do you love me?"
Despite Golde being his wife, Tevye still wants a small affirmation from her regarding her love towards him.
"For twenty-five years I've lived with him Fought him, starved with him Twenty-five years my bed is his If that's not love, what is?"
Golde contends that she has lived with Tevye for twenty-five years, fought and starved with him, and shared the same bed all these years, which is the epitome of love. The fact that they have spent this much time together and are still together is a testament to their love.
"Then you love me?"
Tevye pushes Golde to answer his question if she indeed loves him.
"I suppose I do"
Golde retorts that she supposes she does, indicating that her love may have taken a backseat amidst the other priorities of life.
"And I suppose I love you too"
Tevye responds with affection, stating that he loves her too.
"It doesn't change a thing But even so After twenty-five years It's nice to know"
Tevye and Golde both agree that their conversation doesn't change things as it is just a small affirmation. Nonetheless, it is nice to know where they stand after twenty-five years of marriage.
Contributed by Jordan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@GreyWolfLeaderTW
Do love how Goldie points out that love isn't a mere emotion inside, it's all the work, the shared experiences, the pains and joys of being a couple.
@brigidtheirish
Exactly right. Dad told me that a girl he was interested in once asked him what he thought love was. He said it's the decision to commit yourself to someone, to put their needs before your own. She told him that was cold. "Yeah, so?"
Took him until he was 30 years old to find someone who thought of love the same way he did. He and Mom will be married for 41 years come April.
@brandondavidson4085
"Love is a choice", that's what my dad taught me growing up. Took him two marriages and over 30 years to figure it out for himself, but he said that love is waking up next to another person every day for the rest of your life, and every day you say "I will love this person today"
@corneliakoller1914
yes
@stuckonaslide
@@brandondavidson4085 Attraction is a feeling, love is a choice. you love someone because you choose to experience life with them, by their side.
@jasonmartinez9051
It's sad but I've met people who don't think that way. For them, when the emotion is gone, the love is gone.
@dorkmax7073
"Do you love me?"
"Maybe its indigestion"
Golde is a romantic
@umleroi
"So you see, my son, there is a very fine line between love and nausea"
@debbiep8260
Well, they do say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
@rosieleat6868
OH LOL!