I Still Believe
Miss Saigon International Cast Lyrics


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Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City, April 1978
I Still Believe
KIM
last night I watched him sleeping
my body pressed to him
and then he started speaking
the name I heard him speak... was Kim
yes I know that this was years ago
but when moonlight fills my room I know
you are here... still

I still
I still believe
you will return
I know you will
my heart
against all odds
holds still

yes, still
I still believe
I know as long as I can keep believing, I'll live
I'll live
love cannot die
you will return
you will return
and I alone know why

(in a bedroom on the other side of the world, in America. A woman is
sitting beside CHRIS who is sleeping. She is ELLEN, CHRIS' s wife)

ELLEN
last night I watched you sleeping
once more, the nightmare came
I heard you cry out something
a word that sounded like... a name
and it hurts me more than I can bear
knowing part of you I'll never share
never know

but still
I still believe
the time will come
when nothing keeps us apart
my heart, forever more
holds still

(CHRIS wakes up from his sleep with a cry. ELLEN takes him in her
arms and calms him)

ELLEN
it' s all over, I' m here
there is nothing to fear
Chris, what' s haunting you?
won' t you let me inside
what you so want to hide!
I need you too!

KIM ELLEN
for still I will hold you all night, I will make
[it all right
I still believe you are safe with me
as long as I and I wish you could tell what you don't
[want to tell
can keep believing, I'll live what your hell must be

I'll live you can sleep now
you will return you can cry now
and I know why I'm your wife now
I'm yours for life
until we die until we die





(In America, CHRIS holds ELLEN; in Vietnam, KIM is alone in
her room.)

Overall Meaning

"I Still Believe" is a powerful duet between two women, Kim and Ellen, who both love the same man, Chris. Kim is a Vietnamese bar girl who fell in love with Chris, an American soldier, during the Vietnam War. They had a brief romantic affair, but were separated when Saigon fell. Kim gave birth to a son and has been waiting for Chris to return ever since. Ellen is Chris's American wife, who is struggling to understand the hold that Kim still has on him, even though they have been apart for years. The song is a poignant expression of both women's hopes and fears as they grapple with their own emotions and the difficult situation they find themselves in.


Kim's verses are filled with longing and conviction as she holds onto the hope that Chris will return to her. She remembers the sound of his voice saying her name and feels his presence in the moonlight. Despite the odds against them, she clings to the belief that their love cannot die and he will come back to her. Ellen's verses, on the other hand, reveal her confusion and insecurity. She hears Chris call out Kim's name in his sleep and is haunted by the knowledge that there is a part of him that she will never fully understand. She tries to comfort him and extend her love, but she knows that there is a bond between Chris and Kim that she can never truly break.


Overall, "I Still Believe" is a beautiful and heartbreaking exploration of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships. It is a testament to the power of music and storytelling to capture the essence of the human experience.


Line by Line Meaning

last night I watched him sleeping
She watched him sleep last night.


my body pressed to him
She was physically close to him.


and then he started speaking
He started talking in his sleep.


the name I heard him speak... was Kim
He said the name 'Kim' while he was sleeping.


yes I know that this was years ago
She knows that this happened a long time ago.


but when moonlight fills my room I know
She feels a romantic connection with him when the moon shines through her room.


you are here... still
She still feels his presence.


I still believe
She still has faith in their love.


you will return
She believes he will come back to her.


I know you will
She is certain that he will come back to her.


my heart
Her emotions and feelings.


against all odds
Despite the difficulties and challenges they may face.


holds still
She remains steadfast and true to her feelings.


love cannot die
Their love will never truly die.


you will return
He will come back to her.


and I alone know why
She is the only person who truly understands their love and what it means to her.


last night I watched you sleeping
Ellen watched Chris sleep last night.


once more, the nightmare came
Chris had a recurring nightmare.


I heard you cry out something
He shouted something in his sleep.


a word that sounded like... a name
The word he shouted sounded like a name.


and it hurts me more than I can bear
She is deeply hurt by the thought of him loving someone else.


knowing part of you I'll never share
There are parts of him that she will never understand or relate to.


never know
She will never fully know or understand him.


the time will come
The time will come when they can finally be together.


when nothing keeps us apart
There will be nothing to stop them from being together.


my heart, forever more
Her feelings for him will never change.


holds still
Her love for him remains steady and unwavering.


it's all over, I'm here
She is there for him and the nightmare is over.


there is nothing to fear
Chris has nothing to be afraid of now that she is there for him.


Chris, what's haunting you?
She asks him what he is afraid of.


won't you let me inside
She wants him to open up to her.


what you so want to hide!
She believes that he is hiding something from her.


I need you too!
She needs him as much as he needs her.


for still I will hold you all night, I will make it all right
Kim is holding onto the hope of being with him again, no matter what happens.


I still believe you are safe with me
She still believes that they are meant to be together and that he will be safe with her.


as long as I can keep believing, I'll live
Her belief in their love and potential keeps her going.


what your hell must be
She can only imagine the suffering he must be going through.


you can sleep now
He can finally rest easy and stop worrying.


I'm your wife now
Ellen is letting Chris know that she is his spouse and will always support him.


I'm yours for life
She is committed to being with him forever.


until we die
They will be together until the end of their lives.


until we die
Their love will never die.




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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

luce

KIM

Last night I watched him sleeping

My body pressed to him

And then he started speaking

The name I heard him speak...was Kim

Yes I know that this was years ago

But when moonlight fills my room I know

You are here...still

I still

I still believe

You will return

I know you will

My heart

Against all odds

Holds still

Yes, still

I still believe

I know as long as I can keep believing

I'll live

I'll live

Love cannot die

You will return...you will return

And I alone know why

ELLEN

Last night I watched you sleeping

Once more the nightmare came

I heard you cry out something

A word that sounded like...a name

And it hurts me more than I can bear

Knowing part of you I'll never share

Never know

But still

I still believe

The time will come

When nothing keeps us apart

My heart, forever more

Holds still

It's all over, I'm here

There is nothing to fear

Chris, what's haunting you?

Won't you let me inside

What you so want to hide?

I need you too!

KIM

For still

ELLEN

I will hold you all night

I will make it all right

KIM

I still believe

ELLEN

You are safe with me

KIM

As long as I

ELLEN

But I wish you would tell

what you don't want to tell

KIM

Can keep believing, I'll live

ELLEN

What your hell must be

KIM

I'll live

ELLEN

You can sleep now

KIM

You will return

ELLEN

You can cry now

KIM

And I know why

ELLEN

I'm your wife now

KIM

I'm yours

ELLEN

For life

KIM & ELLEN

Until we die



All comments from YouTube:

luce

KIM

Last night I watched him sleeping

My body pressed to him

And then he started speaking

The name I heard him speak...was Kim

Yes I know that this was years ago

But when moonlight fills my room I know

You are here...still

I still

I still believe

You will return

I know you will

My heart

Against all odds

Holds still

Yes, still

I still believe

I know as long as I can keep believing

I'll live

I'll live

Love cannot die

You will return...you will return

And I alone know why

ELLEN

Last night I watched you sleeping

Once more the nightmare came

I heard you cry out something

A word that sounded like...a name

And it hurts me more than I can bear

Knowing part of you I'll never share

Never know

But still

I still believe

The time will come

When nothing keeps us apart

My heart, forever more

Holds still

It's all over, I'm here

There is nothing to fear

Chris, what's haunting you?

Won't you let me inside

What you so want to hide?

I need you too!

KIM

For still

ELLEN

I will hold you all night

I will make it all right

KIM

I still believe

ELLEN

You are safe with me

KIM

As long as I

ELLEN

But I wish you would tell

what you don't want to tell

KIM

Can keep believing, I'll live

ELLEN

What your hell must be

KIM

I'll live

ELLEN

You can sleep now

KIM

You will return

ELLEN

You can cry now

KIM

And I know why

ELLEN

I'm your wife now

KIM

I'm yours

ELLEN

For life

KIM & ELLEN

Until we die

Matthew R

One of the most beautiful and tragic love songs ever performed.

Brian Eduardo

I love this song from the show... so affecting

mafeliflo

Let's voice is angelic and consistent with very good enunciation. This is not Lea.

I’m Not A Cat

I actually like Kim having a slight accent like this

半田朋子

やさしい声…😍

Matthew R

This 1995 version is actually much better than the original 1989 version.

Greg Stern

No beats Lea Salonga

Richard Onyango

Chris, what's haunting you? Classic.

半田朋子

お兄ちゃんのやさしい声がしゆる😻😻😻😻😻

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