Robert Preston Meservey was born on June 8, 1918 and died March 21, 1987. Read Full Bio ↴Robert Preston Meservey was born on June 8, 1918 and died March 21, 1987.

Preston appeared in many Hollywood films, predominantly Westerns, but is probably best remembered for his portrayal of "Professor" Harold Hill in Meredith Willson's musical The Music Man (1962). He won a Tony Award for his performance in the original Broadway production (1957). In 1965 he was the male part of a duo-lead musical, "I Do! I Do!" with Mary Martin and in 1974, he starred opposite Bernadette Peters in Jerry Herman's Broadway musical "Mack and Mabel" as Mack Sennett, the famous silent film director.

Loving You
Robert Preston Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Loving you is not a choice
It's who I am
Loving you is not a choice
Not much reason to rejoice
But it gives me purpose
Gives me voice
To say to the world
This is why I live

You are what I live
This is why I live

Loving you is why I do the things I do
Loving you is not in my control
But loving you I have a goal
For what's left of my life
I will live
And I will die
For you

It gives me purpose
Gives me voice
To say to the world
This is why I live
Yes, this is why I live
Loving you is why I do the things I do
Loving you is not in my control
But loving you
I have a goal
For what's left of my life
I will live
And I will die
For you

I will live

And I will die
For you

Overall Meaning

The song "Loving You" by Robert Preston is a powerful declaration of love that emphasizes the idea that love is not a choice but rather an intrinsic part of the person. "Loving you is not a choice, it's who I am," the lyrics state, indicating that the love the singer feels is not something they can turn off or walk away from. Furthermore, the lyrics focus on how this love gives the singer purpose and a voice, allowing them to explain to the world why they live and what they live for.

In essence, the song is a testament to the strength and depth of genuine love, the kind of love that transcends boundaries and survives the ups and downs of life. The singer expresses that despite the challenges that come with loving someone, such as not having much reason to rejoice, or the fact that loving you is not in their control, they have a goal for what's left of their life, and that goal is to love and live for the person they love. In this way, the song is both poignant and inspiring, demonstrating how love can motivate and give meaning to one's life.

Overall, "Loving You" is a powerful song about the depth of human emotion and the transformative power of love. It reminds listeners that love is not something that can be controlled or reasoned with, but rather a force that exists within us and gives us purpose.

Line by Line Meaning

Loving you is not a choice
My love for you is not something I can control, it's simply a part of who I am.

It's who I am
My love for you is a fundamental part of my identify and character.

Not much reason to rejoice
My love for you may bring challenges and difficulties, but I still find joy in it despite those things.

But it gives me purpose
My love for you provides me with a sense of direction and meaning in life.

Gives me voice
My love for you empowers me to speak up and share my feelings with the world.

To say to the world
I want to express to everyone how important you are to me.

This is why I live
My love for you is the driving force behind my existence.

You are what I live
You are the reason why I wake up every day and keep going.

Loving you is why I do the things I do
Everything I do in life is motivated by my love for you.

But loving you I have a goal
My love for you is not aimless, it is focused on creating a future together.

For what's left of my life
I want to spend the rest of my life with you and make it count.

I will live
I want to live every day to the fullest and cherish every moment with you.

And I will die
My love for you will last until my very last breath.

For you
Everything I do, I do it for you and our love together.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc., ST MUSIC LLC
Written by: JERRY HERMAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@jaygatz4335

22w↑4

Finally, a real voice! Preston adds so much warmth to the movie.

@chasmarkcooke

2y↑12

"I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS ABOUT THIS MOVIE, IT IS AND ALWAYS BE A BEAUTIFULLY DONE MUSICAL!"

@czbikerguy

2y↑2

I agree entirely Sir and thank you so much for your greatly-appreciated comment!

@billbrimmer1739

2y↑15

Robert Preston always enhanced any number he sang!

@pietjansen4832

20w↑1

Jeugd sentiment waar is de tijd❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊

@janellepowles660

2y↑6

Absolutely the most gorgeous number. Robert Preston was so wonderful. Love this song love this movie. My mom absolutely adored it and so do i. Makes me sad and happy every time I see it. Just so beautiful

@marystockton9990

3y↑56

Thanks for posting this; I am at the end of my life and I never had love but I always feel that I would like to feel like they do in this song and video clip

@jeffersonparis7767

2y↑8

Mary, I felt really touched by your message. God bless you.

@itsmiahtime

2y↑6

Stay strong Mary! Sending you love and light❤️❤️

@BillyAlabama

2y↑5

♥️

@marjoriepreston6620

2y↑6

Gosh, Mary, reading your comment makes me want to cry. I never found love either but hope to, if it's not too late. Mary, you have a soul friend in me.

@julietteyork6293

2y↑2

Oh, Mary, that made me sad. God loves you so much 💞

1 More Replies...

@Italman45

32w↑2

Beauregard Jackson Picket Burnside !

@christopherlundgren3499

2y↑5

Thank you, bless you, a lovely tribute! (And Robert Preston was fantastic!) I cry almost every time I see/hear this song

@frelvisbrady

3y↑17

This is one of the best parts of the movie (maybe because Lucy isn't singing). And usually the songs they add for the movie aren't as good as the originals from the show, but this one really holds up!

@kdhoude

2y↑3

Most of this scene was filmed at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA. Home of Blue Boy and Pink Lady ( Blue Boy is on loan back home in UK right now)

@JP-bn2ct

3y↑10

What a beautiful tribute to your mom! Thank you for posting this scene, can't get enough of it!

@czbikerguy

3y↑1

Thank you so much!

@greeneyedtrixie

3y↑8

thanks for posting this clip....I love this part in the movie the best.

@czbikerguy

3y↑2

I do too.

@Seabasstien

3y↑11

Robert Preston wrote the book on being romantic and debonair take a look and learn something young guys!

@lionheartroar3104

3y↑9

Robert Preston became the bigger star in this scene.

@stebaer

2y↑1

Yes it's more than just sensational knowing how they went on their Honeymoon for 3 years and had the time of their lives until the endline.

@photobygil

3y↑7

I read your full description, which was beautifully written, especially for the heartfelt remembrance of your mother. I also agree with you general assessment of the scene, & wonder who the very accomplished pianist was. Thanks for sharing!

@czbikerguy

3y↑1

And thank you for your very kind words, which I greatly appreciate.

@photobygil

3y↑2

@@czbikerguy I couldn't pin down why my sense of nostalgia for this scene was so strong, & finally realized that it's the presentation, or specifically the aspect ratio. I prefer the cinemascope format (the really wide, letter-box look), for this and any movie, but seeing your clip here - which is framed for old television broadcasts & home video - made me very happy. For years, my family watched every time the movie played on a local channel, so this is how I remember it most. Thanks again for the upload!

@czbikerguy

3y↑3

@@photobygil I'm very glad that it triggered your sense of nostalgia and you enjoyed it. I feel the same way about this format - it brings back those happy years long ago with my family.

@ToughXArmy69

3y↑3

Lucy the great Queen of Hollywood, was fantastic in this sequence. The song written especially for “Mame”. This movie still holds the record of biggest one week gross in one theatre:$2 million!

@czbikerguy

3y↑1

Wow, thank you for posting this very interesting information!

@JimT1975

3y↑1

Actually, it was written to be performed in the movie version of Hello Dolly, but it got cut and recycled into this movie version of Mame.

@jusssayin480

But the movie cost $12.5 million to make and only made back $6.5 million. It was a bomb!

@johnsarkissian5519

@@jusssayin480 I keep reading and hearing that the movie was a major flop and a box-office failure. Is that true?

@michaelweber8724

@@JimT1975 Who was supposed to sing this in Dolly, and when?

@hanschristianbrando5588

Beau takes Mame to Pasadena! (Much of this was filmed at the Huntington Museum, which as you see has extensive grounds.) If Mame had actually brought "18 steamer trunks," you'd think she'd have packed something more flattering than that grandma negligee and those other ridiculous outfits. Jane Alexander wore the black-and-silver getup (and a couple of other costumes from this movie) a decade later in the TV movie "Malice in Wonderland."

Funny how this number slows the movie down yet it's a highlight.

@geoffreyfox9801

3y↑5

This song sequence worked beautifully in the film. Robert Preston was an ideal choice for Beau. I loved Lucy but she was totally wrong for Mame.

@cambryn

2y↑1

Why was she wrong for mame? I’ve never understood why people feel this way

@thedisneybroentertainment5547

47w

@@cambryn I think it’s because Lucy couldn’t sing very well. But I felt she did a great job. I thought her real life persona fit Mame perfectly and that she really had that connection to the character. I love Lucy. She will always live on

@user-kf6zg1pq3u

Люсиль Болл знают по сериалу "Я люблю Люси",а Роберта Престона по роли в фильме "Виктор Виктория".
Оба прекрасные актеры.

@kevincrashkelly

2y↑6

Critics said in 1974, and possibly true, that the only good thing in this movie is the short time Robert Preston is in it. Even Bea Arthur who played her same part as on Broadway, said she was ashamed by the movie and Lucy was terribly miscast.

@czbikerguy

2y↑6

Yes, I know all this, and more. But it has nothing to do whatsoever with the reason that I posted this clip, which was that it happens to be one of my dear late mother's all-time favourite movie musical scenes and songs, so I posted it here as a tribute to her. The ins and outs of whether Angela Lansbury should have played the part of Mame in it, how bad or good Lucille Ball was in it, etc etc, was of no interest to my mother, or to me, it was simply that she loved this scene and song from the movie.