What is the context of "If I Loved You" From Carosel?
What is the context of "If I Loved You" From Carosel?
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#1re: What is the context of 'If I Loved You' From Carosel?
Posted: 10/4/06 at 5:36pm
It is sung by the main characters Billy & Julie. Billy is a carnival barker that has just been fired. Julie is a millworker that went to the carnival and fell in love with Billy. They are sitting on a bench and as they begin to fall in love, they sing "If I Loved You".
It is later reprised in Act 2.
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Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#2re: What is the context of 'If I Loved You' From Carosel?
Posted: 10/4/06 at 7:13pmLet me add that the two characters only met about an hour earlier.
mateo
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/8/06
#3re: What is the context of 'If I Loved You' From Carosel?
Posted: 10/4/06 at 7:15pmgod, I love that song.
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-Adam Shankman.
"I haven't left this building since Windows 3.1!"
"Celebrating a birthday this week: Rene Descartes is 412! Do you know who he is? Then why are you watching this show? You could probably get into college and even get one of those job things. As for the rest of us; Amanda Bynes is 22! Yay!"
-E!'s "The Soup"
philcrosby
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/17/04
#4re: What is the context of 'If I Loved You' From Carosel?
Posted: 10/4/06 at 7:33pm
Almost the entire Bench Scene (of which "If I Loved You" is a part) can be found on the late 90s revival albums (London & NY) and on the Barbara Cook/Samuel Ramey studio cast album. That song and scene are positively heart-breaking if done correctly.
Updated On: 10/4/06 at 07:33 PM
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#5re: What is the context of 'If I Loved You' From Carosel?
Posted: 10/4/06 at 7:49pm
Hugh Jackman and Audra McDonald sang it in the concert version at Carnegie Hall. Too bad a recording was never made 
Guillermo Ugarte
Featured Actor Joined: 9/16/04
#7re: What is the context of 'If I Loved You' From Carosel?
Posted: 10/5/06 at 8:25am
The real beauty and emotional impact of this song lies in its not so hidden meaning. Because Billy cannot express his feelings outright, he sets up a hypothetical situation by saying "If I loved you" (and that is only an IF, because you know I really don't) and then proceeds to eloquently tell his love how he really feels, shielded by the thinly veiled fact that he really does love her, but can't say he does. Haven't we all been there?
The lyric: "...longing to tell you, but afraid and shy, I'd let my golden chances pass me by", is telling, but perhaps the most revealing is the closing lyric "Soon you'd leave me. Off you would go in the mist of day, never, never to know. How I loved you, IF I loved you". Billy expresses what he believes will be the outcome of the relationship, knowing he is incapable of expressing his feelings. It is a well written, beautiful song that (if sung well) can bring the audience to tears.
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#8re: What is the context of 'If I Loved You' From Carosel?
Posted: 10/5/06 at 9:14am
Guillermo---Rodgers and Hammerstein were great at that anti-love song approach to love songs.
The IF in "If I Love You" as a disguise for their feelings.
DON'T throw bouquets and me... DON'T this... DON'T that... "People" will say we're in love.
They used that approach in several shows to knock the boldface "schmaltz" out of two people standing next to each other singing their "I Love You's."
That's just another example (among so many) of their genius.
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blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#9re: What is the context of 'If I Loved You' From Carosel?
Posted: 10/5/06 at 11:13amThis is such a gorgeous song, but it only works if it is "acted" to perfection. It can't just sound pretty.
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"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
TheEnchantedHunter
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/27/05
#10re: What is the context of 'If I Loved You' From Carosel?
Posted: 10/5/06 at 4:49pm
Julie and Billy have NOT just met an hour before.
BILLY: You don't come to the carousel much. Only see you three
times before today.
JULIE: (Breathless, she crosses behind bench and sits beside
him) I been there much more than that.
BILLY: That right? Did you see me?
JULIE: Yes.
BILLY: Did you know I was Billy Bigelow?
JULIE: They told me.
Mrs. Mullins
The New England Coast
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