If I Can't Love Her facts for kids

"If I Can't Love Her" is a song from the musical Beauty and the Beast (1994). It was written by Alan Menken (who wrote the music) and Tim Rice (who wrote the words). The musical is based on Disney's 1991 animated movie.

The Beast sings this song after he accidentally scares Belle away from his castle. The song is about his feelings and how hard it is for him to love. Terrence Mann, an American actor, was the first to play the Beast on Broadway and sang this song for the musical's first album.

In the original movie, the Beast doesn't sing much. So, Menken and Rice wrote "If I Can't Love Her" to give him a special solo song. This song helps us understand the Beast's feelings and how his character changes. It's a sad, powerful song that sounds a bit like opera. It's all about wanting love but feeling like it's lost. The song is sung again later in the musical after the Beast lets Belle go home. When the musical first opened, critics liked "If I Can't Love Her." They praised the songwriting and Terrence Mann's singing.

Many singers have covered "If I Can't Love Her," including Josh Groban. The song was almost in the 2017 live-action movie. But the songwriters decided it didn't fit the movie's speed. Instead, they wrote a new song for the Beast called "Evermore."

Why the Song Was Written

In the 1991 Beauty and the Beast movie, the Beast doesn't have his own song. He only sings a little bit in "Something There." The movie's composer, Alan Menken, felt it was very important for the Beast to sing in the 1994 stage musical. Menken believed the Beast was the main character because his life changed so much.

"If I Can't Love Her" was one of six new songs written for the musical. Menken worked with Tim Rice on these new songs. This happened because the original lyricist, Howard Ashman, had passed away. Menken said that creating "If I Can't Love Her" was a great part of working with Rice.

The song was written to end the first half of the musical. Since the show has two parts, "If I Can't Love Her" was a chance for the Beast to either ask for a second chance or give up hope. This song, like most new songs in the musical, helps show how the Beast's character grows. Tim Rice wanted to write songs that would help us understand the characters and their relationships better. He described "If I Can't Love Her" as a song that shows the Beast's "human longings." Linda Woolverton, who wrote the movie's story, also used this song to make the Beast a more complete character. It helps us hear thoughts from him that we didn't hear before. Terrence Mann recorded "If I Can't Love Her" for the musical's first album, which came out on April 26, 1994.

Where It Fits in the Musical

"If I Can't Love Her" is often called the Beast's only solo song in the musical. However, he also sings a short part in "How Long Must this Go On?". Before "If I Can't Love Her," most of the songs in the show are upbeat. They are sung by other characters like Gaston, Lefou, and Lumiere.

In the musical, the Beast sings "If I Can't Love Her" at the end of the first half. He sings it after he gets angry and scares Belle away from the castle. Belle then runs into a pack of wolves in the forest. The song ends the first half of the show on a thoughtful and sad note. Belle leaving makes the Beast think about how little humanity he has left. He feels sad about his relationship with Belle. He realizes he missed a chance to love someone and make things better. He still struggles to love Belle, even though she is "beautiful and fascinating." Belle's leaving makes the Beast understand that if he can't love her, he will stay a beast forever. He realizes he has lost Belle and any chance of becoming human again.

Menken said the scene is a moment where the Beast thinks, "If I can’t love her then who can I ever love?" One author, Thomas S. Hischak, called it a "soul-searching" song. He said the hero "fights off despair and considers his ability to fall in love with Belle." Another writer, Tamara Ikenberg, said the song "reveals the depths of the Beast's sadness." He accepts he might never be human again and wishes for a way out of his pain. The song shows the Beast "pouring his heart out." It shows his deep sadness that touches the audience.

The Beast sings the song again later. This happens after he lets Belle go home to take care of her sick father. He wonders if he will ever see her again. This second time, the song shows his sadness about staying under the curse. More importantly, it shows his sorrow about not winning Belle’s love.

Menken said the song is simply "a moment of just crying out to the heavens." One critic, Zaina Khan, wrote that the song shows the Beast changing from fierce to humble. It shows his mix of bad temper and quick regret. Another critic, Laura DeMarco, believes the song makes the Beast "more human." The song is sometimes performed on stage with artificial fog.

How the Song Was Made

"If I Can't Love Her" is a sad, powerful song. It is written in the key of C major and is played at a "free" speed of 112 beats per minute. The song lasts four minutes and six seconds. Peter Fawthrop from AllMusic called the song "dark" and "mournful." Lindsey BahrIt described its tune as "soaring." Laura DeMarco called it "sentimental," and D23 called it "heart-wrenching."

Some critics call "If I Can't Love Her" an anthem. Holly Beretto said it's "an anthem to love desired and lost." She added that it shows the actor's singing and acting skills. Bruce Miller also called it a "lament about lost love."

The music starts with "soft phrases" that show gentleness and deep feeling. Then it builds up as the song continues. Even though it's in a major key, the song still sounds haunting. This is because of the singing, the slow speed, and how it matches the sad theme of the music. Jerome Weeks from Variety wrote that the song has a lovely tune. He also said that Tim Rice's lyrics show the Beast struggling to understand his growing love. Thomas S. Hischak said the song has a "resounding, operatic tone" that is much heavier than the original movie's songs. Vladimir Bunoan compared the song to parts of the musical The Phantom of the Opera (1986).

Jo Litson described the song as a "tenor power ballad." Terrence Mann's original singing covered two octaves, from B₃ to F₅. The singer performs a high and held note on the last line: “If I can’t love her, let the world be done with me.” This line is described as "heart-wrenching." The lyrics show hope and hopelessness, the pain and beauty of love, and the sadness of loss. The song begins with the words, "And in my twisted face there's not the slightest trace of anything that even hints of kindness." Clark Collis from Entertainment Weekly wrote that the song is about "How am I going to fall in love with her?"

Other Versions and Its Importance

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Singer and actor James Graeme covered "If I Can't Love Her" with the National Symphony Orchestra. This was for an album called The Very Best Of Broadway Musicals (2002). In 2004, actor Ron Raines included his version on his album So In Love With Broadway (2004). Singer Josh Groban covered the song for special versions of his album Stages (2015). These were sold only at Target stores. Actor Kane Alexander also covered "If I Can't Love Her" for his Broadway-themed album Kane Alexander: Different Stages (The Broadway Album) (2017).

The song was almost used in the 2017 live-action movie. Alan Menken and director Bill Condon wanted to use it. But they decided there wasn't a good moment for the Beast to sing it in the movie. They felt the Beast could only sing after he had let Belle go. Menken and Rice thought about changing the song's words to fit the scene. But they decided to write a completely new song instead. This new song became "Evermore."

Condon explained that in a stage show, a character can express feelings for three minutes in a song. But in a movie, the character needs to be in a different place by the end of the song. The story has to keep moving. The filmmakers also thought the original song didn't fit the movie's structure. The Beast's solo happens later in the movie than it does in the musical. Menken joked that "If I Can't Love Her" was written "specifically for the act break of a Broadway show; in a film, people aren't going out to go to the bathroom and get drinks." Menken still says he would have included "If I Can't Love Her" in the movie if he could have.

Comparing the two songs, actor Dan Stevens, who played the Beast in the remake, said "Evermore" is about "I’ve fallen in love with her, and now she’s gone, woe is me." But "If I Can't Love Her" asks, "How am I going to fall in love with her?" Critics see "Evermore" as a replacement for "If I Can't Love Her." Maria Sciullo wrote that the new song "lacks the sheer power of 'If I Can’t Love Her,'" even though it's "more upbeat." James Berardinelli called "Evermore" "solid, although perhaps not as good as 'If I Can’t Love Her'."

After it first appeared in the musical, "If I Can't Love Her" became very popular with fans. It is seen as one of Terrence Mann's most famous songs. Mann, who now teaches musical theatre, has noticed that "If I Can't Love Her" is one of three songs from his career that male students often use for auditions. This shows how much his role in Beauty and the Beast connected with people.