We all know the witch is manipulating her, but during her performance none of us can help but to break at least a little while she sings this number. Especially during the last few lines “stay a child while you can be a child…with me~” You genuinely believe that she loves rapunzel, even for a moment. Which of course takes masterful performance, props to the actress playing this role. She absolutely slayed it.
The Witch of Into the Woods does love Rapunzel but in a disfunctional way as the previous comment said, you can see it watching the full Musical (not the movie, the Broadway production, it is here on youtube). The Witch from Rapunzel (Disney) is the manipulative one
@@karin_9900yeah it’s a rich complex relationship. One that you can see in other productions too (not the movie tho, the movie fucked up.) She does feel possessive toward Rapynzel and clearly cares for her but goes about in it a twisted way and punishes her when she thinks Rapunzel no longer loves her. It’s up to each audience member to decide whether they can see this behavior as parental love.
1:00 "I was not company enough?" Is framed I believe in the script as a question, and I've seen almost every other actor frame it as such. But here Peters delivers it not only as a question, but primarily as a *statement* . It's a realization. That Rapunzel HAS outgrown her, that she no longer needs her. It's an absolute bomb, thematically, for the musical; when a child no longer needs a parent the same way a parent needs their child. Peter's extremely subtle facial response, her cadence, her *restraint* in the delivery of the line; it's a breathtaking acting choice. It's why she's one of the best, all time, in American theater.
Such a perfect encapsulation of every moment of her performance. She does so much without doing much at all. No other Witch I’ve seen has made such a (observably wise choice)
Fun Fact: Donna Murphy, who played Mother Gothel in Tangled, also played the Witch in the 2012 production of Into The Woods. So basically this song is a precursor to Mother Knows Best.
Why must Bernadette be so goddamn good? She's ruined the possibility of me enjoying this show with anyone else in the role of the witch; hate when that happens!
I’ve seen plenty of comments here admiring bernadette, and it’s completely understandable! She is amazing in everything she does. But can we just give some admiration to Rapunzel’s actress? She is so good! I know she doesn’t get much screen time, but all of her screams are phenomenal
Her characterization of the witch is SPELLBINDING.. This song is the essence of the range that Bernadette Peters's Witch was .. Emotional, loving, yet fiercely possessive... A beautiful interpretation of this character that will never be matched...
True love can never be abusive, for it brings a mindset of wishing happiness unto others and still be aware of the happiness that suits them best. But true love is hard to reach and to mantain. _Love,_ the more common emotion, blinds us. Makes us selfish. Makes us abnegate. Makes us hurtful and caring and nurturing and spiteful. The Witch loved Rapunzel, but she indeed abused her. The Witch abused Rapunzel, but she indeed love her. All that comes back at her when she finds her daughter in the woods, and theb she realizes that she loved her with all her heart, and still she didn't love her enough. When you go Into the Woods, you must always be aware of your emotions and how you affect others. People make mistakes. You may not always be able to caress the face of others, but you should always try to make the punches they give and recieve softer.
I know, I know... the witch can at the very least be seen as manipulative. But, no matter the intention, what the witch says holds true in many ways. Also, Bernadette's sincerity makes the line "Who out there could love you more than I?" heartbreaking to me. So many mixed feelings with this song, it's brilliant.
I’ve always felt bad for the witch. She’s protective but overbearing and possessive. But the only motherhood the witch was familiar with was her own mother who placed a curse on her-her mother didn’t care enough, so she reacted by caring too much for rapunzel.
Not true. She was only contracted to do the show for 3 months. She did as a favor to Sondheim because they were having immense trouble finding a suitable Witch for the production. She agreed to do the production for 3 months and then have someone come in after her (Phylicia Rashad). It was NOT because she "missed so many performances."
@@jamesoniris2647 It was in response to @WerkHunty several years ago. For some reason, my comment no longer has their name attached. But you can see their comment if you scroll further down.
It reminds me of parents letting go of kids who move out, go to university, get married. When she sings "with me" at 2:44 and the strings come in, it is heart wrenching. Bravo Bernadette, you are a genius.
What did I clearly say Children should listen No, no, please What were you not to do Children must see No And learn Why could you not obey Children should listen What have I been to you What would you have me be Handsome like a Prince Ah, but I am old I am ugly I embarrass you No You are ashamed of me No You are ashamed You don't understand I am no longer a child, I wish to see the world Don't you know what's out there in the world Someone has to shield you from the world Stay with me Princes wait there in the world, it's true Princes, yes, but wolves and humans, too Stay at home I am home Who out there could love you more than I What out there that I cannot supply Stay with me Stay with me The world is dark and wild Stay a child while you can be a child With me
Peters is phenomenal! I watched this version of this play in the theater . What I saw and heard will stay with me forever . Peters intensity could be felt throughout the theater . She made you feel every emotion her character was feeling and you saw her side . This play makes the point that your wishes in life blind you to the other ways of looking at things - be careful what you wish for ,for it can be the spell that controls your life and others . Combining fairytales make the play more universal and powerful , hitting every archetype ,connecting your heart to the story line and coming out the other side a much more empathetic compassionate person . Be careful in the woods , we go there every day when we get out of bed .Pay more attention to how we treat each other - that’s the spell our behavior has on others just as we are affected by the spell of others . Dot let our wishes blind us to the wishes of others . Hard to see the light now , just don’t let that light go - no one is alone ! Great lyrics to live by .
I've played the Witch before, it's one of my favorite roles. This song was hard to perform without crying at first, it's so beautiful and emotional, even though it's all lies. I hope I can do this show again someday
She WAS nominated. Bernadette Peters as well as Joanna Gleason, (the baker's wife), were both nominated for the tony for best female actor of the show. Joanna won, and it was a huge upset. Where are you even getting your info?
She wasn't nominated. She didn't stay in the show long enough to be voted. If you watch the Tony's where they perform it's Phylicia Rashad as the witch
The critical question in Rapunzel always was whether the witch was punishing Rapunzel by locking her in the tower or was she looking out for her because she faced such cruelty in the world. Just food for thought.
❤❤❤❤❤ I was 17!!!! A Senior in Yellow Springs, Ohio HighcSchool!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤ I saw this on Broadway !! Wasn't my first time on Broadway!!!!! I was 5'1", 34"-24"-34"!!!! I stopped traffic!! Now I'm 40.40.40 and I STILL, stop traffic!!! My special treat, Almanso from Little House On The Prarie was in this!!!! I can see why Laura, Melissa Gilbert got the hots for him!!!! I was abandoned at birth and adopted too. Decades of no contact. Just a week ago, I called the son of the woman who adopted me. I have to use laser precision with my words because someone will call that woman my mother and she never was!!! He asked, "Are you calling about mom? " repeat, I said, "What about her?" She died on Wednesday and was buried on Saturday! It took longer to drive to Rioly, that to have her funeral, Rodney said he tried to call you!!" Karma is real, just ask that family who lay hands on the boat Co Captain in Montgomery 2023!!! 😅😅😅😅😅😅 My inheritance is my inheritance. I am due my share of the house, car, THE DIAMONDS!!!!! What's done in the dark will always come to light. My address is on here. Get it right Rodney and everyone else. When I die, you'll know in the Midnight Hour.....forever!!!!!!@!!
i mean i can’t help but side-eye disney for basically taking the whole concept of this dynamic and robbing it of its complexity in tangled, AND THEN releasing that absolute insult of an into the woods movie. don’t get me wrong, i do genuinely love tangled, but in the end you never get much of a sense that gothel loves rapunzel - she just pretends & uses her for her magic. but here, the witch clearly does love her. she is still being selfish, she’s still being an abuser, and the way she expresses her love is violent and toxic, and rapunzel is right to want to leave. that doesn’t mean that the love isn’t here - it just means that the love isn’t ENOUGH to make up for the abuse. which is a much more complex and in-depth look at parental abuse than what we see in tangled.
I’m so upset they gave rapunzle a “good ending” and removed her death, thus erasing the witch’s lament entirely, proving how she was right and that the world really was as cruel as she said it was. That was the driving force for last midnight but they completely took it out….. It was so important to her character arc and the reason behind the lines “witches can be right” (no one is alone) and “im not good im nice im just right” (last midnight) made any sense! They censored her character depth so much
tangled is a different interpretation of the same fairy tale. the two mother gothels are not the same character, and that’s fine. they’re different stories.
Here we have Bernadette Peters playing the witch and ........... wait is that..... is that Natalie Portman?!?!?!?! (I know it's know but the similarity is striking)
she wasn't even nominated. she left the show because she missed so many performances, which is why on the tony telecast, phylicia rashad is playing the witch. she took over bernadette before the tonys.
Bernadette Peters left to film a movie, not for the reasons you stated. Phylicia Rashad wasn't Peter's replacement either; Rashad replaced Betsy Joslyn, who was Peter's immediate replacement.
I find this song oddly romantic... Imagine the same words sung by a man, desperately in love with a young woman. Perhaps she sees him as less handsome than another suitor. Still, he knows that no one else will love and protect her like he can.
Nah. It still sounds suffocating and abusive. He wants to decide instead of her what's good for her. To keep her in a "child state" even though she's not a child.
I could see the Phantom singing this to Christine. On an unrelated not it would be interesting if there was a version of Rapunzel where the witch was a lesbian and a pedophile who was in love with Rapunzel and wanted to keep her to herself and jealous of the prince.
What did I clearly say Children should listen No, no, please What were you not to do Children must see No And learn Why could you not obey Children should listen What have I been to you What would you have me be Handsome like a Prince Ah, but I am old I am ugly I embarrass you No You are ashamed of me No You are ashamed You don't understand I am no longer a child, I wish to see the world Don't you know what's out there in the world Someone has to shield you from the world Stay with me Princes wait there in the world, it's true Princes, yes, but wolves and humans, too Stay at home I am home Who out there could love you more than I What out there that I cannot supply Stay with me Stay with me The world is dark and wild Stay a child while you can be a child With me
_"Who out there could love you more than I?"_
Damn, that's a powerful voice.
@Adrian Fung she did have bravado in how she sang it, but im thinkin maybe you mean "
vibrato"?
i cried
I came to this video because this line has been replaying in my head for days, so I’m glad someone else felt it!
its my favorite part in the song. Meryl streep is the best in my opinion but this was phenomenal
We all know the witch is manipulating her, but during her performance none of us can help but to break at least a little while she sings this number. Especially during the last few lines “stay a child while you can be a child…with me~” You genuinely believe that she loves rapunzel, even for a moment. Which of course takes masterful performance, props to the actress playing this role. She absolutely slayed it.
she loves Rapunzel, but she does it in a disfunctional way.
The Witch of Into the Woods does love Rapunzel but in a disfunctional way as the previous comment said, you can see it watching the full Musical (not the movie, the Broadway production, it is here on youtube). The Witch from Rapunzel (Disney) is the manipulative one
@@karin_9900yeah it’s a rich complex relationship. One that you can see in other productions too (not the movie tho, the movie fucked up.)
She does feel possessive toward Rapynzel and clearly cares for her but goes about in it a twisted way and punishes her when she thinks Rapunzel no longer loves her. It’s up to each audience member to decide whether they can see this behavior as parental love.
Bernadette Peters - phenom!
I agree, its the just follow up with her ripping out her hair omg
“stay a child while you can be a child” with the brass behind it gets me every time. magnificent.
1:00 "I was not company enough?" Is framed I believe in the script as a question, and I've seen almost every other actor frame it as such.
But here Peters delivers it not only as a question, but primarily as a *statement* . It's a realization. That Rapunzel HAS outgrown her, that she no longer needs her. It's an absolute bomb, thematically, for the musical; when a child no longer needs a parent the same way a parent needs their child. Peter's extremely subtle facial response, her cadence, her *restraint* in the delivery of the line; it's a breathtaking acting choice. It's why she's one of the best, all time, in American theater.
She perfectly does Sondheims musicals best
Yes yes yes and yes.
Such a perfect encapsulation of every moment of her performance. She does so much without doing much at all.
No other Witch I’ve seen has made such a (observably wise choice)
Fun Fact: Donna Murphy, who played Mother Gothel in Tangled, also played the Witch in the 2012 production of Into The Woods. So basically this song is a precursor to Mother Knows Best.
Bernadette Peters also played Cinderella's stepmother, but in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella
Definitely got that vibe
Tangled came out 2 years prior.
I love it
@@poopityscoop839 This musical came out in 1987
This song always brings me to tears
Me too every time
Me too. Big time.
Me too !Tears!!!💔 We should listen parents, because they're one of the world.
Why must Bernadette be so goddamn good? She's ruined the possibility of me enjoying this show with anyone else in the role of the witch; hate when that happens!
kundun5 watch the movie into the woods with Meryl Streep & Vanessa Williams revival. you'll be surprised.
Check out the Hannah Waddingham version--she's surprising
Courtney Joy yeah love Meryl but not the best
@@steppeaa Hannah is hands down my favourite Witch
Check out Meryl she's my favorite version
Bernadette Peters is the Meryl Streep of Broadway. She can take any part and knock it out of the park.
Meryl Streep actually played this part in the movie version
The “who out there could love you more than I!!” Always gets me omg
I’ve seen plenty of comments here admiring bernadette, and it’s completely understandable! She is amazing in everything she does. But can we just give some admiration to Rapunzel’s actress? She is so good! I know she doesn’t get much screen time, but all of her screams are phenomenal
She is wonderful here
Her characterization of the witch is SPELLBINDING.. This song is the essence of the range that Bernadette Peters's Witch was .. Emotional, loving, yet fiercely possessive... A beautiful interpretation of this character that will never be matched...
True love can never be abusive, for it brings a mindset of wishing happiness unto others and still be aware of the happiness that suits them best.
But true love is hard to reach and to mantain. _Love,_ the more common emotion, blinds us. Makes us selfish. Makes us abnegate. Makes us hurtful and caring and nurturing and spiteful.
The Witch loved Rapunzel, but she indeed abused her. The Witch abused Rapunzel, but she indeed love her. All that comes back at her when she finds her daughter in the woods, and theb she realizes that she loved her with all her heart, and still she didn't love her enough.
When you go Into the Woods, you must always be aware of your emotions and how you affect others. People make mistakes. You may not always be able to caress the face of others, but you should always try to make the punches they give and recieve softer.
No one asked you.
@@matthewibarra6280 rude for absolutely no reason
@@matthewibarra6280 And you decided to belittle the commenter? Who hurt you so much that you go attack on random kind people on the internet?
1:34, she times her facial expression change to the orchestra strike. This is craft.
Because Rapenzel turned her back to her. Genius!!
nice
I know, I know... the witch can at the very least be seen as manipulative. But, no matter the intention, what the witch says holds true in many ways. Also, Bernadette's sincerity makes the line "Who out there could love you more than I?" heartbreaking to me. So many mixed feelings with this song, it's brilliant.
I completely agree ❤
I’ve always felt bad for the witch. She’s protective but overbearing and possessive. But the only motherhood the witch was familiar with was her own mother who placed a curse on her-her mother didn’t care enough, so she reacted by caring too much for rapunzel.
she's saying such awful things so beautifully
Sums up the song perfectly!
Not true. She was only contracted to do the show for 3 months. She did as a favor to Sondheim because they were having immense trouble finding a suitable Witch for the production. She agreed to do the production for 3 months and then have someone come in after her (Phylicia Rashad). It was NOT because she "missed so many performances."
Who were you trying to prove wrong? I feel like I'm missing a important piece of the puzzle here...
@@jamesoniris2647 It was in response to @WerkHunty several years ago. For some reason, my comment no longer has their name attached. But you can see their comment if you scroll further down.
Whoa Phylicia Rashad?? Damn I had no idea.
@@jamesoniris2647 congrats for replying on a 7 year old comment and actually getting a response from the OP
@@marblebongos2794 thank you, its my natural talent.
Bernadette Petters AMAZING here
Anyone who’s played Rapunzel knows the struggle of dealing with knee bruises after this song lmaooo
Yup
I'm so glad we all shared the same experience lol
It reminds me of parents letting go of kids who move out, go to university, get married. When she sings "with me" at 2:44 and the strings come in, it is heart wrenching. Bravo Bernadette, you are a genius.
Literally came here 2 years later to say the EXACT same thing
What did I clearly say
Children should listen
No, no, please
What were you not to do
Children must see
No
And learn
Why could you not obey
Children should listen
What have I been to you
What would you have me be
Handsome like a Prince
Ah, but I am old
I am ugly
I embarrass you
No
You are ashamed of me
No
You are ashamed
You don't understand
I am no longer a child, I wish to see the world
Don't you know what's out there in the world
Someone has to shield you from the world
Stay with me
Princes wait there in the world, it's true
Princes, yes, but wolves and humans, too
Stay at home
I am home
Who out there could love you more than I
What out there that I cannot supply
Stay with me
Stay with me
The world is dark and wild
Stay a child while you can be a child
With me
Peters is phenomenal! I watched this version of this play in the theater . What I saw and heard will stay with me forever . Peters intensity could be felt throughout the theater . She made you feel every emotion her character was feeling and you saw her side . This play makes the point that your wishes in life blind you to the other ways of looking at things - be careful what you wish for ,for it can be the spell that controls your life and others . Combining fairytales make the play more universal and powerful , hitting every archetype ,connecting your heart to the story line and coming out the other side a much more empathetic compassionate person . Be careful in the woods , we go there every day when we get out of bed .Pay more attention to how we treat each other - that’s the spell our behavior has on others just as we are affected by the spell of others . Dot let our wishes blind us to the wishes of others . Hard to see the light now , just don’t let that light go - no one is alone ! Great lyrics to live by .
I believe that this is the most perfect song EVER written
obsessed w this i keep watching it and crying
Wig snatched
“I am old I am ugly I embarrass you”
How can Rapunzel be embarrassed of her mother when she doesn’t even know anybody else
"i'll show you a world you've never seen!" -rips hair off- lol
Well, if that's love, it comes at much too high a cost!
Bernadette Peters killed it as a witch, especially with this song.
literally OBSESSED with this character
WHY IS SHE SO GOOD
Excellent acting from Bernadette. And that singing. "Don't you know what's out there in the world?"
I’m playing the witch right now as my high school is doing a production of into the woods and I take all my inspiration from Bernadette 🤩
Congratulations!!! I know you'll kill it!!!!!
Good choice!
She is absolutely perfect for this part. That being said, I’d love to hear Patti Lupone sing this
My Goodness she is so amazing! Most amazing actress and singer ever
Rapunzels hair looks like a noodle
Louie Parnala I think it’s supposed to look stupid
Her hair said : 🍜 🍜 🍜
Men find her approachable cause her eyes are large and her hair looks like beautiful spaghetti
Yellow as corn
@@DiscoInfernal999
Her name said: 🥬 🥬 🥬
I've played the Witch before, it's one of my favorite roles. This song was hard to perform without crying at first, it's so beautiful and emotional, even though it's all lies. I hope I can do this show again someday
None of this song is a lie to a mother.
Not gonna lie. I'm a bit obsessed with this!
god this song is beautiful.. i used to listen to this all the time as a kid
She is definitely the best witch in into the woods history
My school is doing this and I am the witch! ;D
Sick, my schools doing it this year and I’m also the witch
Beautiful. She did such a good job with that song.
Just saw her in Sunset BLVD. THAT VOICE IS ON!!!!!
Peters did such a beautiful job with this song.❤
Mind-blowingly amazing
I knew it would happen someday, but I still wasn’t ready for the news. Thank you for the music, Stephen.
We were at the original , the cast was perfect , but burnedettes costume unbelievable , and we were seated 3 row .
I watched this musical when I was little. Glad to find it again.
Hey for so long this song hunts me how my parents love me. 😢
She WAS nominated. Bernadette Peters as well as Joanna Gleason, (the baker's wife), were both nominated for the tony for best female actor of the show. Joanna won, and it was a huge upset. Where are you even getting your info?
@Perris Kertroy Fortson That's right.
She wasn't nominated. She didn't stay in the show long enough to be voted. If you watch the Tony's where they perform it's Phylicia Rashad as the witch
She wasn’t nominated but she did present the award and gave it to joanna
This is just like "mother knows best" but if Gothel actually cared about Rapunzel lol
The critical question in Rapunzel always was whether the witch was punishing Rapunzel by locking her in the tower or was she looking out for her because she faced such cruelty in the world. Just food for thought.
Self isolation period: ends
Netflix be like
Goosebumps👏💗
I Always cry....
Having loved a daughter I can relate Ms Witch!
beautiful
truly amazing and powerful
Just beautiful
❤❤❤❤❤ I was 17!!!! A Senior in Yellow Springs, Ohio HighcSchool!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤ I saw this on Broadway !! Wasn't my first time on Broadway!!!!! I was 5'1", 34"-24"-34"!!!! I stopped traffic!! Now I'm 40.40.40 and I STILL, stop traffic!!!
My special treat, Almanso from Little House On The Prarie was in this!!!! I can see why Laura, Melissa Gilbert got the hots for him!!!! I was abandoned at birth and adopted too. Decades of no contact. Just a week ago, I called the son of the woman who adopted me. I have to use laser precision with my words because someone will call that woman my mother and she never was!!! He asked, "Are you calling about mom? " repeat, I said, "What about her?" She died on Wednesday and was buried on Saturday! It took longer to drive to Rioly, that to have her funeral, Rodney said he tried to call you!!"
Karma is real, just ask that family who lay hands on the boat Co Captain in Montgomery 2023!!! 😅😅😅😅😅😅 My inheritance is my inheritance. I am due my share of the house, car, THE DIAMONDS!!!!! What's done in the dark will always come to light. My address is on here. Get it right Rodney and everyone else. When I die, you'll know in the Midnight Hour.....forever!!!!!!@!!
This is so moving!!!
Simply amazing
i mean i can’t help but side-eye disney for basically taking the whole concept of this dynamic and robbing it of its complexity in tangled, AND THEN releasing that absolute insult of an into the woods movie.
don’t get me wrong, i do genuinely love tangled, but in the end you never get much of a sense that gothel loves rapunzel - she just pretends & uses her for her magic. but here, the witch clearly does love her. she is still being selfish, she’s still being an abuser, and the way she expresses her love is violent and toxic, and rapunzel is right to want to leave. that doesn’t mean that the love isn’t here - it just means that the love isn’t ENOUGH to make up for the abuse. which is a much more complex and in-depth look at parental abuse than what we see in tangled.
I’m so upset they gave rapunzle a “good ending” and removed her death, thus erasing the witch’s lament entirely, proving how she was right and that the world really was as cruel as she said it was. That was the driving force for last midnight but they completely took it out….. It was so important to her character arc and the reason behind the lines “witches can be right” (no one is alone) and “im not good im nice im just right” (last midnight) made any sense! They censored her character depth so much
tangled is a different interpretation of the same fairy tale. the two mother gothels are not the same character, and that’s fine. they’re different stories.
Rapunzel screams still haunt me to this day
Simply the best
That scream at the end was the funniest scream I've ever heard😂😂😂😂
Uh really. Her scream is loud and so the witch cuts her long hair and send her to the dessert and I don’t think it’s funny. Trust me
@@emilydiveley9661 I'm sorry I feel sorry for her but her scream tho
I shown my sisters this last week they laughed too
@@gionnijohnson9054 it’s ok
@@emilydiveley9661 thank you mam good night and I'll see you tomorrow
I have school early in the morning I get up at 8:00😪😪😴😴😴🌕🌕
@@gionnijohnson9054 ok
The scream at the end
Witch: I WILL SHOW YOU A WORLD YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN
Also Witch: *snatches extension*
Me: XD XD XD
Here we have Bernadette Peters playing the witch and ........... wait is that..... is that Natalie Portman?!?!?!?! (I know it's know but the similarity is striking)
QUEEN!
Me to my indoor cat
God this is good.
spoiler alert, the witch goes all locks of love on Rapunzel
I didn't realise it was a show before it was a movie/musical.
The song of the empty nester.
She fucking bodied this song!
This song reminds me of my mother
Princes yes but wolves and humans too... story of my life
You can really feel the witch's pain in this song 😩
"I was not company enough..."
and she lost the Tony why???
She wasn't nominated. The only ones in the cast to get a Tony nomination were Joanna Gleason and Robert Westenberg.
0:59
Yes
Poor rapunzel
I can't even tell that this is Bernadette Peters they did too well with the makeup far too well.
So Gothel and Rapunzel relationship from Tangled is a rip off of this, huh
the witch and rapunzel relationship always existed before tangled or into the wood were created. it comes from the original fairytale
Hair. Cuines
she wasn't even nominated. she left the show because she missed so many performances, which is why on the tony telecast, phylicia rashad is playing the witch. she took over bernadette before the tonys.
Bernadette Peters left to film a movie, not for the reasons you stated. Phylicia Rashad wasn't Peter's replacement either; Rashad replaced Betsy Joslyn, who was Peter's immediate replacement.
I find this song oddly romantic... Imagine the same words sung by a man, desperately in love with a young woman. Perhaps she sees him as less handsome than another suitor. Still, he knows that no one else will love and protect her like he can.
You mean a yandere?
Nah. It still sounds suffocating and abusive. He wants to decide instead of her what's good for her. To keep her in a "child state" even though she's not a child.
I could see the Phantom singing this to Christine. On an unrelated not it would be interesting if there was a version of Rapunzel where the witch was a lesbian and a pedophile who was in love with Rapunzel and wanted to keep her to herself and jealous of the prince.
this would be even more unsettling sung by a man, not romantic at all
What did I clearly say
Children should listen
No, no, please
What were you not to do
Children must see
No
And learn
Why could you not obey
Children should listen
What have I been to you
What would you have me be
Handsome like a Prince
Ah, but I am old
I am ugly
I embarrass you
No
You are ashamed of me
No
You are ashamed
You don't understand
I am no longer a child, I wish to see the world
Don't you know what's out there in the world
Someone has to shield you from the world
Stay with me
Princes wait there in the world, it's true
Princes, yes, but wolves and humans, too
Stay at home
I am home
Who out there could love you more than I
What out there that I cannot supply
Stay with me
Stay with me
The world is dark and wild
Stay a child while you can be a child
With me
1:12