Nader Abbassi conducting (If I loved you) with Soprano Amira Selim

"If I Loved You" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel.

The song was introduced by John Raitt as "Billy Bigelow" and Jan Clayton as "Julie". It was performed in the 1956 Carousel (film) version by Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones.

In the show, the characters of Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan sing this song as they hesitantly declare their love for one another, yet are too shy to express their true feelings.
The song was in turn inspired by lines of dialogue from Ferenc Molnár's original Liliom, the source material for the musical.
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If I loved you, life would be easy
There'd be no truth that I'd be scared of
I could walk through every valley
And you'd light me with all of your love

But I don't love you, not like I want to
I don't love you and that makes it hard
And every morning, I see how you watch me
And each night I know you feel it and it just breaks your heart

You'd make good money and come home early
And you'd kiss me and hold me each night
We would have children and they would be so beautiful
And we'd raise them and all would be right

But I don't love you, not like you need it
I don't love you, good as you are
And when I kiss you, I know that you can feel it
And I see it in your eyes, and it just breaks my heart

I wish to God I could change it, darling
Could make you the one
I will always have these regrets and wonder
What else I could have done
I will

'Cause if I loved you, I could be happy
I would make you the light of my world
I wouldn't wait, love, I'd marry you tomorrow
And we'd make love and I'd be your girl

But I don't love you, much as I want to
I don't love you, no, it would be a lie
And you deserve love, you're better than a good day
And you'll find it, but just not in my eyes

'Cause it ain't here love, no
And it just breaks my heart