Greatest love songs ever: #38 “All I Ask of You”

By Tom Quiner

“All I Ask of You” is a soaring operatic pop love song that explores a different aspect of love than the previous songs on my list of the ’52 Greatest Love Songs Ever.’ It talks about our desire to be safe. Its robust lyrics demonstrate that a loving relationship provides a harbor from the storms of life that besiege us at times.

“All I Ask of You” is the dramatic Act One closing song from Andrew Lloyd Webster’s musical, “Phantom of the Opera.” Younger readers of this blog may not be familiar with this 1986 musical. It won a bucketful of awards, and to this day is the longest-running Broadway show in history.

I’m embarrassed to say that when my wife and I saw it performed on Broadway, we slept through much of the first act. That was no reflection on the show itself, but rather the sumptuous meal (with wine) which preceded it, not to mention the toasty warm balcony seats in which we sat.

Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe added the lyrics that elevate Webber’s melody into the stratosphere:

“No more talk of darkness,

Forget these wide-eyed fears,

I’m here, nothing can harm you,

My words will warm and calm you.”

These words invoke Saint John Paul the Great’s quote:

“Darkness can only be scattered by light, and hatred can only be conquered by love.”

We live in darkness when we sin, blocking out love. By contrast, romantic love between a man and a woman bathes us in light and reveals the wonderful possibilities of life: marriage, family, commitment, safety, security. Marriage is one of the keys to reducing abortion, as the overwhelming number of abortions occur outside of marriage.

True love is truthful

“All I Ask of You” addresses this, a cornerstone of a solid marriage, in these wonderful lyrics:

“Promise me that all you say is true,

That’s all I ask of you.”

Yes! What a great love song.

Not everyone is a fan of opera. Lloyd-Webber writes great musicals that could be described as opera-lite. Many opera aficionados turn their nose up at musical theater, but rank-and-file music lovers find the pop-opera sound quite accessible, and in particular, “All I Ask of You.”

The video at the top of the page showcases the song from the 2004 movie version of the stage play, with Emmy Rossum (Christine) and Patrick Wilson (Raoul) in the roles as the lovers. (Gerard Butler lurks in the background in the role of the Phantom.)

Sarah Brightman, the former Mrs. Andrew Lloyd Weber, and original Christine when ‘Phantom’ premiered, knocks it out of the park in this great performance with Michael Ball:

Sarah Brightman sings “All I Ask of You”

I really appreciate the depth of these lyrics:

“Then say you’ll share with me,

One love, one lifetime.”

What a breathtaking rebuke to the hook-up culture. Do you understand how counter-cultural this message is? Do you understand how important this message is for the salvation of Western Civilization? Abortion advocates reading this post would surely roll their eyes at the last statement. As a rule, they disparage chastity and commitment, as well as the dignity of unborn human beings.

“One love, one lifetime”

‘One love, one lifetime’ is an idea that has fallen out of fashion. But it is the best way, because it’s God’s way. End. Of. Story.

Modern so-called love songs treat women as sex objects. For some reason, modern feminists let rap artists get away with it. “All I Ask of You” acknowledges that “nothing can harm you” when your life is wrapped in the arms of a Godly love affair.

I have now presented you with fifteen incredible love songs. If this series were to end right now, I truly believe your life will have been enriched by being exposed to such beautiful music and lyrics. Amazingly, it just keeps getting better. Next week, we’ll bask ourselves in the glow of a love song written 102 years ago by an American song-writing legend. See you then!

Be sure to encourage your friends to subscribe to our blog. We’re counting down the ’52 Greatest Love Songs Ever’ a week at a time. Why? Because love is the greatest antidote to abortion. Thanks for checking in. See you next week!

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