Elizabeth Olah

Song Preparation Sheet

Song Title: I Wish I Could Forget You
Passion (1994)

Show Title (and Date):

Composer: Stephen Sondheim

Lyricist: Stephen Sondheim

Character Name: Fosca

Original Actor: Donna Murphy

Genre and Style: Modern traditional ballad

Scene Synopsis: Fosca is the principle-leading lady in the musiscal,
burdened with disease and ugliness. She suffers from slight spells from
epilepsy, which causes her to scream often and spontaneously. The song
occurs in the middle of the first act, and Fosca is very sick in her bed
accompanied by the handsome captain, Giorgio. It is 1863 in Milan, in the late
evening. Fosca asks Giorgio to write a letter for her from him. Fosca is singing
to Giorgio all the things she wants him to write to her.
Particularized Situation (if different from scene synopsis): N/a
Goal/Objective: I want him to mean what Im telling him to say.
Obstacle: He is in love with Clara.
Strategy: Be aggressive. Use pity to my power.
Research Done: Passion won three Tony Awards including Best Original
Score, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Musical. Donna Murphy, who played
Fosca, also won Best Leading Actress in a Musical. It was based on Ettore
Scolas film Passione dAmore and Iginio Ugo Tarchettis novel Fosca. Passion
was not well-received by the audience at first, because of no one could
believe Giorgio would fall in love with Fosca.
Song Structure: AABA
Lyric Analysis (label verses, chorus, etc.):
(Verse,A,Etc.)
Lyric
Verse 1
I wish I could forget
you
Erase you from my
mind
But ever since I met
you I find I cannot
leave the thought of

Subtext

ACTION (Verb)

I hate that I cant get

you out of my head.

To lament.
To recall.

I dont love you, but I

wish I could.

To resist.

you behind.
That doesnt mean I
love you.
I wish that I could love
you.
I know that Ive upset
you
I know Ive been
unkind.
I wanted you to vanish
from sight,
But now I see you in a
different light.
And though I cannot
love you,
I wish that I could love
you.
For now Im seeing love
Like none Ive ever
known.
A love as pure as
breath
As permanent as death
Impeccable as stone.
A love that like a knife
has cut into a life I
wanted left alone.
A love a may regret
But one I cant forget.
I dont know how I let
you
So far inside my mind.
But there you are and
there you will stay.
How could I ever wish
you away?
I see now I was blind.
And should you die
tomorrow
Another thing I see,
Your love will live in
me.

I was awful to you.

To admit.

I wanted you to
disappear.
But now things are
different.
I still cannot love you,
though I wish I could.

To soothe.

To confess.
I see the strongest,
purest love in you.

A love that I didnt

want.

To wonder.
Youll always be in my
head and heart.
I want you.

To surrender.