Phantom Take 2

Because Mommy and Auntie wanted to watch Phantom Of The Opera, I ended up seeing the movie again. Strangely enough, I found myself enjoying it more the second time around. Yun lang nga, the dragging parts were even more of a chore to watch; as much as I love the song “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again”, I fell asleep during that musical number. And while the Phantom was singing the reprise of “Masquerade” at the end (when he let the lovers go), I had this sudden insight as to maybe why I’ve remained single for so long. And this time I stayed to listen to the new song written especially for the movie’s end credits (thus providing the movie with an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song).

Learn To Be Lonely

Child of the wilderness
Born into emptiness
Learn to be lonely
Learn to find your way in darkness.
Who will be there for you?
Comfort and care for you?
Learn to be lonely
Learn to be your one companion.
Never dreamed out in the world
There are arms to hold you?
You’ve always known
Your heart was on its own.
So laugh in your loneliness,
Child of the wilderness.
Learn to be lonely
Learn how to love life that is lived alone.
Learn to be lonely
Life can be lived
Life can be loved
Alone.

Now it’s clearer to me why I was such a Phantom fan when everyone else was going gaga over Les Miserables. I mean, “On My Own” and “A Little Fall Of Rain” are heart-breaking songs, but the Victor Hugo novel-turned-musical was way too miserable and dealt more with social and political issues. Phantom is in essence a story of unrequited love and a man who hides himself from the world out of fear.