As Long as You're Mine Lyrics – Wicked

Song Overview

Song Credits

• Producer: Stephen Schwartz
• Writer: Stephen Schwartz
• Vocals: Idina Menzel & Norbert Leo Butz
• Release Date: December 16, 2003
• Album: Wicked (15th Anniversary Special Edition)
• Genre: Broadway, Pop, Soundtrack
• Label: Decca Broadway
• Phonographic Copyright: ? Decca Broadway
• Copyrights: © Stephen Schwartz
• Language: English
• Instruments: Violin, Viola, Cello, Harp, Trumpet, Trombone, Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, French Horn, Drums, Bass, Piano, Keyboards, Guitar, Percussion, Saxophone, Clarinet
• Music Style: Broadway Ballad, Romantic Duet
• Conductor: Stephen Oremus
• Recorded At: Avatar Studios

Song Meaning and Annotations

"As Long As You’re Mine" from Wicked is the quiet storm at the heart of a whirlwind story. This isn’t a big ensemble number—it’s intimate, shadowy, and pulsing with restrained passion. Idina Menzel and Norbert Leo Butz slip into this duet like they’re sharing a secret in the dark. The tempo slows, the world shrinks, and suddenly, it’s just them—Elphaba and Fiyero—trying to freeze a moment they both know is already slipping away.

The song is soaked in the sweet ache of fleeting happiness. Fiyero has just walked away from Glinda, choosing a love that’s dangerous and uncertain. Elphaba can hardly believe he’s there, that he’s hers. The melody wraps around their voices like a protective blanket, as if they could hide from the inevitable. It’s sensual, yes, but it’s also drenched in that bittersweet knowledge that what they have can’t last. It’s a borrowed night, borrowed moonlight, and they both know it.

And just for this moment, as long as you’re mine / I’ve lost all resistance and crossed some border line

Elphaba surrenders here—not just to Fiyero, but to the idea that for once, she doesn’t have to fight. For once, she can be wanted, can be held, without bracing for rejection. It’s a soft, vulnerable admission from a character who has been pushing the world away since curtain up.

Creation History

Stephen Schwartz crafted this duet to slow the frantic pace of Act II and give space for intimacy. It’s not just a love song—it’s a heartbeat, a pulse inside the chaos. The lyrics are minimal but loaded, and the orchestration hums quietly in the background, never crowding the moment. The arrangement gives the scene room to breathe, letting the stolen romance take center stage.

Verse Breakdown

Elphaba’s Opening: "Kiss me too fiercely, hold me too tight"—Elphaba wants to be overwhelmed. She’s asking Fiyero to convince her that this is real, to obliterate doubt. It’s that desperate plea of someone who isn’t used to being chosen.

Fiyero’s Verse: Fiyero drops his charm-armor here. "Maybe I’m brainless, maybe I’m wise"—he admits he’s stepping into this blind, but it’s the clearest he’s ever felt. His old philosophy of dancing through life falls away in the gravity of this connection.

Shared Chorus: They both lean into the temporary magic, choosing to hold the moment instead of fearing its end. There’s a breathless quality here, as if they’re racing against the dawn.

Elphaba’s Final Line: "For the first time, I feel Wicked." This is one of those beautifully ironic punches. Wicked, in this context, doesn’t mean evil—it means powerful, free, alive. It’s a personal rebellion, a claiming of her own story.

Metaphors and Symbols

The borrowed moonlight is such a gorgeous symbol—it’s soft, temporary, something they don’t own but can share while it lasts. The idea of "waking up my body" isn't just about physicality—it’s about waking up emotionally, stepping out of numbness. Every line carries the weight of impermanence, and that’s what makes the song hit so hard. They know this can’t last, but they dive in anyway.

Similar Songs

1. "All I Ask" – Adele
   Both songs pulse with the ache of something temporary. Adele’s plea for one last night with someone she knows she can’t keep feels like a modern echo of Elphaba’s desperation. The slow pacing, the rich vocals—they’re both emotionally loaded, both clutching at a moment that’s already vanishing.
2. "Come What May" – from Moulin Rouge!
   Here’s another duet where love is both a sanctuary and a battlefield. Both couples know their love is fragile, possibly doomed, but they cling to it anyway. The swelling melodies, the whispered promises—both songs live in that electric space where passion collides with inevitability.
3. "Falling Slowly" – from Once
   "Falling Slowly" shares the quiet, almost hesitant beauty of "As Long As You’re Mine." Both tracks capture a kind of unscripted, imperfect intimacy, where the connection feels both accidental and life-changing. They let the silences do as much talking as the lyrics.

Questions and Answers

What is the main theme of "As Long As You’re Mine"?

The song captures the fleeting, desperate beauty of a forbidden romance. It’s about surrendering to a love that might be doomed but feels worth every second.

Why is this moment important for Elphaba’s character?

It’s the first time Elphaba allows herself to feel wanted and to fully embrace her own desires without shame or self-protection. It’s a rare window into her vulnerability and hope.

How does the music support the intimacy of the scene?

The soft orchestration, slow tempo, and hushed harmonies wrap the scene in a cocoon of stillness. It allows the emotional tension to simmer without being drowned by grand instrumentation.

What does Elphaba mean when she says, "I feel Wicked"?

Here, "Wicked" is almost reclaimed—it’s her feeling fully alive, free, and defiant. It’s a playful but profound moment where she steps into her own identity on her terms.

How does this duet connect to the larger story arc in Wicked?

It cements Fiyero and Elphaba’s bond, which becomes a driving force behind several of their decisions later. Their love challenges the expectations of Oz and pushes both characters into choices that define their fates.