The Point of No Return is a song from The Phantom of the Opera between the musical's title character, the Phantom, and his love interest, Christine. The song is part of the Phantom's opera, Don Juan Triumphant, which he forces the opera to stage. The title character, Don Juan, is a womanizer whose errant ways condemn him to hell; today, best remembered from the play of the same name by Molière, an opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and a poem by George Gordon, Lord Byron. Piangi is supposed to sing the title role, but the Phantom strangles him and takes his place. Christine takes the role of Don Juan's soon-to-be conquest.
The song focuses on the Phantom's seduction of Christine, but, at the end of the song, the Phantom sings a short reprise of "All I Ask Of You", asking that Christine be with him, instead of Raoul. She responds by removing the Phantom's mask, so that the entire audience can see his deformed face. Enraged, he flees the stage with Christine in tow.
2004 Lyrics
Phantom:
Passarino, go away;
for the trap, it is set and waits for its prey.
You have come here
in pursuit of your deepest urge;
in pursuit of that wish, which, 'till now, has been silent;
silent.
I have brought you;
that our passions may fuse and merge!
In your mind, you've already succumbed to me;
dropped all defenses; completely succumbed to me.
Now, you are here with me.
No second thoughts.
You've decided;
decided.
Past the point of no return!
No backward glances!
Our games of make-believe are at an end.
Past all thought of "if" or "when"!
No use resisting!
Abandon thought and let the dream descend!
What raging fire shall flood the soul?
What rich desire unlocks its door?
What sweet seduction lies before us?
Past the point of no return!
The final threshold!
What warm unspoken secrets will we learn
beyond the point of no return?
Christine:
You have brought me
to that moment when words run dry;
to that moment when speech disappears into silence;
silence.
I have come here,
hardly knowing the reason why.
In my mind, I've already imagined our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent.
Now, I am here with you.
No second thoughts.
I've decided;
decided.
Past the point of no return!
No going back now!
Our passion play has now, at last, begun.
Past all thought of right or wrong!
One final question:
How long should we, too, wait before we're one?
When will the blood begin to race?
The sleeping bud burst into bloom?
When will the flames, at last, consume us?
Both:
Past the point of no return!
The final threshold!
The bridge is crossed,
so stand and watch it burn!
We've passed the point of no return!
Phantom, in a soft, sad tone:
Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime.
Lead me; save me from my solitude.
Say you'll want me with you here, beside you.
Anywhere you go, let me go, too!
Christine, that's all I ask of y-
Christine removes the Phantom's mask.