No Way to Stop it

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

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No Way to Stop it

Lyrics By Oscar Hammerstein II  Music By Richard Rodgers

After avoiding the subject for most of their visit, Elsa and Max talk plainly with the Captain about responding to the coming Anschluss. Max and Elsa, who’d rather make friends than enemies, encourage the Captain to “compromise” and be “non-committal.” But he remains steadfast in his loyalty to his homeland and refuses to capitulate.

“No Way to Stop It” is the most overtly political song in the score, underscoring the significant conflict between the Captain and Elsa. Max, meanwhile, cooperates with the “New Regime” and accepts his position within it.

Neither this song nor “How Can Love Survive?” was included in the film adaptation, eliminating any singing from Elsa or Max.

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No Way To Stop It

Original handwritten sheet music for “No Way To Stop It”

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“No Way to Stop it” LYRICS

Elsa:
You dear, attractive, dewy-eyed idealist—
Today you have to learn to be a realist!

Max:
You may be bent on doing deeds of derring-do,
But up against a shark what can a herring do?

Elsa:
Be wise, compromise!

Captain:
Compromise and be wise.

Elsa:
Let them think you’re on their side,
Be noncommital.

Captain:
I will not bow my head to the men I  despise.

Max:
You don’t have to bow your head, Just stoop a little!

Elsa:
Why not learn to put your faith and your reliance
On an obvious and simple fact of science?

A crazy planet full of crazy people
Is somersaulting all around the sky,
And ev’ry time it turns another somersault,
Another day goes by!

And there’s no way to stop it,
No, there’s no way to stop it,
No, you can’t stop it even if you try.
So I’m not going to worry,
No, I’m not going to worry,
Ev’ry time I see another day go by.

Max:
While somersaulting at a cockeyed angle,
We make a cockeyed circle round the sun.
And when we circle back to where we started from,
Another year has run.

And there’s no way to stop it,
No, there’s no way to stop it
If the earth wants to roll around the sun!
You’re a fool if you worry,
You’re a fool if you worry
Over anything but little Number One!

Captain:
That’s you!

Elsa:
That’s I.

Max:
And I.

Captain:
And me!
That all-absorbing character—

Elsa:
That fascinating creature—

Max:
That super-special feature—

All three:
Me!

Captain:
So ev’ry star and ev’ry whirling planet,

All three:
And ev’ry constellation in the sky
Revolve around the center of the universe,
A lovely thing called I!

And there’s no way to stop it,
No, there’s no way to stop it,
And I know though I cannot tell you why.
That as long as I’m living,
Just as long as I’m living,
There’ll be nothing else as wonderful as—

Elsa:
I!

All three:
I—I—I
Nothing else as wonderful as I!