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"Without Love" is a song from the 2002 musical Hairspray. It is a quartet song performed by Tracy, Link, Penny, and Seaweed, and is inspired by the duets of Motown artists Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell.

Synopsis

Taking place during the second act of the musical and the 2007 musical film, "Without Love" finds the four teenagers singing about how they have all broken down societal barriers in order to love one another, and the two boys free the girls from their entrapment, heading off to the Corny Collins Show TV studio. Link frees love interest and lead, Tracey Turnblad, from jail after unjustly being arrested for protesting against the exclusion of black performers from the "Corny Collins Show", and Seaweed frees love interest Penny from her mother tying her to her bed to prevent her from escaping after learning she, a white girl, is dating Seaweed, a black boy, in the racially segregated Baltimore in the 1960's. While in the 2002 musical rendition of Hairspray, Link saves Tracey from jail, in the 2007 film rendition, Link saves Link reunites with Tracey after Penny helps her escape from being locked in Penny's mothers basement while hiding from the police.

Answers.com explains: "In this song, the male lead, Link, reveals his love to Tracy, and Tracy's white friend, Penny, expresses her love for a black teen named Seaweed. The couples must literally fight through physical barriers in order to get to each other and rejoin the protest."

Analysis

Answers.com explains the lyrical prowess of the song:

The lyrics of this song proclaim through many creative analogies that without love, life is seriously lacking. Tracy says "Without love, life is like my mother on a diet" and Link says that it is "like rock and roll without a drummer." The couples swear their lifelong allegiance to each other because none of them ever want to be "without love."

Critical reception

CinemaBlend writes in a movie review that "we’ve lost some of the original picture's romance to the PG rating, so songs like “Without Love” don’t work as well". The New York Times named the song has "one of the film’s musical high points", explaining that "the two young couples express their yearning with the help of some ingenious and amusing special effects". The Washington Post said "Marc Shaiman's music is virtually wall-to-wall bliss, and some of the lyrics, written with Scott Wittman, particularly in the romantic quartet "Without Love", remain surprising and clever no matter how many times you've listened to them." RecordOnline deemed it an "affirmative anthem", while The Column named it an "energetic and comic number". The Daily Texan described it as "perhaps one of the musical’s most iconic songs".

References

1. Heller, Dana (2011). Hairspray. John Wiley & Sons.
2. ^ "Meaning Behind the Fun: Hairspray Soundtrack List". Movies.Answers.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-16. Retrieved 2015-02-20.
3. "Hairspray Review". Cinemablend. Archived from the original on 2015-02-20. Retrieved 2015-02-20.
4. "Teenagers in Love and a Mom in Drag in the '60s". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
5. "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts". Kennedy-center.org. Retrieved 2015-02-20.
6. "Review: 'Hairspray' at Forestburgh Playhouse - Entertainment* - recordonline.com - Middletown, NY". recordonline.com. 2009-08-21. Retrieved 2015-02-20.
7. "Theatre Review: HAIRSPRAY - 2nd Review at Denton Community Theatre". Thecolumnawards.org. Retrieved 2015-02-20.
8. "'Hairspray' showcases big voices, small set charm | The Daily Texan". Dailytexanonline.com. 2011-06-27. Retrieved 2015-02-20.

• Songs from Hairspray (musical)
• 2002 songs
• Songs written by Scott Wittman
• Songs written by Marc Shaiman