" Not While I'm Around " is a song from the Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. It is a duet performed by Tobias Ragg and Mrs. Lovett. The song first appeared on Broadway in 1979. The 2007 movie version of the story includes Edward Sanders as Tobias and Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett. In the 2023 stage production, the song is performed by Gaten Matarazzo and Annaleigh Ashford. Josh Groban, who played the barber in the 2023 production, also recorded his own version of the song.

Synopsis

Mrs. Lovett owns a pie shop called Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Emporium. She has taken in a homeless boy named Tobias Ragg to be her helper. When Mrs. Lovett tells Tobias to run and get a piece of toffee, she accidentally takes out a coin purse she previously stole from Tobias's former master, Adolfo Pirelli, who was killed by Sweeney Todd. Tobias becomes suspicious of Todd and expresses a wish to protect Mrs. Lovett, whom he now considers a mother figure. Mrs. Lovett reassures him not to be afraid.

Critical reception

Scott Foundas of Variety described the song as "tender and haunting," noting that street urchin Tobias "becomes, for a moment, her surrogate son." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote that Helena Bonham Carter "evokes chills in 'Not While I'm Around,' a ballad of devotion she sings to her young apprentice, Toby, just before she arranges his demise." The scoresheet website JW Pepper stated, "This unforgettable ballad from Sweeney Todd will create a moment of tenderness in your concert." The New York Times wrote (of a regional stage production): "The contrast of lush ballads and menacing circumstances…occurs with 'Pretty Women,' sung by Sweeney and Judge Turpin, and 'Not While I’m Around,' sung protectively to Mrs. Lovett by her young aide, Tobias Ragg."

Covers

Barbra Streisand sang a version of the song for her album The Broadway Album in 1985.

The first line of the song was briefly played in the 1995 The Nanny episode from season 2 titled "The Will." In this episode, Fran Fine (played by Fran Drescher) thinks incorrectly that her boss, Maxwell Sheffield (played by Charles Shaughnessy), could have a serious heart attack if he does not follow a strict diet prescribed by a cardiologist. This diet is actually meant for one of Sheffield's clients. Maggie Sheffield (played by Nicholle Tom) tells Fran she is feeling upset because of acne on her face and asks Fran to cover it with makeup. While feeling very anxious, Fran hugs Maggie and sings, "Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around!" to comfort her. Fran believes Maggie is upset about losing her father.