"Maybe This Time" is a song written by John Kander and Fred Ebb for actress

Kaye Ballard Kaye Ballard (November 20, 1925 – January 21, 2019) was an American actress, comedian, and singer. Early life Ballard was born Catherine Gloria Balotta in Cleveland, Ohio, one of four children born to Italian immigrant parents, Lena (née Nac ...

. It was later included in the 1972 film ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining o ...

'', where it is sung by the character

Sally Bowles Sally Bowles () is a fictional character created by English-American novelist Christopher Isherwood and based upon 19-year-old cabaret singer Jean Ross. The character debuted in Isherwood's 1937 novella ''Sally Bowles'' published by Hogarth Press ...

, played by Liza Minnelli. It had already been recorded and released twice, in similar arrangements, on Minnelli's debut studio album ''

Liza! Liza! ''Liza! Liza!'' is the debut studio album by American singer Liza Minnelli. It was released on October 12, 1964, by Capitol Records. The album contains her interpretations of twelve pop standards. It was recorded in June 1964 at Capitol Records' ...

'' (1964), and subsequently '' New Feelin''' (1970), but it turned into a traditional pop

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

after its 1972 inclusion in ''Cabaret''.

Production

Though originally written in 1964 for a different purpose, the song was put into the 1972 film version of the 1966 ''Cabaret'' musical. This is one of "two numbers that were added only in 1998, after they were used in the movie", along with "Mein Herr".

Analysis

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...

'' explained that the song should have an air of "desperate hope" and that Bowles should feel like "someone teetering on the edge of despair." ''Talkin' Broadway'' said Maybe this Time' serving as Sally's internal monologue in response to Cliff's plea", adding that the song "is the only time we see the real person beneath the frivolous girl for whom life is a neverending party (cabaret, whatever). As we're privy to Sally's unspoken thoughts here". ''What's On in Cape Town'' described

as a

Manic Pixie Dream Girl A Manic Pixie Dream Girl (MPDG) is a stock character type in films. Film critic Nathan Rabin, who coined the term after observing Kirsten Dunst's character in '' Elizabethtown'' (2005), said that the MPDG "exists solely in the fevered imaginatio ...

, writing "Her iconic solo, 'Maybe This Time', can be considered the MPDG theme song." Bowles "believ sshe may be in love for the first time".

Critical reception

The song has been described as a "wistful", and "heartbreaking". Lincolnshire Review described the song as a "soaring ballad", and Peterborough Telegraph deemed it "hopeful".

References

{{authority control 1972 songs Liza Minnelli songs Songs from Cabaret (musical) Songs with lyrics by Fred Ebb Songs with music by John Kander 1970s ballads