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The musical South Pacific from 1949 is one of the many successful theatre-productions by composer Richard Rodgers (1902 – 1979) which was developed in collaboration with lyricist Oscar Hammerstein. The association of this couple also resulted in famous musicals such as Oklahoma, The King And I, Flower Drum Song and The Sound Of Music. These productions, initially conceived for Broadway were soon made into movie-productions and shown all over the world. This has contributed to a considerable degree to make Rodgers’ music of everlasting value.

South Pacific is set – as may be gathered from the title – on an island in the Pacific Ocean. It is there that the planter Emil de Becque, who has left France, falls in love with Nellie Forbush, a nurse in the U.S. Navy, statione on the island during the raging World War II.

After learning the truth about Emil’s obscure past (he has comitted murder in his homecountry and he is the father of two children running loose on the island) Nellie starts to doubt the sincerity of their relationship.

In the song This Nearly Was Mine, Emil expresses his misgivings on the outcome of their relationship.