Scott Foundas of Variety described this song as "tender and haunting", noting that street urchin Tobias "becomes, for a moment, her surrogate son".
[1] Reviewing the 2007 film, Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote "[Helena] Bonham Carter evokes chills in 'Not While I'm Around,' a ballad of devotion she croons to her young apprentice, Toby, just before she arranges his demise".
[2] The scoresheet website JW Pepper wrote "This unforgettable ballad from Sweeney Todd will create a moment of tenderness in your concert".
The very first line of the song was briefly covered in the 1995 The Nanny episode from season 2 titled "The Will", in which Fran Fine (Fran Drescher) mistakenly believes her boss Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy) could suffer a fatal heart attack if he doesn't follow a strict diet prescribed by a cardiologist (which is actually intended for one of Sheffield's clients).
Maggie Sheffield (Nicholle Tom) tells Fran she's feeling upset due to acne problems in her face and asks her to cover it with makeup.