Metaphors of Life: As told by the Rent Soundtrack!

Rent: A metaphor for life
or whatever you call this thing we’re living

Life Support
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GORDON
Look – I find some of what you teach suspect
Because I’m used to relying in intellect
But I try to open up to what I don’t know

ROGER & GORDON
Because reason says I should have died three years ago

ALL
There’s only us
There’s only this …
Forget regret or life is yours to miss
No other road
No other way
No day but today

Seasons of Love
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ALL
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?

How about love?
How about love?
How about love? Measure in love

Seasons of love. Seasons of love

JOANNE
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes!
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Journeys to plan.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life
Of a woman or a man?

COLLINS
In truths that she learned,
Or in times that he cried.
In bridges he burned,
Or the way that she died.

ALL
It’s time now to sing out,
Tho’ the story never ends
Let’s celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love!
Remember the love!
Seasons of love!

JOANNE
Oh you got to got to Remember the love! remember the love,
You Measure in love know that love is a gift from up above Seasons of love.
Share love, give love spread love Measure measure you life in love.

Goodbye Love
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MIMI
It’s true you sold your guitar and bought a car?

ROGER
It’s true – I’m leaving now for Santa Fe
It’s true you’re with this yuppie scum?

BENNY
You said you’d never speak to him again

MIMI
Not now

MAUREEN
Who said that you have any say in who she says things to at all?

ROGER
Yeah!

JOANNE
Who said that you should stick your nose in other people’s…

MAUREEN
Who said I was talking to you?

JOANNE
We used to have this fight each night

MARK

She’d never admit I existed Calm down
Everyone please

MIMI
He was the same way – he was always
“run away – hit the road don’t commit” you’re full of —-!

BENNY
Mimi

JOANNE
She’s in denial

MIMI
He’s in denial

JOANNE
Didn’t give an inch when I gave a mile.

MARK
Guys, come on

MIMI
I gave a mile

ROGER
Gave a mile to who?

MARK & BENNY
Come on guys chill!

MIMI & JOANNE
I’d be happy to die for a taste of what Angel had,
someone to live for – unafraid to say I love you

ROGER
All your words are nice Mimi but love’s not a three-way street
you’ll never share real love until you love yourself – I
should know.

COLLINS
You all said you’d be cool today so please for my sake…
I can’t believe he’s gone
I can’t believe you’re going
I can’t believe this family must die
Angel helped us believe in love
I can’t believe you disagree

ALL
I can’t believe this is good-bye

MARK
I hear there are great restaurants out west

ROGER
Some of the best, how could she?

MARK
How could you let her go?

ROGER
You just don’t know … how could we lose Angel?

MARK
Maybe you’ll see why when you stop escaping your pain at least now if you try
Angel’s death won’t be in vain

ROGER
His death is in vain

MARK
Are you insane? There’s so much to care about there’s me there’s Mimi-

ROGER
Mimi’s got her baggage too

MARK
So do you

ROGER
Who are you to tell me what I know.
What to do

MARK
A friend

ROGER
But who Mark are you?
“Mark has got his work” they say
“Mark lives for his work” and
“Mark’s in love with his work”
Mark hides in his work

MARK
From what?

ROGER
From facing your failure,
Facing your loneliness, facing the fact you live a lie
Yes, you live a lie tell you why you’re always preaching not to be numb
When that’s how you thrive you pretend to create and observe
When you really detach from feeling alive

MARK
Perhaps it’s because I’m the one of us to survive

ROGER
Poor baby

MARK
Mimi still loves you
Are you really jealous or afraid that Mimi’s weak?

ROGER
Mimi did look pale

MARK
Mimi’s gotten thin
Mimi’s running out of time
And you’re running out the door-

ROGER
No more! I’ve gotta go

MARK
Hey for someone who’s always been let down who’s heading out of town?

ROGER
For someone who longs for a community of his own,
Who’s with his camera, alone?
I’ll call, I hate the fall
You heard?

MIMI
Every word
You don’t want baggage without lifetime guarantees
You don’t want to watch me die?
I just came to say goodbye love goodbye love came to say goodbye love,
Goodbye

MIMI
Just came to say
Goodbye love
Goodbye love
Goodbye love
Goodbye

ROGER
Glory
One blaze of
Glory
I have to find

MIMI
Please don’t touch me understand
I’m scared I need to go away

MARK
I know a place, a clinic

BENNY
A rehab?

MIMI
Maybe could you?

BENNY
I’ll pay

MIMI
Goodbye love,
goodbye love came to say goodbye love goodbye
just came to say goodbye love goodbye love goodbye love
Hello disease.

I Should Tell You
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ROGER
I should tell you I’m disaster
I forget how to begin it

MIMI
Let’s just make this part go faster
I have yet – to be in it
I should tell you

ROGER
I should tell you

MIMI
I should tell you

ROGER
I should tell you

MIMI
I should tell I blew the candle out just to get back in

ROGER
I’d forgotten how to smile until your candle burned my skin

MIMI
I should tell you

ROGER
I should tell you

MIMI
I should tell you

BOTH
I should tell you,
Well here we go
Now we-

MIMI
Oh no

ROGER
I know – this something is, here goes-

MIMI
Here goes

ROGER
Guess so, it’s starting to-
Who knows-

MIMI
Who knows

BOTH
Who knows where?
Who goes there?
Who knows?
Here goes?
Trusting desire – starting to learn
Walking through fire without a burn
Clinging – a shoulder a leap begins
Stinging and older, asleep on pins
So here we go now we-

ROGER
Oh no

MIMI
I know

ROGER
Oh no

BOTH
Who knows where – who goes there?
Here goes-
Here goes-
Here goes-
Here goes-
Here goes-
Here goes-

Another Day
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ROGER
Who do you think you are?
Barging in on me and my guitar?
Little girl – hey, the door is that way
You better go you know
The fire’s out anyway
Take your powder – take your candle
Your sweet whisper I just can’t handle
Well take your hair in the moonlight
Your brown eyes – goodbye, goodnight
I should tell you I should tell you
I should tell you I should – no!
Another time – another place
Our temperature would climb
There’d be a long embrace
We’d do another dance
It’d be another play
Looking for romance?
Come back another day
Another day

MIMI
The heart may freeze or it can burn
The pain will ease if I can learn
There is no future, there is no past
I live this moment as my last
There’s only us, there’s only this
Forget regret, or life is yours to miss
No other road, no other way
No day but today

ROGER
Excuse me if I’m off track,
But if you’re so wise
Then tell me – why do you need smack?
Take your needle,
Take your fancy prayer
And don’t forget
Get the moonlight out of your hair
Long ago – you might’ve lit up my heart
But the fire’s dead – ain’t never ever gonna start
Another time – another place
The words would only rhyme
We’d be in outer space
It’d be another song
We’d sing another way
You wanna prove me wrong?
Come back another day
Another day

MIMI
There’s only us, only tonight
We must let go to know what’s right
No other course, no other way
No day but today

MIMI,ANGEL,COLLINS & MARK
I can’t control
My destiny
I trust my soul
My only goal is just to be
There’s only now
There’s only here
Give in to love
Or live in fear
No other path
No other way

ROGER
Control your temper
She doesn’t see
Who says that there’s a soul
Just let me be
Who do you think you are
Barging here on my and my guitar
Little girl hey, the door is that way

MIMI
No day but today…

ROGER
The fire’s out anyway