With her multifaceted acting career and some incredible theatre projects ahead of her, Rubin-Vega's latest endeavor is REDEMPTION SONGS (Sh-K-Boom Records), a much-anticipated collection of original and diversely classic songs.
"Some of these songs were written when I experienced deep losses and incredible firsts. I was inspired to write again. It was a very 'fertile' time for creativity," says Rubin-Vega. The result developed into a form of personal redemption; a vibrant and sophisticated collection of pop, Latin folk, rock and reggae influenced songs that are soulful, passionate and very reflective of Rubin-Vega herself.
As a child, Daphne moved to NYC's Greenwich Village from Panama. It was in the center of this bohemia that Daphne discovered her passion for music and performing.
"I was in the seventh grade when almost overnight I realized I was quite popular with the girls in school, and my house was turning into the hot after school hang out," Rubin-Vega recalls. "It didn't take long to figure out that it was because my brothers' band played in the basement almost every afternoon," she added. "Shortly thereafter, I started glomming the mic and singing lead."
In her teens, Daphne found herself at an Atlantic Studios vocal session begging legendary producer Arif Mardin to let her sing with David Bowie on the soundtrack to George Lucas' film, "Labyrinth." After attending a birthday party for Mardin’s son Joe, she listed all the celebrated singers in her resume; having sung "happy birthday" with them. With that credit under her belt, she joined Pajama Party, the girl group with the infamous freestyle single, "Yo No Se." She recorded two albums on Atlantic Records with the group before going solo to write and record singles for the indie club label, Maxi. Her single, "I Found It" topped the Billboard Dance and Club Play charts. At the same time, the LAByrinth Theater Company was founded and she became an early member.
In 1997, Daphne Rubin-Vega cut her first album of original music, SOUVENIRS for Polygram's now defunct Mercury label. It was the fans of this album that she credits for getting her band started. Fate also intervened in the form of Joan Jett, her co-star and roommate during Rubin-Vega's run as Magenta in 2000's The Rocky Horror Show. "She basically told me to stop bitching, get up off my ass and start a band," says Rubin-Vega. "So I did."
Rubin-Vega went on to play straight-laced detective Gloria Perez in the camp-noir thriller "Wild Things," starring Kevin Bacon and Matt Dillon, for which she won a Blockbuster Award for Best Supporting Actress/Suspense. Other film credits include Robert De Niro's love interest Tia, in the film "Flawless" and her award-winning performance of Olya in the indie cult feature "Skeleton Woman."
Daphne's 2003 role as Canary Mary in Susan Lori Parks' Fucking A at the Public Theater got her a Lucille Lortel Best Featured Actress nomination, and in 2004, Rubin-Vega received her second Tony nomination for best featured actress (play) for her role as Conchita in Nilo Cruz' Pulitzer Prize winning Anna in the Tropics with Jimmy Smits.
Rubin-Vega is preparing for the end of a very busy year. This April, she ended her run as Martirio in Bernarda Alba at Lincoln Center. In September, she finished her star turn in The New Group's summer 2006 production of Everythings Turning Into Beautiful.
In October, the same month as the release of REDEMPTION SONGS, Rubin-Vega will play Fantine in the Broadway revival of Les Miserables.
In January 2007, she will star with Academy Award winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman in The Public Theater/LAByrinth production of Bob Glaudini's Jack Goes Boating.
For more information on Daphne Rubin-Vega, please visit www.daphnerubinvega.com
or www.myspace.com/drvmyspace.
Light My Candle
Daphne Rubin-Vega Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got a light?
I know you
You're the shivering
It's nothing
They turned off my heat
And I'm just a little
Would you light my candle?
What are you staring at?
Nothing
Your hair in the moonlight
You look familiar
Can you make it?
Just haven't eaten much today
At least the room stopped spinning
Anyway, what?
Nothing
Your smile reminded me of
I always remind people of
Who is she?
She died
Her name was April
It's out again
Sorry 'bout your friend
Would you light my candle?
Well
Yeah? Ow!
Oh, the wax, it's
Dripping! I like it, between my
Fingers, I figured
Oh, well, goodnight
It blew out again?
No, I think that I dropped my stash
I know I've seen you out and about
When I used to go out
Your candle's out
I'm illin'
I had it when I walked in the door
It was pure
Is it on the floor?
The floor?
They say that I have the best ass
Below 14th Street
Is it true?
What?
You're staring again
Oh no, I mean you do have a nice
I mean, you look familiar
Like your dead girlfriend
Only when you smile
But I'm sure I've seen you somewhere else
Do you go to the Cat Scratch Club?
That's where I work, I dance
Help me look (Yes!)
They used to tie you up
It's a living
I didn't recognize you
Without the handcuffs
We could light the candle
Oh won't you light the candle?
Why don't you forget that stuff?
You look like you're sixteen
I'm nineteen, but I'm old for my age
I'm just born to be bad
I once was born to be bad
I used to shiver like that
I have no heat, I told you
I used to sweat
I got a cold
Uh huh, I used to be a junkie
But now and then I like to
Uh huh (feel good)
Oh here it (what's that?)
It's a candy bar wrapper
We could light the candle
Oh what'd you do with my candle?
That was my last match
Our eyes'll adjust
Thank God for the moon
Maybe it's not the moon at all
I hear Spike Lee's shooting down the street
Bah humbug, bah humbug
Cold hands
Yours too
Big, like my father's
Do you wanna dance?
With you?
No, with my father
I'm Roger
They call me
They call me Mimi
The song "Light My Candle" from the musical Rent is a duet between the characters Roger and Mimi. The scene takes place as Mimi is searching for her lost cat and enters Roger's apartment asking him if he has seen the cat. Roger notices that Mimi is cold and offers to light her candle to warm her up. The song's lyrics are full of innuendos and double meanings, especially in their conversation about lighting the candle. Roger's next-door neighbor Mark is shown filming them from his apartment, foreshadowing the characters' eventual inclusion in his documentary film about the bohemian lifestyle they all share.
Line by Line Meaning
What'd you forget?
What did you leave behind?
Got a light?
Do you have a match?
I know you
I recognize you
You're the shivering
You're the one trembling
It's nothing
You don't need to worry
They turned off my heat
The heating system has been shut off
And I'm just a little
I'm feeling slightly
Weak on my feet
Unstable while standing
Would you light my candle?
Can you ignite my candle?
What are you staring at?
Why are you looking at me?
Nothing
It's not important
Your hair in the moonlight
Your hair illuminated by the moon
You look familiar
I feel like I know you
Can you make it?
Can you manage it?
Just haven't eaten much today
I haven't had much to eat today
At least the room stopped spinning
The vertigo has stopped
Anyway, what?
What did you want to say?
Your smile reminded me of
Your smile evoked memories of
I always remind people of
People often compare me to
Who is she?
Who are you talking about?
She died
She is no longer alive
Her name was April
Her name was April
It's out again
The candle has extinguished once more
Sorry 'bout your friend
I express my condolences for your friend
Well
So
Yeah? Ow!
Yes? Ouch!
Oh, the wax, it's
The candle wax is
Dripping! I like it, between my
Dripping, I find it sensuously appealing, with the wax falling between my
Fingers, I figured
I used my hands to catch the wax
Oh, well, goodnight
Oh, fine. Goodnight.
It blew out again?
Has it gone out again?
No, I think that I dropped my stash
I believe I have dropped my drugs
I know I've seen you out and about
I'm sure I've seen you around
When I used to go out
When I used to leave the house
Your candle's out
Your candle has gone out
I'm illin'
I'm feeling sick
I had it when I walked in the door
I had it with me when I came in
It was pure
It was pure
Is it on the floor?
Did it fall on the floor?
The floor?
The surface beneath us?
They say that I have the best ass
People say that I have the best butt
Below 14th Street
In the area below 14th Street
Is it true?
Is what they're saying accurate?
What?
What did you say?
You're staring again
You're looking at me once more
Oh no, I mean you do have a nice
No, what I meant was that you have a good
I mean, you look familiar
What I meant was, you seem familiar to me
Like your dead girlfriend
Like your girlfriend who has passed away
Only when you smile
Only when you smile
But I'm sure I've seen you somewhere else
But I'm certain I've encountered you someplace different
Do you go to the Cat Scratch Club?
Do you frequent the Cat Scratch Club?
That's where I work, I dance
That's where I'm employed, I perform
Help me look (Yes!)
Assist me in searching (Yes!)
They used to tie you up
They used to bind you
It's a living
It's a way to make a living
I didn't recognize you
I didn't identify you
Without the handcuffs
Without the restraints
We could light the candle
We could ignite the candle
Oh won't you light the candle?
Oh please, light the candle
Why don't you forget that stuff?
Why don't you abandon that substance?
You look like you're sixteen
You appear as though you're sixteen
I'm nineteen, but I'm old for my age
I'm nineteen, but I have the maturity of someone older
I'm just born to be bad
I'm naturally inclined to misbehave
I once was born to be bad
There was a time when I had a penchant for wrongdoing
I used to shiver like that
I used to tremble like that
I have no heat, I told you
I informed you that I have no heat
I used to sweat
I used to perspire
I got a cold
I caught a cold
Uh huh, I used to be a junkie
Yes, I used to be a drug addict
But now and then I like to
However, from time to time I enjoy
Uh huh (feel good)
Yes, (it makes me feel good)
Oh here it (what's that?)
Oh here it is (what's that sound?)
It's a candy bar wrapper
It's the wrapper from a candy bar
Oh what'd you do with my candle?
Oh, what did you do with my candle?
That was my last match
That was the final match I had
Our eyes'll adjust
Our vision will adapt
Thank God for the moon
I'm grateful for the moon
Maybe it's not the moon at all
Perhaps that's not actually the moon
I hear Spike Lee's shooting down the street
I hear Spike Lee is filming nearby
Bah humbug, bah humbug
An expression of contempt or dismissiveness
Cold hands
Chilly hands
Yours too
Yours as well
Big, like my father's
Large, similar to my father's
Do you wanna dance?
Would you like to dance?
With you?
With you?
No, with my father
No, with my father
I'm Roger
My name is Roger
They call me
That's what they call me
They call me Mimi
My name is Mimi
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jonathan D. Larson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
camille matlock
i love her voice so much because it's literally mimi and exactly what jonathan invisioned for her character. and she's so freaking hilarious and cute!!!!! her energy !! i love it she's so extra it's perfect
riley sunderland
Honestly their rendition has a certain charm to it that his and Rosario’s doesn’t. Daphne may not have the perfect voice, but Jonathan never imagined Mimi to sound perfect. Daphne knows exactly how to bring Mimi’s character to life and she doesn’t get enough credit for that. Renee is still my favorite Mimi, but it still bothers me how much flack Daphne gets for not having the stereotypical perfect voice of a Broadway performer.
Leloih & ús
Melhor Rent de todos os tempos foi o de 2008 da broadway. simplesmente perfeito
Sunvio
Daphne is my favorite Mimi
Maria TwilightSparkle
@SmileAlways ♥️ Natasha No ❤️
Sadie Kay
The looks on both of their faces when they try to remember the blocking is PRECIOUS!
Marla Singer
Adam looks so happy to be singing with her again
Gary Barawidan
Imagine the memories they share.
eew12
That just made my day!!!!!! Amazing! I love how unique and imperfectly perfect Daphne's voice is. She was born to play MiMi. What a treat this was!
tea Buch
I agree