These musicals seriously tackle issues such as multiculturalism, addiction, sexual orientation and HIV. Rent was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and won four Tony Awards. The scores of his shows reveal that he was an apt composer and lyricist.
One tick, tick...BOOM! song called "Sunday" is an homage to Stephen Sondheim, who supported Larson. It stays close to the melody and lyrics of Sondheim's own song of the same title but turning it from a manifesto about art into a waiter's lament.
Among the many awards he received during and after his lifetime were: the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (for Rent), the Richard Rodgers Production Award, the Richard Rodgers Development Grant, the Stephen Sondheim Award, the Gilman and Gonzalez-Falla Theatre Foundation's Commendation Award, the Tonys for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Score of a Musical for Rent, the Drama Desks for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Book, and Best Lyrics (also for Rent), the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical (again for Rent), the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical in the Off-Broadway category (another for Rent), and three Obie Awards for Outstanding Book, Outstanding Lyrics and Outstanding Music (yet again for Rent).
Among his many creative works are Rent, tick, tick...BOOM!, Sacrimoralimmorality (1981)with David Armstrong (retitled Saved for the one-week run on 42nd Street), Superbia, the music for J.P. Morgan Saves the Nation, numerous individual numbers, music for Sesame Street, music for the children's book cassettes of An American Tail and Land Before Time, music for Rolling Stone magazine publisher Jann Wenner, and four songs for the children's video Away We Go! (which he also conceived and directed).
Larson died unexpectedly of an undiagnosed aortic dissection (aortic aneurysm), believed to have been caused by Marfan syndrome, on January 25th, 1996. It was ten days before his 36th birthday, and the night before Rent's first preview off-Broadway.
After his death, Larson's family and friends started the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation.
In 2005, a film version of his most popular production Rent was released, directed by Christopher Columbus.
In September of 2008, Rent closed after 12 successful years on broadway. One of the final shows and the finale were filmed for a limited engagement film, "Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway." The DVD and Blu-Ray disc were released was in February 2009.
Currently original cast members Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, and Gwen Stewart are performing on the farewell broadway tour of the show.
Tango: Maureen
Jonathan Larson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Samples Wont Delay
But The Cable -
MARK
There's Another Way
Say Something - Anything
Test - On, Two Three ...
MARK
Anything But That
JOANNE
This Is Weird
MARK
It's Weird
JOANNE
Very Weird
MARK
Fuckin' Weird
JOANNE
I'm So Mad
That I Don't Know What To Do
Fighting With Microphones
Freezing Down To My Bones
And To Top It All Off
I'm With You
MARK
Feel Like Going Insane?
Got A Fire In Your Brain?
And Your Thinking Of Drinking
Gasoline?
JOANNE
As A Matter Of Fact --
MARK
Honey, I Know This Act
It's Called The 'Tango Maureen'
The Tango Maureen
It's A Dark, Dizzy
Merry-Go-Round
As She Keeps You Dangling
JOANNE
You're Wrong
MARK
Your Heart She Is Mangling
JOANNE
It's Different With Me
MARK
And You Toss And You Turn
'Cause Her Cold Eyes Can Burn
Yet You Yearn And You Churn And Rebound
JOANNE
I Think I Know What You Mean
BOTH
The Tango Maureen
MARK
Has She Ever
Pouted Her Lips
And Called You 'Pookie'
JOANNE
Never
MARK
Have You Ever Doubted A Kiss Or Two?
JOANNE
This Is Spooky
Did You Swoon
When She Walked Through The Door?
MARK
Every Time - So Be Cautious
JOANNE
Did She Moon Over Other Boys--?
MARK
More Than Moon--
JOANNE
I'm Getting Nauseous
MARK
Where'd you learn to tango?
JOANNE
With the French Ambassadors Daughter in her dorm room at Miss Porters, and you?
MARK
With Nanette Hemmelfarb, the rabbis daughter at the Scarsdale Jewish Community Centre
MARK
It's hard to do this backwards
JOANNE
You should try it in heels!
She Cheated
MARK
She Cheated
JOANNE
Maureen Cheated
MARK
Fuckin' Cheated
JOANNE
I'm Defeated
I Should Give Up Right Now
MARK
Gotta Look On The Bright Side
With All Of Your Might
JOANNE
I'd Fall For Her Still Anyhow
BOTH
When Your Dancing Her Dance
You Don't Stand A Chance
Her Grip Of Romance
Makes You Fall
MARK
So You Think, 'Might As Well'
JOANNE
Dance A Tango To Hell
BOTH
'At Least I'll Have Tangoed At All'
The Tango Maureen
Gotta Dance Til Your Diva Is Through
You Pretend To Believe Her
Cause In The End - You Can't Leave Her
But The End It Will Come
Still You Have To Play Dumb
Til You're Glum And You Bum
And Turn Blue
MARK
Why Do We Love When She's Mean?
JOANNE
And She Can Be So Obscene
JOANNE
My Maureen
BOTH
The Tango: Maureen!
The song “Tango: Maureen” by Jonathan Larson is a duet between Mark and Joanne, who are talking about Maureen, a woman they both have been involved with romantically. The lyrics are a conversation between the two characters, as they discuss their feelings and experiences with this woman. Mark is angry and frustrated about Maureen’s behavior, while Joanne is more sympathetic and understanding. Together they sing about what it is like to be involved with Maureen, using the metaphor of the Tango to describe the ups and downs of their relationships with her.
The Tango in the song is used as a metaphor for the complicated, unpredictable dance of emotions that takes place between the characters and Maureen. The lyrics reference the dangers of getting caught up in this dance, as well as the painful emotions that come with it. The characters discuss the difficulty of breaking away from this pattern of behavior, even when they know they are being hurt. The song is a powerful commentary on the complex and often confusing dynamics that can exist in romantic relationships.
Overall, the lyrics of “Tango: Maureen” are complex and thought-provoking. They offer a unique perspective on the challenges of romantic relationships and the emotions that can come with them. The use of the Tango as a metaphor adds depth and complexity to the lyrics, creating a powerful and evocative musical experience.
Line by Line Meaning
The Samples Wont Delay
But The Cable -
The audio test will not be postponed, however, the cord might have some issues.
There's Another Way
Say Something - Anything
There is a different approach to solve the problem. Just speak up, anything would do.
Test - On, Two, Three ...
Anything But That
The testing is about to start. But, please avoid making that sound.
This Is Weird
It's Weird
Very Weird
Fuckin' Weird
The situation seems strange, and upon further consideration, it's getting weirder and even more complicated.
I'm So Mad
That I Don't Know What To Do
Fighting With Microphones
Freezing Down To My Bones
And To Top It All Off
I'm With You
I'm extremely angry, and I'm unsure of what to do about this situation. I'm struggling to manage the microphones while feeling exceptionally cold, and to amplify the issue, I have to deal with you.
Feel Like Going Insane?
Got A Fire In Your Brain?
And Your Thinking Of Drinking
Gasoline?
Are you going out of your mind? Is your head burning? Are you considering consuming gasoline?
As A Matter Of Fact --
Honey, I Know This Act
It's Called The 'Tango Maureen'
As a matter of fact, I'm cognizant of this routine - It is called the 'Tango Maureen.'
The Tango Maureen
It's A Dark, Dizzy
Merry-Go-Round
As She Keeps You Dangling
The 'Tango Maureen' is a disorientating and bewildering experience that keeps you suspended.
You're Wrong
Your Heart She Is Mangling
Your observations are incorrect because she is tormented while mangling your heart.
It's Different With Me
And You Toss And You Turn
'Cause Her Cold Eyes Can Burn
Yet You Yearn And You Churn And Rebound
It's not the same with me, as we suffer from the reality of her cold, scorching eyes that make you toss and turn, yearn and feel disturbed.
I Think I Know What You Mean
The Tango Maureen
I believe that I recognize what you are trying to convey because I think about the 'Tango Maureen' from your perspective.
Has She Ever
Pouted Her Lips
And Called You 'Pookie'
Never
Have You Ever Doubted A Kiss Or Two?
This Is Spooky
Did You Swoon
When She Walked Through The Door?
Every Time - So Be Cautious
Did She Moon Over Other Boys--?
More Than Moon--
I'm Getting Nauseous
Has she ever puckered her lips and referred to you as 'Pookie'? No, never. Have you ever questioned some of her kisses? It is eerie. Did you ever feel faint when she made an entrance? Every time, so be careful. Did she have crushes on other boys? More than enough to make me nauseous.
Where'd you learn to tango?
With the French Ambassadors Daughter in her dorm room at Miss Porters, and you?
With Nanette Hemmelfarb, the rabbis daughter at the Scarsdale Jewish Community Centre
Where did you receive instructions to dance the tango? I was taught by the French Ambassador's daughter in her dormitory at Miss Porters, how about you? I was trained by Nanette Hemmelfarb, the Rabbi's daughter at the Scarsdale Jewish Community Center.
It's hard to do this backwards
You should try it in heels!
It's challenging to achieve this in reverse. You should attempt this while wearing high heels.
She Cheated
Fuckin' Cheated
I'm Defeated
I Should Give Up Right Now
She was unfaithful. She indeed cheated. I lost. I should concede defeat at once.
Gotta Look On The Bright Side
With All Of Your Might
I'd Fall For Her Still Anyhow
You must think positively with all your power, and despite all of her faults, I'd still fall for her, nevertheless.
When Your Dancing Her Dance
You Don't Stand A Chance
Her Grip Of Romance
Makes You Fall
So You Think, 'Might As Well'
Dance A Tango To Hell
'At Least I'll Have Tangoed At All'
When you're tangoing with her, it's as though you had no choice, her grip of romance makes you lose. So you'll figure, might as well dance the Tango Maureen until you go to hell, though you'll be able to say that you danced tangoed at least.
The Tango Maureen
Gotta Dance Til Your Diva Is Through
You Pretend To Believe Her
Cause In The End - You Can't Leave Her
But The End It Will Come
Still You Have To Play Dumb
Til You're Glum And You Bum
And Turn Blue
The Tango Maureen - You must keep dancing until the diva stops singing. You pretend to believe her because eventually - you cannot leave her. The inevitable conclusion will arise, but until it does, you must feign ignorance until you're sad, depressed, and broke.
Why Do We Love When She's Mean?
And She Can Be So Obscene
My Maureen
The Tango: Maureen!
Why is it that we love her, even when she is so vile? My Maureen is often extremely vulgar, yet we continue to endure it. This is the 'Tango: Maureen!'
Contributed by Sophia G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@imbreakingdown2683
I know you guys don't need this but
[JOANNE & MARK]
The samples won't delay
But the cable—
There's another way
Say something
Anything
Test— one, two three—
Anything but... that
This is weird
It's weird
Very weird
Fucking weird
I'm so mad that I don't know what to do
Fighting with microphones
Freezing down to my bones
And to top it all off, I'm with you
Feel like going insane?
Got a fire in your brain?
And you're thinking of drinking gasoline?
As a matter of fact—
[MARK]
Honey, I know this act
It's called the 'Tango Maureen'
The Tango Maureen
It's a dark, dizzy merry-go-round
As she keeps you dangling
[JOANNE & MARK]
You're wrong
Your heart she is mangling
It's different with me
And you toss and you turn
'Cause her cold eyes can burn
Yet you yearn and you churn and rebound
I think I know what you mean
[JOANNE & MARK]
The Tango Maureen
[JOANNE & MARK]
Has she ever pouted her lips?
And called you 'Pookie'
Never
Have you ever doubted a kiss or two?
This is spooky
Did you swoon when she walked through the door?
Every time— so be cautious
Did she moon over other boys—?
More than moon—
I'm getting nauseous
[JOANNE, spoken & MARK, spoken]
Where'd you learn to tango?
With the French Ambassador's daughter in her dorm room at Miss Porter's. And you?
With Nanette Himmelfarb, the Rabbi's daughter at the Scarsdale Jewish Community Center
It's hard to do this backwards
You should try it in heels!
[JOANNE & MARK]
She cheated
She cheated
Maureen cheated
Fucking cheated
I'm defeated
I should give up right now
Gotta look on the bright side
With all of your might
I'd fall for her still anyhow
[JOANNE & MARK]
When you're dancing her dance
You don't stand a chance
Her grip of romance
Makes you fall
[JOANNE & MARK]
So you think, 'Might as well'
"Dance a tango to hell"
[MARK & JOANNE]
'At least I'll have tangoed at all'
The Tango Maureen
Gotta dance till your diva is through
You pretend to believe her
'Cause in the end, you can't leave her
But the end it will come
Still you have to play dumb
Till you're glum and you bum
And turn blue
[JOANNE & MARK, Both]
Why do we love when she's mean?
And she can be so obscene
My Maureen (Een, een, een)
The Tango Maureen!
@legionaireb
This is my favorite number in the whole musical. I love that it's a watershed moment for Mark but for Joanne it's a cold realization about just what she's gotten herself into.
@kathrynolsen1256
This is the song that got me hooked on the show.
@CanadaDan1971
Mark saying, "I feel great," it's the realization that all Maureen's drama and heartbreak is officially not his problem anymore. And Joanne saying, "I feel lousy," like it's just occurring to her.
It's like, "Congratulations Joanne, you've got Maureen and all the baggage that comes with her. If you want to see that as winning, that's up to you."
@agenttheater5
Maureen - a great friend to both men and women, just not always a great girlfriend to both boyfriends and girlfriends.
@Wolfrover
No, that's the problem -- she's an amazing girlfriend to men and women. She's just -- Maureen loves everyone. *Everyone*. There are no "former" lovers to her -- Mark is simply not her current lover, and Joanne is. She simply, literally cannot understand the concept of limiting her affections to a single person. Even her lies are only there because she understands that her current lover will be hurt when she finds her next current lover, and she wants to avoid hurting them as long as possible.
Maureen makes you feel special and unique because, to her, you are special and unique -- but to Maureen, everyone is special and unique.
@loupotter-black335
@@Wolfrover polyamorous queen ?
@brynb9493
@@loupotter-black335 methinks yes
@loupotter-black335
@@brynb9493 nice- :’)
@jonathanedison
@@loupotter-black335 100% if she talked to her partners about it upfront.
@kathrynolsen1256
“You should try it. In heels.” This whole song is so classic.