I Should Tell You
Original Broadway Cast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I forget how to begin it
Let's just make this part go faster
I have yet to be in it
I should tell you
I should tell you
I should tell you
I should tell I blew the candle out
Just to get back in
I'd forgotten how to smile
Until your candle burned my skin
I should tell you
I should tell you
I should tell you
I should tell
Well, here we go
Now we, oh no
I know this something is
Here goes (Here goes)
Guess so it's starting to
Who knows? (Who knows?)
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
Oh no
I know
Oh no
Who knows where?
Who goes there?
Here goes, here goes
Here goes, here goes
Here goes, here goes
In this song from the musical "Rent," the character Roger is confessing his feelings to his love interest, Mimi. He admits that he's a disaster and doesn't know how to begin expressing himself. He wants to skip the awkward part and get to the part where they're together. He reveals that he blew out his own candle (or happiness) before and didn't know how to smile until he met Mimi. Roger is hesitant to open up about himself but wants to build a trusting relationship with Mimi.
The repeated phrase of "I should tell you" emphasizes the vulnerability and honesty required in a successful relationship. Roger is opening up about his flaws and fears, and he hopes that Mimi will accept him despite them. The final lines of the song express uncertainty about where their relationship will go but suggest that they are willing to take a leap of faith.
Overall, "I Should Tell You" is a song about the challenges of opening up to someone new and the bravery required to take a chance on love.
Line by Line Meaning
I should tell you I'm disaster
I need to confess that I am a chaotic mess
I forget how to begin it
I am at a loss on how to start
Let's just make this part go faster
Can we please speed up this process?
I have yet to be in it
I have not fully engaged in this yet
I should tell I blew the candle out
I must inform you that I extinguished the flame
Just to get back in
Only to reignite it anyways
I'd forgotten how to smile
I had lost the ability to express joy
Until your candle burned my skin
Until I felt the intense heat of your love
Well, here we go
Okay, let's do this
Now we, oh no
Although I am nervous, we are doing it
I know this something is
I recognize that something significant is happening
Guess so it's starting to
I suppose it is beginning to unfold
Who knows? (Who knows?)
It's uncertain what may happen
Who knows where?
We don't know where this will lead us
Who goes there?
Who is there with us on this journey?
Trusting desire, starting to learn
I am putting faith in my wants and beginning to understand them
Walking through fire without a burn
I am enduring hardships without getting hurt
Clinging a shoulder a leap begins
I am relying on someone's support as I take a risk
Stinging and older, asleep on pins
Feeling pain and weariness, yet still moving forward with vigilance
Here goes, here goes
We are continuing on with this journey
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jonathan Larson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@robynnhoud4001
“Did he say anything else?”
“About you?”
“Never mind I don’t really care—“
”NONONO HEJUSTSAIDSOMANYTHINGSI’MJUSTTRYINGTOREMEMBERTHEBESTONES.”
Oof I can feel the awkwardness radiating off of my screen.
@JH-is9fh
Lyrics:
He thought you were awesome
He thought I was awesome? My brother?
Definitely!
How?
Well, he said
There's nothing like your smile
Sort of subtle and perfect and real
He said
You never knew how wonderful
That smile could make someone feel
And he knew
Whenever you get bored
You scribble stars on the cuffs of your jeans
And he noticed
That you still fill out the quizzes
That they put in those teen magazines
But he kept it all inside his head
What he saw he left unsaid
And though he wanted to
He couldn't talk to you
He couldn't find the way
But he would always say
If I could tell her
Tell her everything I see
If I could tell her
How she's everything to me
But we're a million worlds apart
And I don't know how I would even start
If I could tell her
If I could tell her
Did he say anything else?
About you?
Never mind, I don't really care anyways
No, no, no just, no, no he said, he said so many things
I'm just, I'm trying to remember the best ones so, um
He thought
You looked really pretty, er
It looked pretty cool when you put indigo streaks in your hair
He did?
And he wondered how you learned to dance
Like all the rest of the world isn't there
But he kept it all inside his head
What he saw he left unsaid
If I could tell her
Tell her everything I see
If I could tell her
How she's everything to me
But we're a million worlds apart
And I don't know how I would even start
If I could tell her
If I could tell her
But what do you do when there's this great divide?
He just seemed so far away
And what do you do when the distance is too wide?
It's like I don't know anything
And how do you say
I love you
I love you
I love you
I love you
But we're a million worlds apart
And I don't know how I would even start
If I could tell her
If I could
@hafui4526
He thought you were awesome
He thought I was awesome? My brother?
Definitely!
How?
Well, he said
There's nothing like your smile
Sort of subtle and perfect and real
He said
You never knew how wonderful
That smile could make someone feel
And he knew
Whenever you get bored
You scribble stars on the cuffs of your jeans
And he noticed
That you still fill out the quizzes
That they put in those teen magazines
But he kept it all inside his head
What he saw he left unsaid
And though he wanted to
He couldn't talk to you
He couldn't find the way
But he would always say
If I could tell her
Tell her everything I see
If I could tell her
How she's everything to me
But we're a million worlds apart
And I don't know how I would even start
If I could tell her
If I could tell her
Did he say anything else?
About you?
No, Never mind, I don't really care anyways
No, no, no just, no, no he said, he said so many things
I'm just, I'm trying to remember the best ones so, um
He thought
You looked really pretty, er
It looked pretty cool when you put indigo streaks in your hair
He did?
he didn'tAnd he wondered how you learned to dance
Like all the rest of the world isn't there
But he kept it all inside his head
What he saw he left unsaid
If I could tell her
Tell her everything I see
If I could tell her
How she's everything to me
But we're a million worlds apart
And I don't know how I would even start
If I could tell her
If I could tell her
But what do you do when there's this great divide?
He just seemed so far away
And what do you do when the distance is too wide?
It's like I don't know anything
And how do you say
I love you
I love you
I love you
I love you
But we're a million worlds apart
And I don't know how I would even start
If I could tell her
If I could
@callmemads80085
story time claps
okay
so
during science class, i sit next to this girl, who just so happens to be my best friend, and ALSO happens to have a crush on me.
i was singing “requiem” and she said “i’d so much rather listen to you sing for six hours than go to school” (she doesn’t know what DEH is)
so i said “actually, i have a song to sing to you, someone who likes you asked me to sing it to you”
and she was like “oh okay”
so i sang this and she was flipping out
and then i said “there’s a plot twist”
she looked at me all confused
so i leaned over and kissed her and said “that person is me”
we’re dating now
edit: this happened back when i was in the sixth grade lmao, i’m glad everyone has enjoyed this comment though :) i still enjoy seeing the nice replies. thank you guys!
@laurenlincoln9587
Connors sitting there thinking "Jesus, you're making me sound like air supply"
@luisaneuma6887
That made me laugh so hard omg
@cvrlyir0n702
heather reference!! 👏
@glitrahasconsumedme7421
I laughed too hard-
@yeshomo3059
Underrated comment right here
@emaline5347
ahhh heathers
@luckymoonjoy1278
You know what I noticed? When he lies, there’s guitar. When he’s telling the truth, it’s piano. It’s mostly guitar here- but there is slight piano in the background because he’s not lying about what he’s noticed about her. He’s just telling her that it’s what Conner said.
@aimlessidentity9567
I read this as soon as the piano came and I am thinking
@vocal_lilly9799
This is honestly mindblowing!! But in "forever" we have piano and guitar, but it's clearly a lie.
@luckymoonjoy1278
@@vocal_lilly9799 hmm... i forgot about that song. Let me go check it out and make an analysis on it