I Ll Cover You Analysis

Different people interpret RENT in different ways. Even the title has several different meanings. It represents the financial burden of young adults fresh out of college who are “thrown out into the real world where ideals don’t pay the rent”. But the title also sheds light on the lack of permanence of the characters’ lives — living month to month with no real promises. Colin and Angel sing to each other in “I’ll Cover You” that if love cannot be bought, at least it can be rented. Their happiness won’t last forever, but at least it’ll last awhile. Rent also can mean ‘torn’, Larson’s favourite meaning of the word. Clearly, it is apparent how the characters tie in with the word. They are all torn between conflicting desires, comfort, love, dignity, anger, fear of intimacy, and fear of getting hurt. The word rent also means “shredded in grief or rage”. At some point in the show, almost every character has been split when it comes to families, communities, and relationships, and torn open by feelings for one another. All the complexities of the simple four …show more content…
This serves as a fitting tribute to the musical, and also sums up the theme(s) represented in RENT. One of the main themes in RENT is that there is “no day but today”, in Mimi’s words. Many of the characters are aware that their deaths are imminent due to HIV/AIDS and they strive to find love and happiness. An example of this would be Roger, who avoids having a relationship with Mimi because he doesn’t want to burden her with his ‘baggage’. This introduces the song No Day but Today, sung by Mimi, where she tries to convince Roger that it doesn’t matter if they are going to die soon. They love each other now, and they should act upon those feelings as it may be their last moments. The burden of such a life is easier to bear if one is able to learn that it’s too short to have