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
Now 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 Mark
We used to have this fight each night Calm down
She'd never admit I existed Everyone please

Mimi
He was the same way - he was always
"Run away - hit the road
Don't commit" - you're full of shit

Joanne
She's in denial

Mimi
He's in denial

Joanne
Didn't give an inch
When I gave a mile

Mark
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 (to Roger)
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 goodbye
[Maureen and Joanne reconcile and go home. Collins returns to
the funeral home. Mimi and Benny leave together. Roger and
Mark are left alone]

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 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
But 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 Roger
Is Roger really jealous
Or afraid that Mimi's weak

Roger
Mimi did look pale

Mark
Mimi's gotten thin
Mimi's running out of time
Roger's running out the door

Roger
No more! Oh no!
I've gotta go

Mark
Hey, for somebody 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
(Mimi re-enters)
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 Roger
Just came to say Glory
Goodbye love One blaze of
Goodbye love Glory
Goodbye love
Goodbye! Have to find
(Roger leaves, Benny enters)

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


Lyrics submitted by babeee

Goodbye Love song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

13 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    The first part of the song is the cast catching up after not talking for a while, and then they turn against eachother and all their feelings come out and they start yelling, ignoring Collins feelings. Collins is very upset because his boyfriend, Angel, just died, and they are burrying him. When they start yelling he comes over and says how sad he is and everyone sees the pain he is going through, this part always makes me sad because you can see how Collins, who is such a strong charqcter, is just dying inside.

    Then it is just Mark and Roger talking about how Roger is leaving him and Mimi, who he loves, but is too afraid to get close to. They talk about how they both have flaws, and how Mimi is getting sick and Roger is just leaving her. Roger then gets ready to leave, and Mimi comes. They say goodbye to eachother, and this part makes me cry. Mimi loves Roger so much and is trying to be strong and accept the fact that he is leaving so while he is there all she does is say goodbye, but once he leaves, she breaks down and admits that she needs serious help, and Mark and Benny suply her with it, and she again says bye to Roger, letting go of him, and grasping the fact that she has AIDS and isn't getting better.

    This Musical is SO moving, everyone needs to go see it, and DONT just see the movie, although that was amazing as well.

    RockThisBitchon December 13, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    the ending of this song is so sad. because throughout this whole play, other people are flipping out and angsting, but mimi is always the strong one. she just stays bold and brassy and risky. but finally, when roger leaves, she breaks. when the strongest one breaks and starts crying, it's twice as powerful and scary and sad. it's such a moving and tragic song.

    PRtwilight85on May 10, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love how Mark and Roger know where eachother's weak spots are. It takes a true friend to call you on things like that.

    LadySublimeon November 22, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i love this part of the movie.

    specialK37on March 16, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is my favorite song from Rent. It's more like three songs, but they all flow into each other so well. The tension at the beginning is awesome, and the end is so sad.

    hellonatalieon March 26, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i really wish they hadnt cut the second part of this out of the movie. it's so emotional and amazing.

    if you can, listen to the nytw version of this song, the roger/mark part at the end is different and soo emotional. i highly reccomend[sp?] it.

    penny_frescaon April 07, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love how different the Mark and Roger part of the final Broadway version of this song is from the NYTW version. In the broadway version its all about calling each other our on their faults but in the nytw version its alot more caring and emotional. Very different vibes but both are excellent. I wish i could get my hands on a download of the nytw version...

    Caitlinh24on July 01, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i love te ending to this song.

    am507on March 10, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i love the ending to this song.

    am507on March 10, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song and Halloween were both cut out of the movie, but these were pretty much the only songs that gave Mark any character and showing how he feels so alone.

    lady-madonnaon June 16, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.