Light My Candle

Rent

Roger:
What'd you forget?

(Mimi enters, holding a candle and looking for a match; her electricity is out, too)

Mimi:
Got a light?

Roger:
I know you? -- You're --
You're shivering

Mimi:
It's nothing
They turned off my heat
And I'm just a little
Weak on my feet
Would you light my candle?
What are you staring at?

Roger:
Nothing
Your hair in the moonlight
You look familiar
(He lights her candle. Mimi starts to leave, but stumbles)
Can you make it?

Mimi:
Just haven't eaten much today
At least the room stopped spinning.
Anyway. What?

Roger:
Nothing
Your smile reminded me of --

Mimi:
I always remind people of -- who is she?

Roger:
She died. Her name was April

(Mimi discreetly blows out the candle)

Mimi:
It's out again
Sorry about your friend
Would you light my candle?

(Roger lights the candle. They linger, awkwardly)

Roger:
Well --

Mimi:
Yeah. Ow!

Roger:
Oh, the wax -- it's --

Mimi:
Dripping! I like it -- between my --

Roger:
Fingers. I figured...

Oh, well. Goodnight.

(Rogers gestures towards the door. Mimi exits. Roger heads back toward his guitar on the table. There is another knock, which he answers)

It blew out again?

Mimi:
No -- I think that I dropped my stash

Roger:
I know I've seen you out and about
When I used to go out
Your candle's out

Mimi:
I'm illin' --
I had it when I walked in the door
It was pure --
Is it on the floor?

Roger:
The floor?

(Mimi gets down on all fours and starts searching the floor for her stash. She looks back at Roger, who is staring at her again)

Mimi:
They say I have the best ass below 14th street
Is it true?

Roger:
What?

Mimi:
You're staring again.

Roger:
Oh no.
I mean you do -- have a nice --
I mean -- You look familiar

Mimi:
Like your dead girlfriend?

Roger:
Only when you smile.
But I'm sure I've seen you somewhere else --

Mimi:
Do you go to the Cat Scratch Club?
That's where I work - I dance - help me look

Roger:
Yes!
They used to tie you up --

Mimi:
It's a living

(Mimi douses the flame again)

Roger:
I didn't recognize you
Without the handcuffs

Mimi:
We could light the candle
Oh won't you light the candle?

(Roger lights it again)

Roger:
Why don't you forget that stuff
You look like you're sixteen

Mimi:
I'm nineteen -- but I'm old for my age
I'm just born to be bad

Roger:
I once was born to be bad
I used to shiver like that

Mimi:
I have no heat -- I told you

Roger:
I used to sweat

Mimi:
I got a cold

Roger:
Uh huh
I used to be a junkie

Mimi:
But now and then I like to --

Roger:
Uh huh

Mimi:
Feel good

Roger:
Here it is -- um --

(Roger stoops and picks up a small object: Mimi's stash)

Mimi:
What's that?

Roger:
It's a candy bar wrapper

(Roger puts it behind his back and into his pocket)

Mimi:
We could light the candle

(Roger gently blows out the candle)

Mimi:
What'd you do with my candle?

Roger:
That was my last match

Mimi:
Our eyes'll adjust, thank God for the moon

Roger:
Maybe it's not the moon at all
I hear Spike Lee's shooting down the street

Mimi:
Bah humbug ... Bah humbug

(Mimi places her hand under his, pretending to do it by accident)

Roger:
Cold hands

Mimi:
Yours too.
Big. Like my father's
You wanna dance?

Roger:
With you?

Mimi:
No -- with my father

Roger:
I'm Roger

Mimi:
They call me
They call me Mimi


Lyrics submitted by Eggos=yum

Light My Candle song meanings
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22 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment
    I love how Roger is like a little kid in this song. He was like "I mean you do have a very nice a....a.... i mean you...." he changes the topic because he is scared to commit to her because he has HIV and is nice enough to know that and not spread it around. Mimi i am upset with though because she does not seem to say that she also has HIV and so what if Roger didnt. That would be bad. She needs to tell him. I also like how when Roger mentions his girlfriend, Mimi imidietly changes the subject and blows out her candle. Then when she gets burned she is putting it between her cleavage and he is all "ahh i cant do this!". He wants to but cant.
    crazy4soccer14on April 08, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    The truth is that there are numerous layers to this particular song; several have been mentioned already. First, Mimi is a heroin user. Heroin is typically cooked in a spoon over an open flame - a candle, for instance. So the top layer, literal, and obvious meaning of the song is that Mimi is looking for a light for her candle so that she can do her drugs. However, watching the scene again you'll find that this can't account for all of it, because before entering we can see Mimi standing outside Roger and Mark's flat (during One Song Glory), and her candle is lit. She blows it out intentionally. Why? She finds Roger attractive and is looking for a reason to introduce herself for companionship. So in this case, "light my candle" refers to Mimi's search for love. On a more blunt level, the theme of many of Mimi's lyrics here are sexual in nature, so "light my candle" could also refer to Mimi looking for a sex partner - in this case, "light my candle" would be to have an orgasm. From Roger's perspective, it seems like his heart has been somewhat "frozen" of love since the loss of April. Lighting a candle would allow that to be thawed out, so despite his awkwardness, Roger is looking for someone to be with as well. And unknown to Mimi, Roger was a former heroin-user as well; to him, the candle symbolizes his addiction, which he has "blown out" - so his hesitation toward the end of the song to give Mimi her stash back is an indication that he worries that being with her might relight the candle of his own addiction.
    xaratheruson July 26, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    this is the best song.
    MEMPSestinaon July 03, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    i love this song. i mean, you really gotta watch this song to really get it, but its so sweet lol. its their love song, but its not all blunt and stupid and "LOVELOVELOVELOVE MUSH!!!" its just "light my candle". aww its so sweet... mimi blowing out the candle to stay longer and the last time roger blows the candle... he takes the leap. its sucha sweet song
    PRtwilight85on September 16, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    dude, this song rocks. along with all the other rent songs. so yeah.
    Ieatbubbles1787on April 11, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    yeah dude this song is awesome, the movie is awesome, the whole soundtrack is awesome.
    angeleyes07on December 04, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    She's asking Roger to light the candle so that she can do her drugs. And her stash are the drugs she's going to take. That's why she's shivering - because she hasn't had her drugs.
    BrainStewed74on December 28, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    i like this song its cute but my one interpretation of the line "i hear spike lee's shooting dow the street" i think that refers to mark ya know who he "atttempts" to be and hes kinda makin fun of him and i think mimi replies w/ bah humbug b/c it was kind of like a scrrogish line to say about ur roomate/good friend cuz i THINK mimi knows mark but then again idk
    meerys74on January 06, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    IS ANY ONE ELSE LOVING THE RENT SOUNDTRACK? I must admit, when I first saw the movie I wasn't used the singing in every scene, the AIDS, the lesbians and gay people. When the movie was done though, it meant so much more than that. It was a great movie, one of my favorites. This is probably my favorite song on the soundtrack. I love the whole soundtrack- I think CD 1 is better then CD 2 though.
    jenazababon January 07, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    oh god, how i adore the movie version of this song. the one from the original musical.. eh, not so much. i love the original, definitely, but.. mimi's voice on the original musical didn't do much for me. it sounded too whiny and.. something else i can't quite place. but i didn't like it as much as rosario dawson's. - shrug. - this song's sweet though. and catchy as all hell. :]
    such is lifeon March 06, 2006   Link

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