Analyzing "Nobody Needs To Know" from The Last Five Years

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 5:32pm

I'm going to be performing "Nobody Needs To Know" (The Breakup Song) from The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown for my musical theatre company. I'm analyzing the lyrics and I was hoping you guys could help me with some questions and things I noticed.

(1)
"We should get up, kid
Cathy is waiting..."

What is Cathy waiting for? Isn't she in Ohio?

(2)
"I wrote a story
And we changed the ending
Cathy look at me now"

Who changed the ending? The mistress and Jaime? Cathy and Jaime? All 3? The next line is telling Cathy to look at him which makes me think he is addressing Cathy.

(3)
"We build a treehouse
I keep it from shaking
Little more glue every time that it breaks"

They both built the treehouse but only Jaime keeps it from shaking? Is that the meaning of the line? Is he trying to make himself feel better about it?

(4)
"Take me inside you"
Sexually? Does this line have a purposeful double meaning?

(5)
"Hold on, don't cry yet
I won't let you go"

Who is he singing to? Who shouldn't cry yet and why won't he let her go? If it's Cathy, isn't he trying to let her go?

(6)
"And since I have to be in love with someone"

Why does he have to be in love with someone?




I know a lot of this is up to the interpretation of the performer but I love hearing other thoughts on it so any suggestions are welcome! Thanks guys!

-Sum

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 5:37pm

Wish I could help you, but I Don't know the entire show. You should try and find the script available because I know there's parts of the show that aren't on the cast recording. Also, part of the cool thing about being an actor is you get to interupt stuff the way you want to. How do you see these lyrics fitting the story? What do you think they mean? You don't need our help, just go with what you think.

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 5:39pm

The way the musical is structured the plot really accelerates through the songs. I have tried to come up with my own interpretations of the piece but these questions keep nagging me in the back of my head and so I'd like to scratch that itch by reading some outside brainstorming.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 5:46pm

True dat. But sorry, I dont' really know enough about it.

Posted: 10/29/05 at 5:47pm

All of the answers you get are going to be opinions (along with the "who's fault is it?" question). I'll say this: listening to the CD, I always thought it was a song was a song that incriminates Jaime, and thought it was Jaime's fault. Then I saw a production where Jaime was played by a MUCH better actor than Cathy, and--especially during this song--I felt really bad for him. He sang the song like he was *driven* to this, that it really was her fault because he tried really hard, and this was his one mistake that he perhaps made just to finally end it all, that he didn't like cheating on her. Just something to keep in mind. It can be an "I'm sorry" sort of song, but it can also be a "I did it because I had no choice" sort of song. Up to the performer. Anyway, that said... my opinions:

What is Cathy waiting for? Isn't she in Ohio?

She's waiting in Ohio for him to visit (See I'm Smiling possibly happens right after this). Or on another level, Cathy is waiting, and he's now done this deed and has to return to a waiting, unsuspecting Cathy.

Who changed the ending? The mistress and Jaime? Cathy and Jaime? All 3? The next line is telling Cathy to look at him which makes me think he is addressing Cathy.

"We" I think is he and the 'mistress'. I think the next line still addresses Cathy though.

"We build a treehouse
I keep it from shaking
Little more glue every time that it breaks"

They both built the treehouse but only Jaime keeps it from shaking? Is that the meaning of the line? Is he trying to make himself feel better about it?

Either Jaime keeps it from shaking by holding back his desires to screw other girls (and now, unsuccessfully), or Jaime keeps it from shaking because Cathy keeps jumping up and down and screwing things up, and Jaime's been tying the thing together. Depends on where you the performer wants the audience's sympathies to go. Is this a line said as a criticism of himself or of Cathy?

"Take me inside you"
Sexually? Does this line have a purposeful double meaning?

Seems just sexually to me. "I can't deal with the thoughts and real problems anymore.... Kid, take me inside you."

Who is he singing to? Who shouldn't cry yet and why won't he let her go? If it's Cathy, isn't he trying to let her go?

I interpreted it as the Mistress. "I promise I won't be as bad to you as I was to Cathy..." perhaps he wants to change, or perhaps he's certain that Mistress won't drive him to the same ends that Cathy did.

Why does he have to be in love with someone?

Either he goes from woman to woman, screwing things up. Or this is the next person and easiest way to distance himself from Cathy. Or it's sarcastic, maybe with regret. "Why do I have to be in love with someone?"

Let us know what you end up picking. If you're just singing the song alone, I'd highly suggest the whole audience sympathy of this. It becomes a beautiful breakdown song, a good corrolary to "I'm Still Hurting".
Updated On: 10/29/05 at 05:47 PM

[paradox_error]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 5:48pm

"(3)
"We build a treehouse
I keep it from shaking
Little more glue every time that it breaks"

They both built the treehouse but only Jaime keeps it from shaking? Is that the meaning of the line? Is he trying to make himself feel better about it?"

The treehouse is their relationship, and he's talking from his perspective. He's holding it together, but "then I start making conscious, deliberate mistakes." So he's letting the relationship fall apart.

[sweeedboy]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 5:48pm

Hey man,
I performed in last five years last year, INCREDIBLE show... so moving. Here is how i would answer your questions:

(1)
"We should get up, kid
Cathy is waiting..."

He is about to go to Ohio to meet with cathy(see im smiling). Therefor, cathy is waiting for him to come to ohio, and he shouldn't miss the train/plane to get there.

(2)
"I wrote a story
And we changed the ending
Cathy look at me now"

Him and the new girl (some say it's elise, some say it's not) changed the story. I mean it could be taken as him and cathy but it seems the 'we' in this context is him and the girl. Their affair changed the happy ending, the perfect ending.
(3)
"We build a treehouse
I keep it from shaking
Little more glue every time that it breaks"

This is the essence of jamie! He feels that he has put so much into the relationship, sacrificing everything for her. He has built the relationship. He gave her time, encouragement, everything and she returned to him jealousy and angst. He repaired the relationship everytime it started to slip, but he is through with repairing and hence has decided in this song to end the relationship. THis song is genius in that it made me actually feel for the character, i believed him, that he was justified in cheating on her. I couldn't believe myself when i sat in the theater, the first time i saw it, and was like 'yeah i can see that.... wait, what?! he cheated on her, stop thinking this, but its okay, ahh.' Playing the part just confirmed this. This song is where he finally says to himself, its over, there is nothign that can be done...

(4)
"Take me inside you"

This line always makes people squirm. It is sexual. It could also be taken as 'take me insid eyour heart' but i don't think the lyrics would be this blunt if thats what it was. The melody also hints at it, its lower and more sultry, if that makes sense. God this show is good.
(5)
"Hold on, don't cry yet
I won't let you go"
This is very subjective and very much u p to the performer. The way i played it was he was telling himself not to cry. This song is his destruction, where we see him at his barest... his thoughts are everywhere. The "i wont let you go" is an affirmation to himself saying 'i wont let this girl go. I will be good in this relationship, i can have a successful relationship.' Because he has realized he failed with cathy.

(6)
"And since I have to be in love with someone"
OH GOD!!! Another genius line. This reveals so much about jamie. Almost everything! He has to be in love with someone. I don't know how old you are, but there are a lot of people who just need to be loved. They race into relationships because someone is loving them and they crave it. This is soooo true of jamie... he craves love, from cathy, from his publisher, from his book audience... he has to be loved and when cathy doesn't show him it any longer he is forced to go find it in other places(no pun intended). This is one of the major driving forces of jamie as a character and guides many of his decisions.

Make sure you captuer the arc of this song becuase it is simply genius. IT is a huge affirmation to himself on many things, he is doing the right thing, the relationship is over, etc. It is also the destruction of a character witnessed in 6 minutes. The song starts out loving and tender, and ends with him exposed, BRILLIANT.
I can't tell you how muhc i want to do this show again... anyone in new york want to mount it? Hehe

[ashley0139]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 5:50pm

Here are my thoughts:

"I wrote a story
And we changed the ending
Cathy look at me now"
- I think he is talking about him and the mistress. Basically, he can't go back now. He cheated, and there's no way to take it back.

"We build a treehouse
I keep it from shaking
Little more glue every time that it breaks"
- Think it's kind of what you said. He felt that he was the one trying to keep it together.

"Hold on, don't cry yet
I won't let you go"
- Again, I think he is talking about the mistress. Just about him leaving. Not so sure about this one...

"And since I have to be in love with someone"
- This is kind of going back to the beginning. There are some people that just need to be in a relationship. In Shiksa Goddess he says that "he could be in love with someone like her". I think it's just the subtlety that is going back to the beginning. He is starting the process over. Just like he started with Cathy.

I hope some of this makes sense, and that I helped just a little.

[CostumeMistress]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 6:11pm

I'll put my two cents in, since I've analyzed the crap out of this show in listening to it (I love this show so much)!

(1)
"We should get up, kid
Cathy is waiting..."

What is Cathy waiting for? Isn't she in Ohio?

She's waiting for him to come visit her. He has to leave, he's just prolonging it with his lover.

(2)
"I wrote a story
And we changed the ending
Cathy look at me now"

Who changed the ending? The mistress and Jaime? Cathy and Jaime? All 3? The next line is telling Cathy to look at him which makes me think he is addressing Cathy.

I think that this shows a little bit of Jaime's control problems - HE wrote the story? It took him AND Cathy to write it, but that's not how he sees it. The "we" who changed the ending are Jaime and his new lover. "Cathy, just look at me now," is sort of a sarcastic line delivered to the air - as in, "if only she were watching now!" But Cathy's not *actually* there with Jaime, he's just talking to himself.

(3)
"We build a treehouse
I keep it from shaking
Little more glue every time that it breaks"

They both built the treehouse but only Jaime keeps it from shaking? Is that the meaning of the line? Is he trying to make himself feel better about it?

More control issues! In Jaime's eyes, they both invested in the relationship, but HE'S the one who's holding it together. [In other songs, we see Jaime and Cathy both constructed as controlling and clingy, respectively. This lays the groundwork for the PROBLEMS they are now having.] I think that he is trying to comfort himself, rationalize that he was holding it together all along, even though other parts in the show chronicle him having a wandering eye.

(4)
"Take me inside you"
Sexually? Does this line have a purposeful double meaning?

Sex-u-al. He's inviting her back to bed, they've been having sex. If you want to add another layer, you could say that he's saying to his lover, "take me inside you - swallow me up, hide/shield me from this," in a metaphorical sense. But if you deliver this line deliciously and seductively well, every female in the house will be melting in their seats.

(5)
"Hold on, don't cry yet
I won't let you go"

Who is he singing to? Who shouldn't cry yet and why won't he let her go? If it's Cathy, isn't he trying to let her go?

I think he's reassuring his lover - "don't cry, let me settle things with Cathy, but don't worry, I won't leave *you.*" I think that this line requires very careful interpretation of the word "you" to help the audience see that it's the lover, not Cathy, that Jaime is referring to.

(6)
"And since I have to be in love with someone"

Why does he have to be in love with someone?

It's one of his flaws. He's not content with the ups and downs that a long-term relationship entails, he's in love with simply being in love, and craves the euphoria that comes with falling in love.

Please do let us know how you decide to play these things! And best of luck with your performance - this is SUCH a great song.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 6:38pm

I think that we're supposed to fill in many of the blanks ourselves with this show, so it's kinda up to you.

That said, "Nobody Needs To Know" is so heartbreaking. Believe me, there are few things worse than knowing you've betrayed someone you love.


EDIT: Oh, and yes, "Take me inside you" is definitely meant to be taken literally, if you know what I mean. Updated On: 10/29/05 at 06:38 PM

[gumbo2]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 8:18pm

Yeah, I mostly think similar things to all you guys, but the "I wrote a story and we changed the ending"...sometimes I think he could be literally talking about the book he wrote at the beginning, wasn't it about cathy? or didn't she at least inspire him? And then this other girl is changing the ending.

Also, that line "All that I ask for is one little corner, one private room at the back of my heart, tell her I found one, she sends out betallions, to claim it and blow it apart." I don't mean to threadjack, but that line always confused me, it could mean so many different things. Any thoughts? Great song.

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 8:29pm

this is a great song. the music is so moving, even without the lyrics! jason robert brown is truly a genius.

as for the interpretations, i think you should use a little bit of your own interpretations and the ones previously posted because i think most of them are right on.

i heart the last five years (if you couldn't already tell by my username!)

best of luck in your performance!! Updated On: 10/29/05 at 08:29 PM

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 8:37pm

Again, this goes back to the "whose fault is it?" argument, but to gumbo2: Cathy can be seen as being very clingy, needy and demmanding that Jaimie devote himself solely to her at all times ("We Can Do Better", she is practically BEGGING Jaimie to hurry their relationship to the next level)
That line, "All that I ask for is one little corner, one private room at the back of my heart, tell her I found one, she sends out betallions, to claim it and blow it apart."
Basically Jaimie is saying that Cathy would not give him an ounce of solitude and that she drove him to cheat on her.
Updated On: 10/29/05 at 08:37 PM

[30/90 Playout]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 11:25pm

I know this sounds tacky, but: Email Jason. He is really good about things like that, and HE would know the real answer.

[WildhornFanatic]

Posted: 10/30/05 at 3:13am

[It can be an "I'm sorry" sort of song, but it can also be a "I did it because I had no choice" sort of song. Up to the performer.]

I would just like to say something about this comment. An actor should never choose to say "I'm sorry" or try to defend himself. That is a negative choice! The audience does not want to see you apologizing or standing up for what you did. Instead, make a positive choice and sing the song to BENEFIT and AFFECT the other person. In turn, you'll be affecting the audience. It's a fine line of affecting Cathy by putting all the blame on yourself and sulking and pitying yourself, however.
Updated On: 10/30/05 at 03:13 AM

[JulianHookbucks]

Posted: 10/30/05 at 3:58am

about the corner of my heart phrase.. why would he tell her he found it if he wanted it for himself, though? That's the bit that always confused me... I think it could be substituted with the words "She finds out" rather then "I tell her"

[CostumeMistress]

Posted: 10/30/05 at 8:15am

I think 30/90 has a point... it's worth a try, the worst that would happen is that you wouldn't get a response. It would be pretty cool to see what JRB would say if you heard back from him.

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 11/4/05 at 12:55am

(1)I have assumed that Elise and Jaime are already in Ohio, and he's going off to meet Cathy at the dock (or perhaps Elise was one of the people at the party...? In any case, I think he's already in Ohio).

(2)Connect this line with "You, you are the story I should write" from Moving Too Fast. I assume that the book he wrote was about a relationship that was quasi-based on what he wanted out of his relationship with Cathy. His relationship with Elise changed the ending. There's a beat change, and he says, "Cathy, just look at me now" to himself.

(3)My opinion... He feels that up to that point, he's the one trying to keep the balance in their relationship. He feels like he's the one making compromises and doing all the work. I think he's trying to rationalize how he and Cathy got to this point.

(4)I think that this line is incredibly sexual.

(5)Good question. I've never really thought about this. I always assumed it was to Elise, but I'm probably wrong.

(6) Look at the line "Some people can't find success with their art, some people never feel love in their heart, some people can't tell the two things apart..." from Moving Too Fast. Jaime is in the third category. He got success when he was inspired by Cathy. His success made him think he was in love. Now, he associates love with success. He thinks he needs to be in love in order to write.



I didn't read the other responses, so hopefully this wasn't too much repetition... and hopefully it doesn't sound moronic in comparison to the others. Break a leg.

[SirLiir]

Posted: 11/4/05 at 2:22am

Every one has pretty much summed it up quite well. I can just ask a few things:

1) Cathy always seemed to me to be so confused and unsure of herself. This caused her in many ways to fail to connect to Jamie. One of my fav lines is during "We can do better than that" where she says, "All I want is you, and you, and nothing but you...". She wants Jamie all to herself. Yet back in "See I'm Smiling", she reiterates that line, saying that Jamie can't spend another day that's not about "you, and you, and nothing but you...". Cathy got what she wanted and it turns out it wasnt what she desired.

2) In my opinion, The treehouse verses are talking about their relationship. He feels he has been holding it together (and he has in many ways - Cathy spends so much time rehearsing and auditioning that she does not have time for anything else) but as the time passes by, he starts making conscious mistakes to cause the relationship to break down again.

3) Jamie needs love for security. He is rather dependant on some special someone in many ways. In the beginning, he claims Cathy is the story he must write. Why is that? The play doesnt make it clear if he wrote the book before or after he met Cathy so if we assume he writes it after, his words ring true. Jamie is a person who can derive his creativity and passion from being with someone to take care of him, someone to give him the security to write. Cathy provided that but as she drifted away, so did Jamie's security. In fact, she began to provide just the opposite. In "I'm a Part of It', Cathy complains how Jamie likes to go to "Jamieland" and ignore her. She puts up with it but she seems to become fed up. "Nobody needs to know" is very much a lament about Jamie's rift with Cathy and also the loss of his security. It is why he turns to his mistress to find warmth once again.

Just a little off topic but does anyone find it ironic that Norbert played both Jamie and Camielle in Thou Shalt Not, two quite similiar characters who both needed alot of love (Camielle more than Jamie)?
Updated On: 11/4/05 at 02:22 AM

[wendy72]

Posted: 11/4/05 at 10:25am

Did anyone see Wayne Wilcox perform in "The Last Five Years?" I was wondering how his take on the role was different than Norbs', given how different they are physically. (Wanyne is adorable..of course, Norbs is in the adorable Hall of Fame!)

[TheEnchantedHunter]

Posted: 11/4/05 at 1:47pm

Man, those are terrible lyrics.


Vivian Darkbloom
Ramsdale, New England

[SirLiir]

Posted: 11/4/05 at 2:04pm

Thank you, enchanted, for contributing to this discussion...

[DramaDork925]

Posted: 11/4/05 at 2:41pm

This song makes me upset I could never play Jamie... haha. It's so emotional, genius, raw and revealing... I love it!