"What I did for Love"
"What I did for Love"
Elphaba4
Featured Actor Joined: 1/5/05
#0"What I did for Love"
Posted: 12/6/05 at 6:58pm
What do you all think the song is representing?
"There will always be women in rubber flirting with me"
~Maureen, RENT
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#1re: 'What I did for Love'
Posted: 12/6/05 at 7:04pmThe struggle a person is going through to accomplish their dream.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#2re: 'What I did for Love'
Posted: 12/6/05 at 7:42pmI used to audition with this song all the time when I was in high school...what a great song- so much passion, and great lyrics
There is only one you for all time. Fearlessly be yourself. Anthony Rapp
My avatar- the amazingly talented Michael Buble
#3re: 'What I did for Love'
Posted: 12/6/05 at 7:52pmThat that horrendous show is finally coming to an end.
musicalsaregreat
Understudy Joined: 4/13/05
#4re: 'What I did for Love'
Posted: 12/6/05 at 8:44pmTo me, this song answers the question. "If something happened to you today that made it impossible to follow your dream, was it worth following your dream?" IF a dancer all of a sudden couldn't walk again or a singer no longer had a voice. "What I Did For Love" answers, yes, yes I love my career and it is all worth it.
#5re: 'What I did for Love'
Posted: 12/7/05 at 12:24am
This thread just reminded me I should find my sheet music as I'm singing this in a concert in two weeks.
Um...
To answer the question:
In the context of the story she is explaining her past with...the director guy (oh character's have names? what?). But I think the song is also expressing deeper meanings, and hidden context behind the simple phrase "what I did for love?"
"Kiss today goodbye, the sweetness and the sorrow." We have to move on, we cannot dwell no matter how many emotions may be brought forth.
"Wish me luck, the same to you..." singing imagined dialogue, I love this.
"But I can't regret what I did for love, what I did for love" In the context of the story, she can't regret leaving and taking the job across the country because she felt she had to in order to keep their love going...she felt her love for him would turn into contempt if she did not pursue her dreams. I think this also doubles as what she did for her love of dance, her passion.
"Look my eyes are dry." A direct statement, as if to say, "pay attention, my words are legitimate I am not an emotional wreck"
"The gift was ours to borrow, it's as if we always knew, and I won't forget what I did for love, what I did for love..." This line isn't as straightforward. She's using metaphorical language to soften the reality of the situation.
"Gone, love is never gone, as we travel on, love's what we'll remember" Gone! Oh I feel alone and vulnerable! But no...love is never really gone...and as we continue on with our lives...we'll remember the love that was there above all the pettiness.
"Kiss today goodbye, and point me t'ward tomorrow" Another definite statement re-affirming herself she's made the right decision.
"We did what we had to do..." She's trying to rationalize and excuse everything to make the pain of the situation a little less stinging.
"Won't forget, can't regret what I did for love...what I did for love...what I did for love." She will never stop caring, but she will move on with or without him, with or without a fantastic career. She's accepted who she is, what she loves and all the steps she's taken in her life to try and protect who and what she loves....regardless if it wasn't always "the best or right thing to do".
That's just my take on it...
--Like an odd exotic creature on display inside a zoo, hearing children asking questions makes me ask some questions too...--
broadwaystar2b
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/28/04
#6re: 'What I did for Love'
Posted: 12/7/05 at 12:30amOddExoticCreature, your analysis is beautiful, but I think you've confused the characters of Diana (who sings this song in the show) with Cassie (who sings this song in the very poorly adapted movie)
#7re: 'What I did for Love'
Posted: 12/7/05 at 12:39am
oh. hehe I've only seen the movie
--Like an odd exotic creature on display inside a zoo, hearing children asking questions makes me ask some questions too...--
blaxx
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/05
#8re: 'What I did for Love'
Posted: 12/7/05 at 12:48am
The dialogue before the song explains the song well.
I can't remember it exactly right now, but it is asked "What if you couldn't do this again (performing/dancing)?
The answer about performing because it's a passion and it will always be worth it, was right.
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
DG
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/2/05
#9re: 'What I did for Love'
Posted: 12/7/05 at 2:07amOEC - that was a lovely interpretation - I hope you get the chance to invest the same amount of energy in the original intention someday - it really is something completely different - and one of the reasons that many people (myself most definitely included) abhor that movie.
TheatreSlave
Understudy Joined: 11/3/05
#10re: 'What I did for Love'
Posted: 12/7/05 at 2:30am
The singer/character's love for her art (in this case, dance). She had a gift, she used it to do what she loved, but a true artistic gift is not owned, it is only "borrowed". We use our gifts for a while, and (hopefully) pass them on to someone else to share. But, no matter what happens to us while we are in that life, no matter what we have to go through, we would do it again because of an overwhelming love. We will always dive right back in, because we cannot see *not* doing so. I see parallells between this song and Once Before I Go ("The Boy From Oz"), if you apply them to the same subject (which I have since the first time I heard the latter song).
"We are all misfits, I guess, in the theatre. Otherwise we wouldn't be here." ~Michael Kandel, "Ogre"
#11re: 'What I did for Love'
Posted: 12/7/05 at 2:47amI've never seen the show but I love this song. A TON!
"You know just because you put a smiley face after it doesn't change the fact that it was an a-hole comment." ~ Sumofallthings
DG
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/2/05
#12re: 'What I did for Love'
Posted: 12/7/05 at 2:54amTheatreslave - I really like that comparison - and I agree.
TheatreSlave
Understudy Joined: 11/3/05
#13re: 'What I did for Love'
Posted: 12/7/05 at 3:20am
OK, now that I have read the other posts (sorry, I was busy before and just posted from the original question)
DG- Thank you for your compliment. *bows* Not many see the comparisons.
OddExotic- Wow, now that's what I call a specific interpretation. Nicely worded, although I can't really agree with it.
Maybe I'm a cynic, but I never like the idea of this song being directed to the love of a person. I saw the film first, and didn't really like the song until I saw the show. Then I understood it (at least, what it meant for me).
One of the things I love most about music (or poetry and other sorts of writing, or art, or theatre and so on) is that they can mean different things to different people. I like seeing how other people's opinions and feelings differ from mine. I think those differences are part of what makes life as an artist (and a human) interesting.
"We are all misfits, I guess, in the theatre. Otherwise we wouldn't be here." ~Michael Kandel, "Ogre"
#14re: 'What I did for Love'
Posted: 12/7/05 at 2:41pm
Morales is the tough girl... All along she is tyring to prove that she's good enough. Look at "Nothing" (my favorite from the show), she is told that she's not good enough, but she pushes through and resolves it herself.
Perhaps the reason she fought through is because of her love for the job, her love for performance. Even when everything was stacked against her. She gave up a lot to pursue her dream.
Hamlet's father.
#15re: 'What I did for Love'
Posted: 12/7/05 at 3:50pmOh, and how the film version totally changed the meaning of that song.
"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."
-- Author Unknown
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