“I’ll Cover You” by Jonathan Larson

“I’ll Cover You” and “Take Me Or Leave Me,” are duets from the smash hit musical “Rent.”  Both songs feature same sex characters declaring their love for each other, marking a milestone for the depiction of queer characters in the media.

“Rent,” loosely based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Bohème, debuted on Broadway on April 29th, 1996. Set in 1989, the musical tells the story of a group of young artists living in New York City’s Alphabet City and struggling with poverty, drug addiction and homelessness amid the HIV/AIDS crisis. The show was notable for putting HIV characters at the forefront and featuring the stories of LGBTQIA+ characters at a time where queer representation was even more sparse in the media.

Playwright Billy Aronson conceived the show and worked with his then roommate, composer Jonathan Larson. Jonathan Larson passed away from heart complications at the age of 35, the night before “Rent’s” Off-Broadway premiere at the New York Theater Workshop. His family discovered a poignant note that he’d written on his computer shortly before he died:

“In these dangerous times, where it seems the world is ripping apart at the seams, we can all learn how to survive from those who stare death in the face every day and (we) should reach out to each other and bond as a community, rather than hide from the terrors of life at the end of the millenium.”

It’s a sentiment that sums up the ethos of “Rent.” The story of “Rent” highlights the resilience people find through community and through love.

Aaron Alcaraz as Angel and Devine Adams as Tom Collins in “Rent”
Credit: citybeat.com

On of the most impactful storylines in the show is the love story between drag queen and street percussionist Angel and vagabond anarchist Collins. The two meet when Collins is brutally mugged, and Angel discovers him on the street and helps him. The two men discover that they are both HIV positive. Though they know their time together is brief, they begin a romance. They commit to loving each other as much as they can for as long as they can. Their duet, “I’ll Cover You” depicts their relationship not as doomed, but as a pure, devoted expression of love.

Live in my house, I’ll be your shelter
Just pay me back
With one thousand kisses
Be my lover, I’ll cover you
Open your door, I’ll be your tenant
Don’t got much baggage, to lay at your feet
But sweet kisses, I’ve got to spare
I’ll be there and I’ll cover you

It’s a moving, hopeful proclamation of a rare kind of love. When the show came out, reviewer Peter Galvin wrote in the “The Advocate,” New York’s premiere LGBT newspaper:

 “Seeing same-sex couples declaring their love for each other on the musical stage is truly a thrilling sight. How lucky we are to be touched by Larson’s all-inclusive heart; how sad that that heart beats no more.”

When Angel loses his battle with AIDS during the second act, “I’ll Cover You (Reprise)” is sung at his funeral. When Angel and Collins first sing “I’ll Cover You,” it’s a celebration of new love. At Angel’s funeral, the reprise is primarily sung by Collins.  It is slowed down and somber, reflecting Collins’ emotional state. Near the end of the song, the rest of the company joins in to sing a slowed-down version of “Seasons of Love,” one of the show’s big hits. “Seasons of Love” asks what the best way to measure the value of a year in a human life is, and answers that the best way is to “measure in love.”

Watch the 2008 Broadway Cast sing the “I’ll Cover You (Reprise) below.