La Vie Boheme

"La Vie Bohème" ( _fr. the Bohemian life) is a song in the musical "Rent". The second part of this song ("La Vie Bohème B") ends the first act of the show. In between the two halves of the song is an interlude ("I Should Tell You") with Roger and Mimi. The song is a celebration of bohemianism, especially that found in 80s Alphabet City, mocking Benny's statement that "Bohemia is dead."

La Vie Bohème

In celebrating Bohemia, the song recites the names of artists who served as inspiration and as a symbol of Bohemia themselves, as well as places and things integral to the lives of these artists. Some of the references are obscure, while others are self-explanatory. The word "to" was used 55 times along with those references.

The following is a list of many of the references made in the song.

*Dies Irae
*Kyrie Eleison
*Yitgadal v'yitkadash (sung by Collins and Roger in the background)
*Mother Earth
*Nativity
*Hooky
*Parallel dimensions
*Homosexuals
*Moral relativism ("no absolutes", a rejection of Moral absolutism)
*Absolut Vodka
*Choice
*"The Village Voice"
*Individuality
*Miso soup
*Soy burgers
*Tofu hot dogs
*Meatless meatballs
*Wine
*Beer
*Yoga
*Yogurt
*Rice, beans, and cheese
*Leather
*Dildos
*Curry vindaloo (an Indian pork dish cooked with vinegar, garlic, spices, and chili peppers. Restaurants often serve this dish with chicken or lamb sometimes mixed with potatoes. See the articles on curry and vindaloo.)
*Huevos rancheros
*Maya Angelou
*Emotion
*Devotion
*Craziness
*Creation
*Vacation
*Masturbation
*Compassion
*Fashion
*Passion (emotion)
*Susan Sontag
*Stephen Sondheim
*Taboo
*Allen Ginsberg
*Bob Dylan
*Merce Cunningham
*John Cage
*Lenny Bruce
*Langston Hughes
*Stage
*Uta Hagen
*Buddha
*Pablo Neruda
*Dorothy, Toto, and Auntie Em (from "The Wizard of Oz")
*Bisexuality
*Trisexuals
*Homo sapiens
*Carcinogens
*Hallucinogens
*Men
*Pee Wee Herman
*German wine
*Turpentine
*Gertrude Stein
*Michelangelo Antonioni
*Bernardo Bertolucci
*Akira Kurosawa
*"Carmina Burana"
*Apathy
*Entropy
*Empathy
*Ecstasy
*Václav Havel
*The Sex Pistols
*8BC
*No Shame
*Marijuana
*Sodomy
*Sadism and masochism
*Salons
*Bubble Wrap
*High Holy Days
*Native Americans Tribal Chants
*Vocoders
*Electric cellos
*Musetta's Waltz
*Anarchy
*MIT
*ACT UP
*AIDS

*AZT

La Vie Bohème B

La Vie Bohème B is the second part of the song "La Vie Bohème". The end of it is also the end of the first act of the show. "La Vie Bohème B" begins with a brief dialogue between Maureen and Joanne, then continues with the celebration of bohemianism from the first part of the song. Like the first part, the second part lists many ideas, trends, and other things that symbolize bohemianism, including:

*Dance
*Masochism
*Pain
*Perfection
*Muscle spasms
*Chiropractors
*Eating disorders
*Film
*Adventure films
*Tedium
*Dark rooms, which may refer to darkrooms used in photography or dark rooms in sex clubs
*The ego
*Hollywood
*
*Music
*Emotion in music
*Mathematics in music
*Rhythm
*Harmony
*Anarchy
*Revolution
*Justice
*Homosexuality
*Cross-dressing
*The mainstream
*Libido
*The Wall
*War and Peace, or the novel War and Peace
*Creation/Creativity

A memorable part of this song (in the Movie) is the slow-motion section of the ending, in which the seven main characters and protagonists dance on the table in close contact with their respective significant others, with the exception of Mark who dances vibrantly on his own. It should be noted that Mark (Anthony Rapp) choreographed his own moves for that song.