- [first lines]
- Mark, Angel, Maureen, Roger, Collins, Benjamin Coffin III, Mimi: Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes. Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear. Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes - how do you measure a year in the life? How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love... seasons of love.
- Mimi: It's right that today's Halloween. It was Angel's favorite holiday. I knew we'd hit it off the moment we met. There was this skinhead that was harassing her... and she walked right up to him and said, "I'm more of a man than you'll ever be - and more of a woman than you'll ever get."
- Mimi: I should tell I blew the candle out, just to get back in.
- Roger Davis: I'd forgotten how to smile, until your candle burned my skin.
- Mimi: There's only us, There's only this, Forget regret, Or life is your to miss, No other road, No other way, No day but today.
- Collins: In honor of the death of Bohemia, an improtu salon will commence immediately following dinner. Maureen Johnson, back from her spectacular one-night engagement at the eleventh street lot, will sing Native American tribal chants backwards through her vocorder, while accompanying herself on the electric chello, which she ain't never studied.
- Roger: And Mark Cohen will preview his new documentary about his inability to hold an erection on high holy days.
- Mark: Mimi Marquez, clad only in bubble wrap, will perform her famous lawn chair-handcuff dance to the sound of iced tea being stirred. And Roger will attempt to write a bittersweet, evocative song.
- Roger: [picks up a guitar and plays]
- Mark: That doesn't remind us of Musetta's Waltz.
- Collins: Angel Dumont Schunard will model the latest fall fashions from Paris while accomanying herself on the 10 gallon plastic pickle tub.
- Angel: And Collins will recount his exploits as an anarchist, including the tale of his successful reprogramming of the MIT virtural reality equipment to self-destruct as it broadcast the words:
- All: Actual reality! Act up! Fight AIDS!
- Maureen: You always said how lucky you were that we were all friends. But it was us, baby, who were the lucky ones.
- Maureen: You know what, Miss Ivy League? I can't take much more of this. This obsessive, compulsive, control-freak, paranoia.
- Joanne: What?
- Maureen: I didn't pierce my nipples 'cause it grossed you out. I didn't stay at the Kink Club last night because you wanted to go home.
- Joanne: You were flirting with the woman in rubber.
- Maureen: There will always be women in rubber flirting with me! Give me a break!
- Roger Davis: Find the one song before the virus takes hold, glory, like a sunset. One song to redeem this empty life! Time flies, and then no need to endure anymore! Time dies.
- Mark: [after opening song] December 24th, 1989, 9 PM, Eastern Standard Time. From here on in, I shoot without a script. See if anything comes of it, instead of my old shit.
- Roger: How do you start a fire when there's nothing to burn, and it feels like something's stuck in your flue?
- Mark: How can you generate heat when you can't feel your feet...
- Roger, Mark: And they're turning blue?
- Mark: [setting one of his old scripts alight] You light up a mean blaze...
- Roger: [adding one of his old posters] With posters...
- Mark: And screenplays!
- Roger, Mark: How we gonna pay, how we gonna pay, how we gonna pay... last year's rent!
- [sung]
- Mark: To days of inspiration, playing hookey, making something out of nothing, the need to express, to communicate. To going against the grain, going insane, going mad. To loving tension, no pension, to more than one dimension, to starving for attention, hating convention, hating pretension, not to mention, of course, hating dear old Mom and Dad. To riding your bike midday past the three-piece suits. To fruits, to no absolutes, to "Absolut." To choice, to the "Village Voice," to any passing fad. To being an "Us" for once, instead of a "Them." La vie BohËme.
- Mark: ...and then there was the time he walked up to this group of tourists and they were petrified because A they were obviously lost, and B had probably never spoken to a drag queen before in their lives... and he... she just offered to escort them out of Alphabet City... and then she let them take a picture with her and then she said she'd help 'em find the Circle Line...
- Roger: [Sung] I know, this something is... here goes.
- Mimi: [Sung] Here goes.
- Roger: [Sung] Guess so, it's starting to... who knows?
- Mimi: [Sung] Who knows?
- Mimi, Roger: [Sung] Who knows where, who goes there? / Who knows... here goes / Trusting desire, starting to learn... / Walking through fire, without a burn / Clinging a shoulder, a leap begins / Stinging and older, asleep on pins / So here... we... go... / Now we...
- Roger: [Sung] Oh no.
- Mimi: [Sung] I know.
- Roger: [Sung] Oh no.
- Mimi, Roger: [Sung] Who knows where, who goes there? / Here goes... / Here goes... / Here goes... / Here goes... / Here goes... / Here goes...
- [They kiss]
- Collins, Mark, Mimi, Angel: [Sung] I can't control
- Roger Davis: [Sung] Control your temper
- Collins, Mark, Mimi, Angel: [Sung] My destiny
- Roger Davis: [Sung] She doesn't see
- Collins, Mark, Mimi, Angel: [Sung] I trust my soul
- Roger Davis: [Sung] Who says that there's a soul
- Collins, Mark, Mimi, Angel: [Sung] My only goal, is just to be
- Roger Davis: Just let me be!
- Collins, Mark, Mimi, Angel: [Sung in time with Roger] There's only now, there's only here. Give into love, or live in fear. No other path, no other way. No day but today.
- Roger Davis: [Sung] Who do you think you are? Barging in on me and my guitar. Little girl hey, the door is that way.
- Mimi: [Sung] No day but today.
- Roger Davis: [Sung] The fire's dead anyway.
- Collins, Mark, Mimi, Angel: [Sung] No day but today.
- Roger Davis: [Sung] Take your powder, take your candle.
- Collins, Mark, Mimi, Angel: [Sung] No day but today.
- Roger Davis: [Sung] Take your brown eyes, your pretty smile, your silouette.
- Collins, Mark, Mimi, Angel: [Sung] No day but today.
- Roger Davis: [Sung] Another time, another place, another round, a warm embrace.
- Collins, Mark, Mimi, Angel: [Sung] No day but today.
- Roger Davis: [Sung] Another dance another way, another chance, another day
- Collins, Mark, Mimi, Angel: [Sung] No day but today.
- Life Cafe Waiter: [sung] So that's five miso soup, four seaweed salad, three soy burger dinner, two tofu dog platters, and one pasta with meatless balls.
- Roger: Ugh!
- Collins: It tastes the same.
- Mimi: If you close your eyes!
- Roger: [sung] You look familiar.
- Mimi: [sung] Like your dead girlfriend?
- Roger: [sung] Only when you smile, but I'm sure I've seen you somwhere else.
- Mimi: [sung] Do you go to the Cat Scratch Club? That's where I work. I dance.
- Roger: [sung] Yes! They used to tie you up.
- Mimi: [sung] It's a living.
- Roger: [sung] I didn't recognize you without the handcuffs.
- Roger: [sung, to Mimi] You were the song all along, and before the song dies... I should tell you, I should tell you... I have always loved you. You can see it in my eyes... Mimi!
- Collins: So with a thousand sweet kisses...
- Angel: If you're cold and you're lonely.
- Collins: ...I'll cover you. With a thousand sweet kisses...
- Angel: You've got one nickel only.
- Collins: ...I'll cover you.
- Angel: With a thousand sweet kisses...
- Collins: When you're worn out and tired.
- Angel: ...I'll cover you. With a thousand sweet kisses... I'll cover you!
- Collins: When your heart has expired!
- Collins, Angel: Oh lover, I'll cover you!
- All: [sung] No other road / No other way / No day but today
- Mimi, Joanne, Maureen: [sung] I can't control / My destiny
- Mark, Roger, Collins, Angel, Benjamin Coffin III: [sung] Will I lose my dignity / Will someone care
- Mimi, Joanne, Maureen: [sung] I trust my soul / My only goal / Is just to be
- Mark, Roger, Collins, Angel, Benjamin Coffin III: [sung] Will I wake tomorrow / From this nightmare
- Mimi, Joanne, Maureen: [sung] Without you / The hand gropes
- Mark, Roger, Collins, Angel, Benjamin Coffin III: [sung] There's only now / There's only here
- Mimi, Joanne, Maureen: [sung] The ear hears / The pulse beats
- Mark, Roger, Collins, Angel, Benjamin Coffin III: [sung] Give in to love / Or live in fear
- Mimi, Joanne, Maureen: [sung] Life goes on / But I'm gone
- Mark, Roger, Collins, Angel, Benjamin Coffin III: [sung] No other path / No other way
- Mimi, Joanne, Maureen: [sung] 'Cause I die / Without you / I die without you
- Mark, Roger, Collins, Angel, Benjamin Coffin III: [sung] No day but today / No day but today
- Mimi, Joanne, Maureen: [sung] I die without you / I die without you
- Mark, Roger, Collins, Angel, Benjamin Coffin III: [sung] No day but today / No day but today
- Mimi, Joanne, Maureen: [sung] I die without you / I die without you
- Mark, Roger, Collins, Angel, Benjamin Coffin III: [sung] No day but today / No day but today
- All: [sung] NO DAY BUT TODAY!
- Gordon: [sung] I try to open up to what I don't know, because reason says I should have died three years ago...
- Angel: Today for you, tomorrow for me!
- Tom: And you should hear her beat.
- Mark: You earned this on the street?
- Angel: It was my lucky day today on Avenue A when the lady in the limousine drove my way - she said, "Darling, be a dear - haven't slept in a year! I need your help to make my neighbor's yappy dog disappear! This akita - Evita - just won't shut up! I believe if you play nonstop that pup will breathe its very last high-strung breath. I'm certain that cur will bark itself to death!"
- Mimi, Angel: [sung] To hand crafted beers made in local breweries, to yoga, to yogurt, to rice and beans and cheese. To leather, to dildoes, to curry vindaloo. To huevos rancheros and Maya Angelou.
- Collins, Maureen: [sung] Emotion, devotion to causing a commotion. Creation, vacation...
- Mark: [sung] Mucho masturbation.
- Mark: [throwing music posters into the fire] The music ignites the night with passionate fire!
- Roger Davis: [adding Mark's screenplays to the blaze] The narration crackles and pops with incendiary wit!
- Life Cafe Manager: [Mark, Maureen, Joanne, Mimi, Angel, and Collins walk into the Life Cafe] Oh, no. Please, no. No. Not tonight. Please leave.
- Mark: What are you talking about? Why?
- Life Cafe Manager: Because you sit here all night and you never order anything.
- Mark: That's a lie. Just last week I had a tea.
- Life Cafe Manager: You couldn't pay.
- Mark: Oh, yeah.
- Angel: Tonight we can.
- [Holding up money]
- Angel: Ka-pow.
- Mimi: [sung] What's the time? Well it's gotta be close to midnight... my body's talkin' to me, it says "Time for danger!"
- [Angel discovers Collins, who has been mugged]
- Angel: Oh my God, are you okay, honey?
- Collins: I'm afraid so.
- Angel: They get anything, or...?
- Collins: I didn't have any money, but they took my stuff.
- [Angel tries to wipe the blood from Collins' forehead]
- Collins: No, I'm fine, I'm fine.
- Angel: I'm Angel.
- Collins: Angel. Friends call me Collins. Tom Collins.
- Angel: Come on. Let's get you cleaned up. Sort of have to hurry; I have a life support meeting to go to.
- Collins: Life support?
- Angel: Yeah. It's for people with AIDS. People like me.
- Collins: Me, too.
- Joanne: [about Maureen] She cheated...
- Mark: She cheated.
- Joanne: Maureen cheated...
- Mark: Fucking cheated.
- Joanne: I'm defeated, I should give up right now.
- Mark: Gotta look on the bright side with all of your might...
- Joanne: I'd fall for her still, anyhow.
- Joanne, Mark: When you're dancing her dance you don't stand a chance. Her grip on romance makes you fall.
- Mark: So you think, "Might as well - "
- Joanne: Dance a tango to Hell.
- Joanne, Mark: At least I'll have tangoed at all.
- Mark: How do you document real life when real life's getting more like fiction each day? Headlines, breadlines blow my mind, and now this deadline - eviction or pay... rent!
- Roger: How do you write a song when the chords sound wrong, though they once sounded right and rare? When the notes are sour, where is the power you once had to ignite the air?
- Mark: We're hungry and frozen...
- Roger: Some life that we've chosen!
- Mark, Roger: How we gonna pay, how we gonna pay, how we gonna pay... last year's rent!
- Mimi: [sings] Let's go out tonight. I have to go out tonight. You wanna prowl? Be my night owl? Well, take my hand were gonna howl out tonight.
- Maureen: [sung] Every single day I walk down the street, I hear people say, "Baby, so sweet." Ever since puberty, everybody stares at me. Boys, girls, I can't help it, baby.
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