Song Meaning

The lyrics present a complex and darkly humorous scenario where a therapist, Mendel, attempts to counsel Trina, who is dealing with the fallout of her ex-husband Marvin's diagnosis of syphilis and hepatitis. The initial tone is one of professional calm, with Mendel offering a safe space: "Sit down, my dear... I'm sure you're not disgusting or indiscreet." However, this quickly gives way to a more chaotic and unsettling revelation of Trina's past and present afflictions, shared with her ex-husband and seemingly passed on. The situation is complicated by the introduction of other characters, including Marvin, and the children, who reveal further layers of dysfunction, such as the father's "kissing boys" and the children's own peculiar behaviors like wetting their beds and acting dead. The central tension arises from the juxtaposition of Trina's deeply personal and medically alarming situation with the detached, almost clinical, and sometimes flippant reactions of those around her, particularly Mendel. Trina confesses, "I'm everything he wanted," a statement that seems to carry a heavy burden of expectation and perhaps a past where she tried to fulfill them. The revelation that she has syphilis and hepatitis, and that Marvin also has them, is met with a chillingly simple "Good" from Mendel, highlighting a disturbing normalization of these ailments within the narrative. This creates a sense of unease, as the expected empathy is replaced by a pragmatic, almost transactional, approach to the problem. The most striking aspect of the lyrics is the way they blend serious medical and emotional distress with absurd, almost farcical, dialogue and reactions. The repeated, almost chant-like, "Hepa hepa hepatitis" from Marvin, Jason, and Whizzer, and the chorus of "Love is blind," "Love's unkind," "Spiteful in a million ways," underscore a pervasive sense of resignation and perhaps a twisted acceptance of their circumstances. The lyrics suggest that love, or at least the relationships depicted, are not only blind but also deeply flawed, leading to a cycle of illness and emotional damage. Mendel's own admission, "I think she's charming, I think she's needy... I admit I admire you," coupled with his own statement, "I think she's very insecure, but so am I," reveals his own vulnerabilities and perhaps a professional boundary being blurred, further complicating the therapeutic dynamic. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics lies in their unflinching portrayal of human frailty and the often-uncomfortable truths about relationships and health. The writing forces the listener to confront the messy, often unglamorous, realities of life, where serious issues are sometimes met with dark humor and a strange kind of acceptance. The title, "Love Is Blind," becomes a poignant, if cynical, commentary on how people navigate difficult situations, perhaps choosing not to see the full extent of the problems, or finding a way to live with them despite the pain and potential consequences.

Christian Borle - Pop, Broadway

Love Is Blind

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[MENDEL] Sit down, my dear I hear you have a problem I'm sure you're not disgusting or indiscreet Take a load off your feet [TRINA, spoken] Thank you. [MENDEL, spoken] Happy or sad? [TRINA, spoken] Well, I— [MENDEL, spoken] Eh, eh— That's a question with no answer. (sung) Let's not discuss the weather, let's face the facts Marvin's wife must relax [TRINA] Love isn't sex That's a thing my husband once told me Marvin, my ex You've seen him for years Told me over the phone to tell you my fears Do you only treat queers? [MENDEL laughs.] [MENDEL, spoken] No. (sung) Breathe deep, my dear You'll find me understanding Your pain is a priori Unfold your untold story Now to break bread Loosen your glands Put your head in my hands [TRINA] I'm everything he wanted It's time I put it all together The date was set My father let me marry I married, I Then Marvin came from work Sat me down on the bed He told me how he loved me How needed and/or valued me I have [MENDEL] What? [TRINA & MARVIN] Syphilis [TRINA] He said [MENDEL] Good [TRINA] I have [MENDEL] Yes? [TRINA & MARVIN] Syphilis [TRINA] It's true [MENDEL] Good [TRINA] I had something rotten Which appears though now it's well forgotten [MARVIN, TRINA, BOTH] Maybe, darling (Maybe darling) So do (So do) You [TRINA] I am probably diseased [MENDEL] You're a lovely girl [TRINA] And so easily appeased [MENDEL] What a lovely girl, though she's possibly diseased [TRINA] He took pains to not excite us He explains I've [TRINA & MARVIN] Hepatitis [TRINA] Too [MARVIN, JASON, & WHIZZER] Hepa hepa hepatitis Hepatitis, hepatitis? [MENDEL] Love is blind Love can tell a million stories Love's unkind Spiteful in a million ways [TRINA] Then I stayed home from work Took good care of my men They faked despair, they wet their bed They combed their hair, they acted dead One said [MENDEL] Yes? [JASON] Daddy is a prick [MENDEL] What? [TRINA] He said [MENDEL] Yes? [JASON] Daddy isn't mine [MENDEL] Good [TRINA] He filled my coats With candies and notes With "Will you be my valentine?" [MARVIN] Will you be my valentine? [TRINA] This gets harder to believe [MENDEL] You're a damaged girl [TRINA] I've a scalpel up my sleeve [FOUR MEN] What a damaged girl [MENDEL] Do not ever slit your wrists [TRINA] I've missed him, he's still missing Don't make noise, but daddy's kissing Boys [MARVIN, JASON, & WHIZZER] Petty, petty, petty, petty [MENDEL & TRINA] Love is blind Love can tell a million stories Love's unkind Spiteful in a million ways [ALL] Love is blind Love can tell a million stories Love's unkind Spiteful in a million ways [MARVIN, OTHERS] (Love) Love is crazy Love is often boring (Love) Love stinks Love is pretty often debris (Love) When you find What you find, then (Love) Never, never, never, never, never Do it over again (Love) Love reads Like a bad biography (Love) All the names are changed To protect the innocent [ALL] Love is blind [MENDEL] My name is Mendel I treat her husband I think she's very insecure But so am I I've never married Work, work is my passion Or perhaps that's an alibi [MARVIN, spoken] Yeah, perhaps it is. [MENDEL, spoken] Yeah, I don't care to discuss it. (sung) I think she's charming I think she's needy In just five sessions on my couch She'll be like new [ALL] His name is Mendel [WHIZZER] Ah-ah [MENDEL] Return next Friday I admit I admire you

Credits

Writers: James Lapine
William Finn

Love Is Blind

Love Is Blind

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Credits