Music and the Fictive Dream: The Last Five Years

 If there was one musical that had a death grip on my poor romantic middle school heart, it was The Last Five Years. This American made 2002 off-Broadway (turned movie, turned Broadway) musical written and composed by Jason Robert Brown tells the tragic five year love story of Jamie and Cathy, two twenty-somethings trying to make it big in New York City. While the production is technically a musical, the story is told in a somewhat operatic style meaning that the music is the sole storyteller and there is no dialogue which progresses the story. One of the most appealing aspects of this musical is that the story is not told chronologically. Instead, the songs sung by Cathy begin at the end of their relationship and the songs sung by Jamie begin at the beginning of their relationship. This musical tackles many different challenges that a relationship may face like infidelity, jealousy, and falling out of love. However, it also tackles the glory of relationships, like the passion, the butterflies, and the falling into love. Interestingly enough, it is speculated that Jason Robert Brown found inspiration for this story from the demise of his own relationship with Theresa O'Neill. There were rumors of a lawsuit filed by O'Neill due to breach of contract by Brown who agreed not to write about the couple's relationship. Brown denied that it was written about his personal relationship, but many can't help but see the similarities.

The specific work from The Last Five Years that I will focus on is the opening number of the musical, Still Hurting. The following version of the song is from the 2014 movie starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan and directed by Richard LaGravenese: 

The reason I selected this performance specifically is because of how easily you can see Kendrick’s emotionless expression which tells you nothing and everything about how her character is feeling all at once. There are not many stories that begin with their endings and there are even less which allude to such a sobering ending. Although at this point in the story we don’t know what exactly has happened, the lyrics tell us that Cathy is yearning for a past love and that she is going through a life altering heartbreak which has her toying between love and hatred for her former spouse. The lyrics tell us that her former love has lied to her, that he has moved on and is “probably feeling just fine”, and that she is left feeling pained and alone. Even before we've gotten Jamie's side of the story, the audience is meant to hate him. When I first watched this production I was left with a grave feeling of, “what could’ve happened to cause such a heartbreak?”. That’s why Still Hurting perfectly plays the role as the opening song for this one of a kind musical. It leaves the audience wanting to know more, or even, needing to know more. 

The simplistic melody of Still Hurting juxtaposed with the crazy mixture of emotion that Cathy is feeling internally alludes perfectly to the numbness that this agonizing heart break has caused her. The use of dynamics is also important in this song. While most of it is sung very gently, there are parts of the song that use a louder dynamic to show a greater amount of emotion. For example, the part where she sings, “Go and hide and run away, run away run and find something better.” It is devastating to know that you are not the best thing in the eyes of the person you love and she utilizes her dynamic power to express that. What is incredible about the performance aspect is that even while the dynamics change, Kendrick maintains an expressionless demeanor. 

When understanding the social commentary of the entire musical there is a broader social message which shares what not to do in a relationship. It is a how-to guide on not receiving the same fate as Cathy does. It is about having open communication with your partner and putting your own insecurities and ego aside for the betterment of the relationship. However, you need the entire discography for that message to truly be portrayed. Still Hurting itself tells a timeless story of heartbreak, specifically divorce. This song does not have an uplifting moral message, but rather shares the sentiment: “heartbreak is agony and sorrow and confusion and pain and somehow every emotion all at once”. This is relatable to many a lamenting heart. For example,. I recently had a man from Oklahoma join me on one of my aurora tours who was traveling by himself and shared the story of his divorce with me. They had been married for 35 years and after all that time she came to him and simply told him that she had fallen out of love. When he told me the story he said, “I still want to be married to her, but unfortunately both people have to want to be married in order for it to work.” He told me how he had sat at home and rotted away by himself for over a year (probably not much unlike we see Cathy doing in Still Hurting), but that he was finally ready to have some adventure in his life which is why he decided to take the trip to Alaska. Thankfully this man was able to work to rebuild himself and create his own happy ending, which is exactly what I would hope for Cathy to do as well. 

Personally, I find Still Hurting to be one of the best lyrically captivating songs from a musical. The use of dynamics, melody, and lyrics to portray the emotion and sorrow of Cathy is truly unmatched which is why The Last Five Years still maintains popular today and is even being brought to Broadway in March of 2025. I hope to never experience a heartbreak or a relationship like that of Cathy and Jamie, but it sure does make for a captivating story!

Works Cited

Brown, Anastasia. “The Music of “the Last Five Years” — Analysis and Review.” Medium, 3 Feb. 2022, anastasiabrownn.medium.com/the-music-of-the-last-five-years-analysis-and-review-2d63d0a2569b. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024.

Music Theatre International. “The Last Five Years.” Music Theatre International, 16 Sept. 2015, www.mtishows.com/the-last-five-years. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024.

Simonson, Robert, and Kenneth Jones. “Brown’s Last Five Years Removed from Lincoln Center Theater Schedule.” Playbill, 25 Oct. 2001, playbill.com/article/browns-last-five-years-removed-from-lincoln-center-theater-schedule-com-99361. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024.

“The Last Five Years - 2013 Off-Broadway - Creative Team.” Broadway World, 2024, www.broadwayworld.com/shows/creative.php?showid=330374. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024.