That’s L.A.—they worship everything and they value nothing.
The parallelism here gives the line a certainty and an emphasis. Sebastian is lamenting the fact that the Van Beek jazz club has been turned into a samba-tapas place. He doesn't want the past to die, which is a big reason why he won't let go of his dream to reignite "real" jazz in his own club. He wants to bring jazz back to life. In LA everything moves quickly—we see this particularly in Mia's auditions, where they don't even allow enough time to get to know her acting—and there's time only for a snap judgment. This is perhaps why it takes the effort of writing her own show to really prove what she can do. And why it takes time, passion and commitment from both of them to get L.A. to acknowledge the value of what they separately believe in.
How are you going to be a revolutionary if you're such a traditionalist? You're holding on to the past but jazz is about the future.
Keith here points out the paradox of Sebastian's position. How will he educate young people without adapting and speaking to them here and now? When Sebastian takes Mia to see jazz for the first time, he explains that the art form is entirely creative, reimagined in the here and now, in front of their eyes. By holding on to what jazz was, the irony is that Sebastian is not being creative in the moment and allowing it to be what it could be now.
I'm letting life hit me till it gets tired. Then I'll hit back. It's a classic rope-a-dope
It is interesting that Sebastian uses a boxing metaphor here, thus revealing just how hard he feels life is treating him. It also suggests that Sebastian feels that life isn't on his side, that he'll have to conquer it to be free. He is stuck where he is and this comment to his sister Laura emphasizes the hopelessness he feels: he can't really believe that life will get tired. Life keeps spinning round and instead of waiting for it to give way, Sebastian will have to be creative and learn to work with it.
What planet are you from?
'Planet' is plosive and the only duosyllable in the line which gives it emphasis and real punch. La La Land is interested in this question. The title suggests that those who dream are in fact living on another planet. But when Sebastian and Mia's dreams come true, that planet is the one people are interested in: Mia is famous and has fans, Sebastian's club is successful and has an audience. And so La La Land spins its own definition on its head, making it no more crazy to dream than to settle for being a barista.
Mia: It's pretty strange that we keep running into each other.
Sebastian: It is strange. Maybe it means something.
Mia: I doubt it.
Sebastian: Yeah, I didn't think so.
Mia starts this exchange with a relaxed comment here—the rhythm of the line is slow and inquisitive which makes her feel open, and perhaps gives Sebastian the courage to articulate his hope. The subsequent monosyllables of Mia's response ("I doubt it") really undercuts Sebastian. They both seem nervous about realizing the chemistry they have but this comment from Mia feels more defensive than honest. As an actor, she's had to suffer a lot of rejection, and perhaps she doesn't want to open her heart for fear of that happening here. And it is interesting that Sebastian quickly falls in line to agree—the defensiveness is infectious. They end up back where they began; no progress is made. It is only in the dance number that follows that their real feelings can be communicated. The emotion that can be held back in speech spills out in music and dance, where it cannot and will not be contained.
Sebastian: He doesn't tell me what to do.
Mia: He just told you what to do.
Sebastian: I know: I let him.
The repetition here is amusing and Sebastian concedes his position ("I know: I let him") very quickly, emphasizing, ironically, his lack of power. He's desperate not to seem passive but in so doing is immediately passive with Mia. He shifts from "he doesn't tell me what to do" to "I know (he does but): I let him". He tries to claw back some ownership over the situation by claiming co authorship—he's only told what to do because he's given the guy permission to do that.
In the same way that he refused to accept what his boss was telling him at Lipton's, Sebastian's denial here points to one of the reasons why he's finding no success. He seems also in denial about the compromises he needs to make to start him on his journey. It is significant that when he does finally compromise by joining The Messengers he earns enough money to start the club he'd dreamed of. Life doesn't follow a scripted narrative and Sebastian has to be flexible and creative, in the same way that they jazz he so admires is, in order to get where he wants to go.
Sebastian: Write something that's as interesting as you are. Look at Louis Armstrong. He could have just played the marching band charts that he was given but what did he do?
Mia: What did he do?
Sebastian: Well, he made history, didn't he?
Mia: Well, I'm going to stop auditioning and I'm going to make history instead.
Sebastian: Well, my work is done here.
This exchange encapsulates a lot of what happens in the film and so foreshadows future events. Sebastian does end up persuading Mia to write her own show, and it launches her career. By this time, his work does seem to be done and the two split. They repeat each other in this exchange, and the back and forth not only suggests a rapport between their characters but it also shows the influence each has on the other. Mia repeats Sebastian twice, taking his words on board, as she does eventually and literally by writing her own show.
It is also worth pointing out here Sebastian's eye for history. He's looking ahead and trying to protect Mia's legacy, her history.
I'm going to have my own club and we're going to play whatever we want, whenever we want, however we want.
The tripling here gives the sentence a strong rhythm. When Sebastian articulates something he feels clear and passionate about, it is very different from when he feels and weak and passive. There's real drive to this line and it culminates in clarity, articulating Sebastian's desire to take ownership, not only over the work that he does, but also over his own life. There's passion in this line and a call to action.
Here's to the ones who dream.
In many ways, the lyrics sung in Mia's audition sum up the heart of this film. It's a call to all the "dreamers" out there to keep going. It's a tribute to those who have been through the lows like Mia but who still have the passion to create. It's saluting the people who make up La La Land: the people—past and present—who live in L.A., the people who dream and the people who made the film itself possible.
Can you believe that they turned it into a samba-tapas place?! Samba-tapas. Pick one, you know, do one right.
This comment from Sebastian is significant. Initially his complaint seems to be that his favorite old jazz venue has been turned into something as superficial as a samba-tapas place. We understand where he's coming from—he wants to keep jazz alive and it's being usurped. But then the argument shifts: he's not only annoyed about the fact that it's a samba-tapas place now, but also annoyed that they diluted their own vision by mixing the focus and not going for either samba or tapas. This suggests a certain foreshadowing of events that unfold for Sebastian and Mia: they are unable to continue their romance as well as their dreams. They have to pick one—do one right.
