As for the double (or triple) meaning in the title, observe also that the idea of rent is made more abstract by the references to last/this/next year's rent in the eponymous song. If all of last year's rent is still overdue (rent over periods of three or more months tends to be paid in advance anyway) then the evil landlord Benny must be a very generous fellow indeed! The lyrics make more sense if we take this to refer not to the charge levied for the occupation of a dwelling, but rather the cost exacted by, you name it, Father Time, the Grim Reaper, aids...
As for the double (or triple) meaning in the title, observe also that the idea of rent is made more abstract by the references to last/this/next year's rent in the eponymous song. If all of last year's rent is still overdue (rent over periods of three or more months tends to be paid in advance anyway) then the evil landlord Benny must be a very generous fellow indeed! The lyrics make more sense if we take this to refer not to the charge levied for the occupation of a dwelling, but rather the cost exacted by, you name it, Father Time, the Grim Reaper, aids...