Gogol Bordello – Start Wearing Purple

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  General Comment:This was the in the end credits to the film "Life is Illuminated."

  Flag sangsueon April 05, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:according the wikipendia, mr. hutz says, "It's one of the very few songs I wrote for a girl. I just moved in with my girlfriend in New York. We had a neighbour: an old woman who was always dressed in purple head to toe. She was clearly bonkers. So whenever my girlfriend and I had an argument and she would start screaming at me, I would say: you might as well start wearing purple now"

  Flag zenheadon June 04, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:This song is in response to the poem by Jenny Joseph, "Waring: When I am an old Woman" When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple
  
  with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
  
  And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
  
  and satin candles, and say we've no money for butter.
  
  I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired
  
  and gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
  
  and run my stick along the public railings
  
  and make up for the sobriety of my youth.
  
  I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
  
  and pick the flowers in other people's gardens
  
  and learn to spit.
  The song is saying don't wait until you are old to do the things you want. Start wearing purple now.

  Flag amclooton May 11, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:I hear a man insulting a woman...saying she's a useless "clown" who will soon become senile. She can take all her wisdom and advice and shove it. He's anxious to watch her decline physically and mentally. He's rather pissy in this song...angry with her and what she's had to say about him. The color purple reminds me of the older ladies who wear purple and red (The Red Hats).

  Flag spinachsaladon October 29, 2011   Link

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    I hear a rather sad and distressed person who was never comfortablE in their own skin. So they tried to display wit and wisdom but it fell short. Because the true self of them shines straight through. But it's not brightly lit. IT'S DULL AND LIFELESS and screams ENVY

    Flag Nowandneveron October 29, 2011  

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    I think he refers to himself as a useless clown, not the woman he's singing to. "A purple little little lady would be perfect for a dirty old and useless clown"

    Flag amclooton May 11, 2012  
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  Translation:
  "It's a very deep, spiritual song. It's actually the least serious song I've ever written. It's actually one of the very few songs that was written for a girl, which was my girlfriend at the time. When I first moved to New York in '98 I had this, kind of obsessive, crazy psychic gypsy lady who was living right next to us, in our building. And you know how it is some people have this fixation with a certain colour, and purple is one of those colours, and that is the whole archetype of these ladies, she was wearing everything: shoes, stockings, handkerchief, skirt, coat, everything, purple shades she was crazy. And one of my girlfriends, she was getting crazy, getting out of hand I was saying you might as well start wearing purple now, because that's exactly what's gonna happen to you. One day I just sat down with a guitar and basically just set it down with just an A minor chord and a song rolled out of it. I love it when that happens. Some songs just roll out.."
  
  
  I know it all from Diogenis to Foucault,
  
  Diogenes was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynic philosophy.
  
  or Diogenis D. Valavanidis: is the chairman of the Serbian Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures and the founder of the Aristotle educational and cultural organisation in Belgrade. He has written 3 books and lives in Belgrade,Serbia, Europe. He is considered an important person for the Greek-Serbian relations, as he was the first chairman of the Association of Greeks in Serbia "Rigas Phoereos" and chairman of the New Association of the Serbian-Greek Friendship.
  
  
  
  Foucault was a French physicist best known for the invention of the Foucault pendulum, a device demonstrating the effect of the Earth's rotation. He also made an early measurement of the speed of light, discovered eddy currents, and although he didn't invent it, is credited with naming the gyroscope.
  
  "I know it all from Culture to Physics." could be one version!
  
  
  From Lozgechkin to Paspartu,
  
  Lozgechkin (Lavochkin) is a Russian aerospace company. It is a major player in the Russian space program.
  
  Paspartu has a few options but it is refering to art as far as i can tell..
  
  Turkish translation for the french word for "mat" the mat around a framed piece of art... the french version is passe-partout = goes with everything
  
  also it can mean a "permanent theater pass" like someone who donates alot of money to theater would get... a cultured person.
  
  there is also a "galeria paspartu" in barcelona
  
  "i know it all from rocket science to the canvas" could be one version!
  
  
  and i swear, having pissed on two fingers,
  that the music originated from Sounds of Mu (or from moo sounds)
  
  there is a vulgar joke that goes "It's as easy as pissing on two fingers." so he is saying look anyone can do it... it happens to people on accident... a dummy could do it...
  
  music from moo sounds or animals bellowing!
  there is a band called Sounds of Mu from Russia as well: The band's name is best translated as "The Sounds of Mu" (where "mu" has been said to stand for music, Moscow streets, Japanese/Korean negative or a cow's 'moo').
  
  So Violtta, my lady!
  Hey, get ready a carriage, this one,
  we will go to Some far fucking desolate place
  
  the last word is slang and it could also be said as "fuck-all" we will go to fuck-all,
  
  a vulgar way for lovers to ride off into the sunset i guess!

  Flag koricoryon January 04, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I think most of you are reading WAY to much into this song, it appears quite simple to me, you grow old, you get senile, you wear purple.

  Flag fattyfurballon November 29, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:I LOVE BEING A SLAV THANKS TO GOGOL, and i love the writer gogol too. The russians are known for absurd metaphors and anecdotes that appear nonsensical when taken literally but illustrate all the conflicts encountered in life. But put all the seriousness aside, its a fun song. :D

  Flag Turkishgoldcamson September 19, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:Your all stupid, The song is about the romanian gypsy community, and how people stereotype them like there gonna cast spells n shit which is bull shit, Eugene travels around these communities and pretty much parties with them, as he says they really are a friendly bunch just don't mess with them, so start wearing purple in meaning come and and join us, and if you do all your sanity's and wits they will all vanish.... when he refers to purple little lady he is talking about red wine! which he drinks when playing the song live! so the red wine is perfect for dirty old and useless clown! he is referring to himself.

  Flag amypunkon August 06, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:AAHHG. I wish I knew which of you all who have commented on this song was right. Because I love this song. :[
  But I'd believe the crazy old lady who wore purple, hunch. XD Seems to fit the song better.... But what do I know? JUST AS MUCH AS THE REST OF YOU. This is why this site takes up too much of my time because I have to be too curious.

  Flag Imzombiemeaton July 26, 2010   Link

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  Song Meaning:I read in an interview that he had a neighbor who was this crazy old insane woman wore only purple, and whenever his significant other and himself got in a fight he would tell her to start wearing purple so the rest of the neighborhood knew how crazy she was too. Its a witty statement for an argument, I think. and it fits his personality well.

  Flag kayteeforkeepson March 22, 2010   Link

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