Regina Spektor – Après Moi

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  My Interpretation:Sounds like a Russian soldier defending against the Germans.
  
  Be afraid of the lame, they'll inherit your legs - Nazi had no place for them.
  Be afraid of the old, they'll inherit your souls - Jews.
  Be afraid of the cold, they'll inherit your blood - Nazi lost a lot to the Russian snow.
  Après moi le deluge, after me comes the flood - See: Russian losses in WWII.

  Flag Erevison May 12, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:Apres Moi, le deluge is what serial/spree killer Andrew Cunanan wrote in his yearbook...I would imagine the song either has something to do with him, or something to do with where the quote originally came from, Louis XV of France. The serial killer thing makes sense to me...weirdly, I learned about this from American Dad as Roger stated that Apres Moi, le deluge was what he wrote in his yearbook.

  Flagged MayweedMoleon January 11, 2013   Link

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• 0
  General Comment:I think that this song is about an injured soldier on the battle field. He is addressing his foes, saying that he will protect his people to the end. He states that it's not his choice, that he fights for his country with all of the strength of the people. He also says "Après moi, le deluge, after me comes the flood" meaning, after he dies in battle, more will come, more will fight for the innocent. This also is about a revolution, poor against the wealthy who have more rights and more food, clothing, riches and shelter than the poor. Saying " "After me comes the flood"
  means that the poor will rise up. Also, when it says;
  
  "Be afraid of the lame, they’ll inherit you legs
  Be afraid of the old, they’ll inherit your souls
  Be afraid of the cold, they’ll inherit your blood"
  
  It's again talking about the peasants, saying that the rich should fear them because they will rise up, they will fight for their freedom, and they will inherit their warmth, their shelter and they will take the guilt and shame of the rich.

  Flag Astarte24on October 24, 2012   Link

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  My Interpretation:I think this song is about a wounded solider in a revolution, speaking to his enemies. Saying that he must go on standing for his people: The lame, The old and the cold. And that after he dies, that's when the real fighting begins. Apres Moi le deluge. Specifically this is probably about the Russian Revolution and a member of the red army speaking to the Czar.

  Flag Onyxuson July 12, 2012   Link

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• +4
  General Comment:the russian words are a piece of a famouse russian poem by Boris Pasternak. Here is the traslation, but assure you, in Russian it sounds much more beatiful
  
  February. Get ink, shed tears.
  Write of it, sob your heart out, sing,
  While torrential slush that roars
  Burns in the blackness of the spring.

  Flag ElenaUndonon July 06, 2012   Link

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• 0
  General Comment:Honestly, I think this is about wanting to kill yourself, but it's frowned upon greatly in the Bible, because your body isn't your own, it belongs to God. So you can't kill yourself.

  Flag liljojo204on April 27, 2012   Link

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• 0
  My Interpretation:The tittle, that is quotation of Louis XIV words, led me to interpretation that song is about mistresses who cannot be sure about their tomorrow in relationship. Lyrics could be declaimed by Madame Pompadour (mistress of mentioned Louis XIV), as well as by modern girl. "I must go on standing/You can't break that what isn't yours" probably is expression of constant need to pretend, but also strong feeling o helpless situation and moral duty not to break (let call it) his legal relationship, f.e. marriage. This fear is connected with ageing which can cause rejection (that happened with Madame Pompadour)."(...)they'll inherit your legs (...) they'll inherit your souls" confide souspicion that next mistresses would be bit similar to the rejected one , bcs of their body build ("legs") or personality ("souls")."After me comes the flood" is bit mysterious. It can means will to destroy everything when relationship is ended,collapsing of her world, or is metaphorical expression for crying. Russian quotation is part of poem about bottomless despair. Especially last verse (rythm and lyrics) shows that she feels like a puppet- controlled and inacapacitated.

  Flag Aurvandilon April 17, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:February to get the ink and weep
  write about February sobbing
  while roaring slush
  Charney spring burns --google translate

  Flag rokouttilur80on January 20, 2012   Link

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• 0
  General Comment:for me this song has always been about marching into war, as a soldier.
  

  Flag vivianmarion August 08, 2011   Link

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• 0
  General Comment:To me it's a song about being in a broken and abusive relationship where one person is essentially protecting the other from their own disaster - but they are not going to stay indefinitely. At some point they will leave.
  
  "I must go on standing, You can't break that which isn't yours" is s statement of personal strength. It says that the person is purposefully being strong and that the other person cannot break them with their emotionally abusive behaviour because they don't BELONG to the other person.
  
  "Be afraid of the lame, they'll inherit your legs, Be afraid of the old, they'll inherit your souls,
  Be afraid of the cold, they'll inherit your blood" is a warning that some people will take advantage of you to take what you have to cover what they lack (lame taking legs, old taking your youth/soul, cold taking blood/warmth, etc.)
  
  "Apres moi le deluge" is an echo of those pre-revolutionary words of Louis XV/Madame de Pompadour. I understand those words to be a warning which says "I may not be perfect but after I leave, a damaging flood will come". To me, it says that once this protective person disappears (he/she is already planning to go) everything will fall apart.
  
  I don't know what the Russian part says. Far too cryptic for me :-)

  Flag AdWheelon June 27, 2011   Link

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