Maxïmo Park – Russian Literature

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Modern architecture
Already left to decay
You don't know what you're breathing in
What it is, I couldn't say

We'll meet in russian literature
For floode day
Travel in transpenines
She said she'd wait

More empty buildings
For invisible men
No market vaule to justify the price of the rent

Ignorance isn't bliss
Familiarity still enters contempt

We're going to need sometime
But she said she'd wait for me
(Wait for me)
(Wait for me)

Are you hopeful or just gullible?
Are you hopeful or just gullible?

She won't be saved
We can't be saved
I can't live my life being nervous about tomorrow
I already knew her name!
I already knew
Well I knew her name

There's a news blackout
'Cus it just got worse
Status depends, on the size of your purse
There it is again that lock of hair that won't sit still

Our earthly pleasure distract us against our will
(Against our will)
Are you hopeful or just gullible?
Are you hopeful or just gullible?

We won't be saved
She can't be saved
I can't live my life feeling nervous about tomorrow

I already knew her name
I already knew
She won't be saved
We can't be saved
I can't live my life feeling nervous about tomorrow

I already knew her name!
I already knew
Well I knew her name!


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Lyrics submitted by woulduhvtheguts


Russian Literature song meanings
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14 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment:Yeah I share the idea that it about regret for a lost soviet society. The title itself is interesting because Russian Literature is about failed romances, and shows how suffering eventually leads to redemption. And I think it works on both levels. The romance being the political situation of communism which eventually failed. However the song reinforces how this failure did not redeem the people from suffering but did the opposite (not ignoring the suffering that took place under Soviet Union.) Capitalism is not the redemption it should be though. And this old political situation exists only in novels: in Russian Literature; this romance with Communism. Although there's of course a lot more to the song.

    "Our earthly pleasures distract us against our will"
    Materialism controls us in our capitalist society

    Flag charlielewison January 24, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:a few subtle references to crime and punishment?
    "forth floor" where raskolnikov murders his two victims
    "nervous about tomorrow" raskolnikov's anxiety and guilt after his murders
    "size of you purse" raskolnikov steals the old lady's bulging purse - besides, money is a lot of the motivation behind his murder.

    perhaps?

    perhaps?
    Flag indiebopperon October 26, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To me, this song is sort of championing individual thought and ideas as opposed to acceptance of what society/ the government tells you to think. I guess that works more for the first half of the song than the second.
    Completely unrelatedly, I misheard the line "Are you hopeful or just gullible?" as "Are your hopeful lodgers gonna burn?" which makes a lot less sense. =D
    Flag ^.^on October 11, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:oh yeah, he's definitely sad that communist russia could't be saved, hihihihi....i think it's again, as with our velocity, a mixture of what's going on in his own, private world and the world outside. anyone a clue about the "i allready knew her name" line?
    Flag bunburyon September 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:What an amazing song...very powerful. Didn't have much of an idea what it was about, sounded a bit like a love song, maybe a relationship he's struggling through day to day.
    Flag shroom220579on December 08, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:now enough complaining about wrong lyrics discuss the meaning.
    NOW it's a very political song and iots merely in disguise,like our velocity was.
    Flag twistedchain50on October 16, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:about communist dictatorship in russia and what happened to it once it left.and how communism was still a better choice(marginally) than autocracy, in my opinion.very heavily political for paul,yet again partially disguised as a love song.

    There's a news blackout
    'Cus it just got worse
    Status depends, on the size of your purse
    There it is again that lock of hair that won't sit still-
    this is about communists censorship of news.how precommunism power depended on your money.
    and how communism was seen as a problem that needed to be controlled or destroyed,like a lock of hair that can't sit still,either cut or controlled.
    not sure if girl is meant to be a spy or something.
    Flag twistedchain50on October 16, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:yeah its definitely "fourth floor, midday"
    Flag tricksinesson September 10, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:isnt it "Travelling transpennine" and not "travel in transpenine", which is of course a train
    but the way i understood it he meant, travelling transpennine as in travelling across the alps
    please dont crucify me if thats rubbish, just the way i understood it
    Flag A_Schebenon June 29, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"There's a news blackout
    'Cus it just got worse
    Status depends, on the size of your purse"-

    Oh Paul, you kidder
    Flag wazarqon April 14, 2007   Link

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