Listen while you read!
I visited Russia and I started folding
Until in one precious doll I had hoarded
All of Siberia; I said, Love, here ya
Go, she said:
Too little too late

A trip to the Nile where I started swimming
Until I finally found the spring brimming
With God's purest water from Abba the father
To heal her
She said:
Too little too late

I sailed to Komodo, I fought with the dragons
When it was over, their tails were wagging
I taught them tricks, said Sit, dragon, sit
I brought her a pet
She said:
Too little too late

I rode into China, I studied the Wall
And I lapped it seven times, which caused it to fall
It spilled out our fortune, I found exhortion
Well, here you go
She said
Too little too late

She said
Too little too late

Too little too late


Lyrics submitted by halftruth, edited by xaml

Russia Lyrics as written by Brent Knopf

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Russia song meanings
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7 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    What an amazing song. Aside from the lyrics for a moment, The vocals, the background, and especially the violin all make this song amazing. The build up of each verse to... "too little to late" is spectacular. The story itself i love for no reason I can put my finger on. A man going to the ends of the earth for a woman, going through the most extraordinary measures for her, met simply with its too late. How beautiful. Sometimes love just cant be rekindled. Even for a freakin dragon.

    Clarkbaron June 06, 2010   Link
  • +1
    Lyric Correction

    It spilled out our fortune, I found luck's origin

    gearioson April 25, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning

    I think this song is talking about the fact that it's too late to save or recover certain war torn parts of the world. Especially because of the references to the Nile and the great wall of China, which hold great historical significance. When he refers to 'she' in each individual verse, he could be talking about whichever part of the world he refers to in the verse.

    Great song.

    zinmaruon December 18, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    THANK YOU for posting these lyrics - I was having the damnedest time trying to figure out what he was saying.

    As for the song, I think it pretty much speaks for itself. The only thing I want to draw attention to is his writing: the interior rhyme, the trademark off-kilter rhythm, the crazy imagery. It actually reminds me somewhat of a few Irish folksongs and stories, which seem to have a similar focus on Great Deeds that somehow lead to even more problems. Another very good song on an album full of them.

    larrynivenon December 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Just a note that the music video is up here: vimeo.com/11617048 and is pretty awesome.

    halftruthon June 09, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Lyric Correction

    Great job with the lyrics! A few very minor, nit-picky corrections though. I capitalized them for clarity:

    "A trip to the Nile where I started swimming UP STREAM TILL I finally found the spring brimming"

    "when it was over, their tails were wagging. FOR I taught them tricks"

    "And I lapped it seven times, which caused it to fall. It spilled out HER fortune, I found EXHORTATION"

    Like I said, very minor, but I love this album so much that I want all the lyrics to be perfect =P

    tgbrowon January 08, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion

    I think the name of the song is not an eventuality. I think that the authors are very clever people. In their vision the girl is Russia and the boy is so called "Western Civilization". That is pity that Russia is so choosy and unpredictable. But the boy must be wiser too.

    From Russia with Love :)

    Sambianon April 30, 2015   Link

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