December

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

December starts on Sunday, next Sunday
won't you feel happier then?
turn your room upside down, turn your down upside

rumors have started that you are in love again
rumors that are completely unsubstantiated

come on and say you're sorry, real sorry
for the trouble that you've caused
can't you see all this love? can't you see all this love?

we are not evacuating this house
we don't believe in you and your wrecking crew...
we don't believe in you, we don't believe in you...

Düsseldorf

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (from the Begin to Hope Special Edition liner notes):

In Düsseldorf I met a clown
his nose, it was red
in Gelterkinden I forgot to frown
then remembered again
In Paris I saw a big fish
swimming slow in the Seine
it made me hopeful that someday our
water will be breathable again…
In Franfurt I heard eins zwei drei
counting cookies and no one was shot
In Berlin stopped by the Polizei
for drunk driving and everyone smiled
In Prague I knew I’d been a witch
burnt alive, a pyre of Soviet kitsch
it made me miss my Moscow muttdom
it made me miss my New York nothing…
In Montpelier I stayed in a Château
a boy climbed into my bed and he knew no boundaries
In Amsterdam I got quite crazy
it might have been all the tulips and canals
or it might have been all that hash, and in
Barcelona, buenos dias, chocolato, le Picasso
And in Brussels, clean-cut hostel
And in London, me and the French existentialists…
In Corsica I floated away all the way to Marseilles
I should have held an afterparty for all the thoughts I didn’t say
In Düsseldorf I met a dwarf
with bad breath and a really good tan
In Gelterkinden I remembered how to laugh
and I never ever forgot it again

Edit

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (from the Begin to Hope liner notes):

White lines on your mind
Keep it steady
You were never ready
For the lies
You don't have no Dr. Robert
You don't have no Uncle Albert
You don't even have good credit
You can write but you can't edit

Fidelity

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (from the Begin to Hope liner notes):

I never loved nobody fully
Always one foot on the ground
And by protecting my heart truly
I got lost in the sounds
I hear in my mind
All these voices
I hear in my mind
All these words
I hear in mind
All this music
And it breaks my heart
Suppose I never ever met you
Suppose we never fell in love
Suppose I never ever let you
Kiss me so sweet and so soft
Suppose I never ever saw you
Suppose you never ever called
Suppose I kept on singing love songs
Just to break my own fall
Just to break my fall
All my friends say
That of course it's
Gonna get better...

Field Below

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (from the Begin to Hope liner notes):

I wish I'd see a field below
I wish I'd hear a rooster crow
But there are none that live downtown
And so the day starts out so slow
Again the sun was never called [alt: again the call was never made]
And darkness spreads over the snow
Like ancient bruises
I am awake and feel the ache
But I wish I'd see a field below, I wish I'd see a field below

I wish I'd see your face below
I wish I'd hear you whisperin' low
But you don't live downtown no more
And everything must come and go

Again the sun was never called
And darkness spreads over the snow
Like ancient bruises
I am awake and feel the ache
I am awake and feel the ache
I wish I'd see a field below
I wish I'd see a field below
I am awake and feel the ache
But I wish I'd see a field below

The Flowers

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (from the Soviet Kitsch liner notes):

The flowers you gave me are rotting and still I refuse to throw them away
some of the bulbs never opened quite fully
they might so I'm waiting and staying awake
Things I have loved I'm allowed to keep
I'll never know if I go to sleep

The papers around me are piling and twisting regina the paper back mummy
what then
I'm taking the knife to the books that i own and chopping and chopping and boiling soup from stone
Things I have loved I'm allowed to keep
I'll never know if I go to sleep
things I have loved I'm allowed to keep
I'll never know if I go to sleep

Flyin

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (as originally posted by Regina on brümstix):

I went flyin' out of my window
I went flyin' out of my window
been caught doin' it once or twice
but it feels so real nice
oh it feels so real nice

saw the earth and I saw the sky
saw the earth and I saw the sky
been caught doin' it once or twigh
but it feels so real nigh
oh it feels so real nigh
oh it feels so real nigh

went to school with them boring teachers
who thought they was all my preachers
so I went starin' out of my window
I went starin' out of my window
been caught doin' it once or twice
but it feels so real nice
oh it feels so real nice,
oh it feels so real nice, that I might even do it again

one of them took me with him to sleep
said not to make a peep
said it'll be a secret we keep
so I didn't make a peep
kissed my cheek and rubbed my feet
but his kissin' didn't taste so sweet
told him I just wanted to sleep
so he got mad
and he got madder, and he got maddest of them all

sent me flyin' out of his window
sent me flyin' out of his window
not caught once, not caught twice

and I've been flyin' ever since and I've been flyin' in the skies...

Folding Chair

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

Come and open up your folding chair next to me
my feet are buried in the sand and there’s a breeze
there’s a shadow, you can’t see my eyes
and the sea is just a wetter version of the skies

let’s get a silver bullet trailer and have a baby boy
I’ll safety-pin his clothes all cool and you’ll grafitti up his toys
I’ve got a perfect body, though sometimes I forget
I’ve got a perfect body cause my eyelashes catch my sweat
Yes, they do, they do…

now I’ve been sitting on this abandoned beach for years
waiting for the salty water to cover up my ears
but every time the tide come in to take me home
I get scared, and I’m sitting here alone
dreaming of the dolphin song…

maybe one day you will understand
I don’t want nothing from you but to sweetly hold your hand
till that day just please don’t be so down
don’t make frowns, you silly clown

just come and open up your folding chair next to me
my feet are buried in the sand and there’s a breeze
there’s a shadow, you can’t see my eyes
and the waves are just a frothier version of the skies

there’s a shadow, you can’t see my eyes…

Genius Next Door

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

Some said the local lake had been enchanted
others said it must have been the weather
the neighbors were trying to keep it quiet
but I swear I could hear the laughter
so they jokingly nicknamed it the porridge
cause overnight that lake had turned as thick as butter
but the local kids would still go swimming, drinking
saying that to them it doesn’t matter

if you just hold in your breath til you come back up in full
hold in your breath til you thought it through, you fool

the genius next door was bussing tables
wiping clean the ketchup bottle labels
getting high and mumbling german fables
didn’t care as long as he was able
to strip his clothes off by the dumpsters
at night while everyone was sleeping
and to wade midway into that porridge
just him and the secret he was keeping

hold in your breath til you come back up in full
hold in your breath til you thought it through, you foolish child

in the morning the film crews start arriving
with coffee, donuts, and reporters
the kids were waking up hungover
the neighbors were starting up their cars
the garbagemen were emptying the dumpsters
atheists were praying full of sarcasm
and the genius next door was sleeping
dreaming that the antidote was orgasm

hold in your breath til you come back up in full
hold in your breath til you thought it through, you foolish child…

Ghost of Corporate Future

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (from the Soviet Kitsch liner notes):

A man walks out of his apartment
it is raining
he's got no umbrella
he starts running beneath the awnings trying to save his suit
tryin to dryin to tryin to dry but no good

When he gets to the crowded subway platform he takes off both of his shoes
He steps right into somebody's fat loogie
and everyone who sees him says "ewwww"
everyone who sees him says "ewwww"

But he doesn't care cause last night he got a visit from the Ghost of Corporate Future
The Ghost said take off both your shoes whatever chances you get
especially when they're wet
he also said

Imagine you go away on a business trip one day
and when you come back home
your children have grown
and you never made your wife moan

And people make you nervous
You'd think the world was ending
and everybody's features
have somehow started blending
and everything is plastic
and everyone's sarcastic
and all your food is frozen
it needs to be defrosted
You'd think the world was ending
you'd think the world was ending
You'd think the world was ending right now

Well maybe you should just drink a lot less coffee
and never ever watch the 10 o'clock news
Maybe you should kiss someone nice or lick a rock or both
maybe you should cut your own hair cause that can be so funny
it doesn't cost any money and it always grows back
hair grows even after you're dead

People are just people
They shouldn't make you nervous
The world is everlasting
It's coming and it's going
if you don't toss your plastic
the streets won't be so plastic
and if you kiss somebody
then both of you'll get practice

The world is everlasting
put dirtballs in your pockets
put dirtball's in your pockets
and take off both your shoes
cause people are just people
people are just people
people are just people like you

people are just people
people are just people
people are just people like you

The world is everlasting
it's coming and it's going
the world is everlasting
it's coming and it's going
it's coming and it's going

Happy Hooker

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

I've been looking at you all night long
I've been looking at you all night long
you with your street-walking shoes and your street-walking eyes
I see nothing wrong

but don't look at me that way, baby
I can't help you, my life is just a melody and chords
don't look at me that way, baby
I can't help you, my life is just a melody and chords
I go home so broke and lonely every night, all I got in my pocket are
these rhyming words and more words and more words

besides, here comes your baby
better look away
better give her a kiss and buy her a glass of chardonnay

don't worry about me, baby
I'm just what you might call a-live entertainment
but I stopped caring a long time ago, I don't give a fuck
cause it pays the rent

I'm just a happy hooker riding bicycles and boys in the park
never was much of a looker but always knew my way around in the dark
loving's just a pastime, singing's just a pastime too
this whole life is just a pasttime and we're passing right through

but I've been looking at you all night long
I've been looking at you all night long
you with your street-walking shoes and your street-walking eyes
I see nothing wrong...
I see nothing at all

Hero (of the Story)

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

He never ever saw it coming at all...
It's alright...

Hey, open wide, here comes original sin...
It's alright...

No one's got it all...

power to the people
we don't want it, we want pleasure
and the tv's try to rape us
and I guess that they're succeeding
and we're going to these meetings
but we're not doing any meeting
we're trying to be faithful but we're
cheating, cheating, cheating

Hey, open wide, here comes original sin...
It's alright...

No one's got it all...

I'm the hero of the story, don't need to be saved...
It's alright...

No one's got it all...

Hotel Song

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (from the Begin to Hope liner notes):

Come in, come in
Come into my world
I've got to show, show, show you
Come into my bed
I've got to know, know, know you
I have dreams of Orca whales and owls
But I wake up in fear
You will never be my --
You will never be my fool
Will never be my fool
Floaters in my eyes
Wake up in the hotel room
Cigarettes and lies
I am a child, it's too soon
I have dreams of Orca whales and owls
But I wake up in fear
You will never be my --
You will never be my fool
Will never be my fool
A little bag of cocaine
A little bag of cocaine
So who's the girl wearing my dress
I figured out her number
It's on a paper napkin
But I don't know her address
I wait downstairs
The porter smiles to me
A smile I've bought
With a couple of gold coins
A sign that I've been caught
I have dreams of Orca whales and owls
But I wake up in fear
You will never be my --
You will never be my dear
Will never be my dear, dear friend
My dear, dear friend

I Want to Sing

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (as originally posted by Regina on brümstix):

I want to sing to you my love
My only love and happiness
don't be so blue so blue my love
take off your shoes take off my dress
I want to sing to you my love
My only love and happiness
don't be so blue so blue my love
this too shall pass this too shall pass

but tell me, what have I done to deserve you?
must have done something cause that's how it works
must have been kind to kittens and birds,
in a previous life must have thought happy thoughts...

'cause there, you were there right beside me
then somehow inside me while inside myself
books on the shelf thoughts on the shelf
hands to myself, i should definitely keep my hands to myself

Love is a dangerous pastime
caught between madness and gladness of flight
nothing is wrong and nothing is right
falling asleep in your arms every night

But Love's such a strange situation
full of frustration and anger and fear
Everything's tears
nobody hears
nobody's here, and nobody hears...

I want to sing to you my love
my only love and happiness
don't be so blue so blue my love
take off your shoes take off my dress
I want to sing to you my love
my only love and happiness
don't be so blue so blue my love
This too shall pass, this too shall pass...

Lacrimosa

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

we keep on burying our dead
we keep on planting their bones in the ground
but they won't grow
the sun doesn't help
the rain doesn't help

if my garden would have a fence
then the rabbits couldn't just come in
and sit on the grass
and eat all the flowers
and shit

hi, i'm icarus, i'm falling
down, man for judgment must prepare me
spare, oh god, in mercy spare me

man, I have a terrible feeling
that something's gone awful, very wrong with the world
is it something we made?
is it something we ate?
is it something we drank?

hi, i'm icarus, i'm falling
from the dust of earth returning
man for judgment must prepare me
spare, oh god, in mercy spare me

lacrimosa...

we keep on burying our dead
we keep on planting their bones in the ground
but they won't grow
the sun doesn't help
and all we've got
is a giant crop
of names and dates

hi, i'm icarus, i'm falling
down on this day of tears and mourning
from the dust of earth returning
man for judgment must prepare me
spare, oh god, in mercy spare me

lacrimosa...
lacrimosa dies illa
qua resurget ex favilla
judicandus homo reus
huic ergo parce, deus

Lady

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (from the Begin to Hope liner notes):

Lady sing the blues so well
as if she mean it
As if it's hell down here in this smoke filled world
Where the jokes are cold
They don't laugh at jokes
They laugh at tragedies
Corner street societies
But they believe her
They never leave her while she sings
She makes them feel things
She says I can sing this song so blue that you will cry
In spite of you
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
And I have walked these streets so long
There ain't nothing right
There ain't nothing wrong
But the little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
Lady lights a cigarette
Puffs away
No regrets
[Takes a look around, no regrets, no regrets]
Stretches out like branches of a Poplar tree
Says I am free
Sings so soft as if she'll break
Says I can sing a song so blue
That you will cry in spite of you
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
And I have walked these streets so long
There ain't nothing right
There ain't nothing wrong
But the little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
But on this stage
I've learned to fly
Learned to sing
And learned to cry
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
But now it's time to say goodbye
Some might laugh
But I will surely cry
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
Lady lights a cigarette
Puffs away
No regrets
Then winter comes
And she forgets

A Lesson in How Fleeting Preservation Is

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

too much time spent
trying to crawl into a hole
then trying to crawl out of that hole

I followed the path of a piece of bread traveling
from one little sparrow's beak
to another little sparrow's beak

it picked it up, flew with it, dropped it then this other one
picked it up and flew with it again
and then they broke it into pieces
ate it up and forgot that it ever existed

they were still hungry at the end...

I was inside my office at the time and I got real scared
thought I saw two snakes slithering
then I remembered snakes don't live in carpeted areas

too much time spent
and I'm spent

there is an old meatball wrapped inside of tin foil
yeah, yeah, yeah
lying on the bottom shelf of our fridge
a lesson in how fleeting preservation is

Long Brown Hair

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

she had long brown hair
all down her breast
made me think about my future
made me think about my past
she was so pretty
as pretty as can be
and I thought, my god,
why shouldn't it be me?
oh god, why shouldn't it be me?

her skin was tight
her manner was free
she gave me that look that seemed to say
hey you, look at me
her smile was crooked and good
as she sucked her capri
and I thought, my god,
why shouldn't it be me?
oh, come on...come on, god
why shouldn't it be me?

her body was free...
[?]one big source of love...[?]

don't tell me what's proper
anyone can see
I wasn't even her first
so don't blame it on me
she was so pretty
as pretty as can be
and I thought, my god,
why shouldn't it be me?
oh, come on, this once...lord
why shouldn't it be me?

her body was free...
one big source of love...

you all read the bible, right?
you know what the bible says?
I'll tell you what it says,
don't put a stumbling block
in front of someone who can't see
don't put a beautiful body
in front of someone who's hungry
she was so pretty
as pretty as can be
and I thought, my god,
why shouldn't it be me?
oh, come on...come on, lord
why shouldn't it be me?

her body was free...
one big source of love...

Lounge

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

I don't care that flowers grow for you and me...and me
you don't know what love is till you see her standing there
a web of skin and nails and hair
and bones and bones
and thoughts rush in and
arch your head, you think you are alive
but you are dead, you keep
on driving in your car asleep...

I don't know why flowers grow in wintertime
the sky turns gray, the sun don't shine
and people rush to be
on time for work, they
wrap themselves in woolen cloaks
and hats and scarves
like larva in their incubated cars
like larva in their cars
and drive...until they get away

Love Affair

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (as originally posted by Regina on brümstix):

There was a love affair in this building
the kind of love affair, which every respectable building must keep as a legend
Slowly festering through an innocent by the way
or have you heard
he was perfect except for the fact that he was an engineer and mothers prefer doctors and law-yers...

Yet despite this imperfection he was clean looking and respectable looking
and you'll never find a mother who doesn't appreciate a natural man
So he grew healthy aloe Vera plants by the window
healthy teeth in his mouth
healthy hair on his head
He grew healthy wavy brown hair on his head
the kind that babies always go for with sticky little fingers...

Loveology

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

oh, an incurable humanist you are...
let's go to the movies
I will hum you a song about nothing at all...

Sit down class, open up your textbooks to page forty-two

porcupine-ology, antler-ology, car-ology, bus-ology, train-ology, plane-ology
mama-ology, papa-ology, you-ology, me-ology
love-ology, kiss-ology, stay-ology, please-ology

Let's study, class, let's study, class, sit down

love-ology, love-ology, I'm sorry-ology, forgive me-ology...

oh, an incurable humanist you are...
oh, forgive me...forgive me-ology

Lucky Penny

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

I didn't find a lucky penny
so I flipped it over
and left it for someone else to find
and a dime just in time
for the little kid behind me
to pick it up and yell,
hey mom, I found a dime

then I turned around the corner
and I dropped another dollar
just in case the street needed some more cash
in the end, I made it home
with nothing in my pockets
except some cigarettes and some stones

I pick them up when I go walking
some are shiny, all are dirty
some are just pebbles that might grow up to be stones
as an adult, no one can stop you
from getting your hands dirty
when you're walking home alone

then I saw a little black cat
cross the street before a fast cab
flashed and disappeared into the night
he glanced back with understanding
of a future life impending
and we both knew it wasn't his time yet

I didn't find a lucky penny
so I flipped it over
and left it for someone else to find
and a dime just in time
for the little kid behind me
to pick it up and yell,
hey mom, I found a dime...

Lulliby

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

I know that you cannot be here
I know that you are not mine, no
looking out the window at another window
I see toenails changing colors
like the leaves of fall

if you often smile but often don't smile
which do you do more often--smile or not?
I dreamt a hydrant was covered in snow
a white light glowing below

Marry Ann

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (as originally posted by Regina on brümstix):

Miss Marry Ann
kept her man
in porcupine gloves, in porcupine gloves
and on that day
as scheduled
they made porcupine love, porcupine love

so stiff and stuck and prickly
he came in and then back out quickly
but lord not any quicker than according to plan
like a soldier, one foot in front of the other

Miss Marry Ann
had a man
named Stan, Stan Buttler
he had no antlers
he had no center
he had no enter and he had no exit

his hair was short and prickly
he came in and then back out quickly
but lord not any quicker than according to plan
like a soldier, one foot in front of the other

and how he loved her apple pies,
how he loved her meat loaf,
how he loved her chicken breasts,
how he loved her pudding,
served promptly at eight o'clock,
served promptly at seven
served promptly at ten o'clock,
and promptly at eleven heaven

Miss Marry Ann
kept her cans
in alphabetical order
Miss Marry Ann
began to have
some thoughts of murder

Miss Marry Ann
started to think
real hard about her future
Miss Marry Ann
preferred her meat
to be freshly butchered

oh she killed him rather quickly
man that woman was truly sickly
but lord not any sicker than according to plan
like a soldier, one foot in front of the other

and how he loved her apple pies,
how he loved her meat loaf,
how he loved her chicken breasts,
how he loved her pudding,
served promptly at eight o'clock,
served promptly at seven
served promptly at ten o'clock,
and promptly at eleven heaven

Miss Marry Ann
kept her man
in porcupine gloves, in porcupine gloves
and on that day
as scheduled
they made porcupine love, porcupine lo-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-apchu!

Mockingbird

Written by: Unknown (traditional), with additional lyrics by regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

hush, little baby, don't say a word
papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird
and if that mockingbird don't mock real well then
papa's gonna buy you a freedom bell
oh, and if that freedom bell don't ring
papa's gonna buy you a cubic zirconia ring
oh, and if that cubic zirconia ring don't shine
you're gonna give your papa a real hard time
now ain't you...?

and if that real hard time don't pass
papa's gonna get wrinkles all upon his face
and then he'll blend in with all the other papas then
screw the whole mockingbird situation, we can't even afford a medical plan
now can we...?

this song won't do, let's start this over...

hush, little baby, here comes the sandman
papa's gonna buy you a medical plan
oh, and if that medical plan don't cover your ass
papa's gonna buy you a pregnancy test
oh, and if that pregnancy test comes out positive
well then, girl, I don't know how the hell we're gonna live
maybe on your bright ideas
maybe on cigarette butts
maybe on bubblegum wrappers
maybe on penalty shots

hush, little baby, don't you cry
you know to you your papa would never ever lie
oh, hush while I sing to you this crude little lullaby
and I'll get you all that shit one day by and by
but in the meanwhile...

hush, little baby, don't say a word
papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird
oh, and if that mockingbird don't sing
papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring
a real diamond, no cubic nothing
like in the movies with that...what's her name...Monroe...Marilyn...

hush...

Modern Girls and Old Fashion Men

Written by: julian casablancas

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (the Reptilia liner notes):

You were right... (Modern Girls Always have to go.)
right on time. (Old-Fashioned men always want a mistress.)

You were right, (Modern girls always get their way)
I was wrong (Modern men dream of what they can't say.)

That's alright.
I don't belong

Why you sitting over there? (Why you gotta say it if you know it's sounding wrong.)
(Says that he'll apologize and it won't take too long.)

Always thinking about yourself (You don't wanna trust trust nobody else)

Time... (There's a few things that are gonna have to change...)
I'm your son. (Everyone has the same opinion)

Won't you please (Your time is almost over)
Don't be mean. (We won't get the chance to do this over.)

That's alright.
I don't belong.

Why you sitting over there? (I don't want the imprint of your key upon my nose.)
(We don't have to tell no one cause no one wants to know)

Always thinking about yourself... (You don't have no happiness at home.)

... ... ... ... ... ... ... Oh yes, we're falling down... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ... ... ... Oh yes, we're falling down... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
[so fucking help me up]

You don't love me. (Always thinking about yourself)
I am an animal. (Always thinking about yourself)
I am not practical... (Always thinking about yourself...)

Was I?

Music Box

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (from the Begin to Hope Special Edition liner notes):

Life inside the music box ain't easy
The mallets hit the gears are always turning
And everyone inside the mechanism
Is yearning
To get out
And sing another melody completely
So different from the one they're always singing
I close my eyes and think that I have found me
But then I feel mortality surround me
I want to sing another melody
So different from the one i always sing
...but when i do the dishes.....
I run the water very very very hot
And then I fill the sink to the top with bubbles of soap
And then I set all the bottle caps I own afloat
And it's the greatest voyage in the history of plastic
And then I slip my hands in and start to make waves
And then I dip my tongue in and take a taste
It tastes like soap but it doesn't really taste like soap
And then I lower in my whole mouth and take a gulp
...and start to...feel mortality surround me
I close my eyes and think that I have found me
But life inside the music box ain't easy
The mallets hit the gears are always turning
And every one inside the mechanism
Is yearning to get out...

The Mustard Musketeers

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

the mustard musketeers
travelled the world calming the fears
of the ladies in waiting
twas a glorious time
swords and swoons and magic harpoons
and white horseback riding

the mustard musketeers
huffed and puffed til they puffed away
everyone's sorrows
then they rode away
into directionless dust and no one could say
where they'd end up tomorrow

the time went by and
they got older
skies got hotter and
days got colder
it's paper or plastic...

so the mustard musketeers
scaled their last castle wall and went in
undercover
one went in dressed like a priest
one went as a gardner
and one went in as a flower

My Man

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

my man don't treat me right
don't kiss me sweet good night
don't buy me flowers to smell
he's a rotten boy from hell

my man don't treat me good
he eats up all my food
and he leaves me such a mess
they say I'm cursed, but I am blessed

cause he loves me, he loves me
he really, really loves me
and his eyes are bluer
than the bluest sky above the city
you don't agree? well, what a pity
he loves me, yes, he does

my man don't treat me sweet
he walks the empty street
and he drinks and smokes and swears
and they say he doesn't care

my man breaks my heart
he tears me all apart
and he leaves me such a mess
they say I'm cursed, but I am blessed

cause he loves me, he loves me
he really, really loves me
and his eyes are bluer
than the bluest sky above the city
you don't agree? well, what a pity
he loves me, yes, he does

oh, my man, I love him so
he'll never know
all my life is just a spare
but I don't care
when he takes me in his arms
the world is bright
alright

what's the difference if I say
I'll go away
when I know I'll come back on
my knees someday?
for whatever my man is
I'm his
forevermore

Notes: The last section of the song (beginning with "oh, my man, I love him so") is taken from the Billie Holiday song "My Man", music by Maurice Yvain, original French lyrics ("Mon Homme") by Albert Willemetz & Jacques Charles, English lyrics by Channing Pollock.

Ne Me Quitte Pas

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

down in bowery they lose their [?? and their lipped mouths?] in the night
and stumbling through the street they say, sir do you got a light
and if you do then you're my friend and if you don't then you're my foe
and if you are a deity of any sort then please don't go
ne me quitte pas, mon chere

down on lexington they walk in new shoes stuck to aging feet
and close their eyes and open and not recognize the aging street
and think about how things were right when they were young and veins were tight
and if you are the ghost of christmas past, then won't you stay the night?
ne me quitte pas, mon chere

down in bronxy bronx the kids go sledding down snow-covered slopes
and frozen noses, frozen toes, the frozen city starts to glow
and yes, they know that it will pass and, yes, they know new york will thaw
but if you are a friend of any sort then play along and catch a cold
ne me quitte pas, mon chere

I love paris in the rain...

down in paris they walk fast, that is, unless they're walking slow
and in cafes they look away, that is, unless they look right in
and in the gardens I get lost, that is, unless I'm getting found
and if you are the ghost of new york city, won't you stick around?
ne me quitte pas, mon chere

The Noise

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

all the power of my voice can't compare
with the power of a quiet whisper
still, it's a choice, and I choose to rage
instead of ever quietly listening

i can't hear you...i can't hear you anymore
i can't hear you...i can't hear you through this noise
i can't hear you through the noise

all the power of my words can't compare
with the power of a silent answer
still, it's a choice, and I choose to rage
ignoring all those silent answers

i can't hear you...i can't hear you anymore
i can't hear you...i can't hear you through this noise
i can't hear you through the noise

all the noise

Ode to Divorce

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (from the Soviet Kitsch liner notes):

The food that 'm eating is suddenly tasteless
I know i'm alone now
I know what it tastes like
So break me to small parts
let go in small doses
But spare some for spare parts
there might be some good ones!
Like you might make a dollar
I'm inside your mouth now
Behind your tonsils
Peaking over your molars
You're talking to her now
you've eaten something minty and you're making that face that I like and you're going in in for the kill kill
for the killer kiss kiss for the kiss kiss

I need your money, it will help me
I need your car and I need your love
So won't you help a brother out
Won't you help a brother out?
won't you help a brother out, out, out, out, out

Just break me to small parts
let go in small doses
but spare some for spare parts
you might make a dollar

you might make a $
So won't you help a brother out
Won't you help a brother out?
Won't you help a brother out, out, out, out, out

Just break me to small parts
let go in small doeses
but spare some for spare parts
there might be some good ones
you might make a $

Oedipus

Written by: regina spektor

Available Recordings: Click to view

Lyrics (fan transcription):

I'm the king's thirty-second son
born to him a thirty-second time
born to him with my hair still on
born to him with two eyebrows on
and that's all I was wearing
when I woke up staring at the world

my mom had been a rather crazy queen
but not at all like sex machine
she liked to keep her body clean clean
thought the world to be quite obscene
but she'd retire to her chambers
and we'd remain quite strangers
and to see me made her awful s