My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year) (Peggy Lee cover)

awww! what a beautiful song by miss Spektor! her voice sounds so sweet.. it's very peaceful and it's so good to recieve the new year listening to this

i hate to spoil what some might think is a happy mood...but i sense a bit of sarcasm here, especially with the sound effects of police sirens and gunshots

This song is so beautiful.

I love the sirens and the gunshots in the background. It's so ironic.

i really thing the sound effects are more of like sounds of the city and the gun shots sounded like fire works to me but that's just me i love this song so much it's so beautiful

This is such a sweet song that after listening to it, I started buying Regina's albums from iTune. Sure, the mood is not that happy, but it is so beautiful and mixed with a little bit sadness, just like many of Regina's other songs. It makes me want to listen more and know her more. To me, the background sirens and gunshots are cleverly added to make the song sounds better and more realistic. If everyday of our life is like New Year's eve, always happy, no tear, then the life maybe terribly boring--and that kind of life only exists in heaven. Also, please note, the song says "A happy new year...to all that is gentle, kind, and forgiving", apparently this toast does not for those who are violent, not kind and unforgiving--those who loves to start wars and destroy other people's life.

hear hear farfaraway. Also, I really agree with the irony and sarcasm in this song. It reminds me of the seperations we put between ourselves and the horror out there. Here we stand... celebrating the new year... insulated from what goes on due to our leaders, our inaction and our ignornance yet we can still celebrate the blessings we have. Which isn't altogether a bad thing.

hear hear farfaraway. Also, I really agree with the irony and sarcasm in this song. It reminds me of the seperations we put between ourselves and the horror out there. Here we stand... celebrating the new year... insulated from what goes on due to our leaders, our inaction and our ignornance yet we can still celebrate the blessings we have. Which isn't altogether a bad thing.

I agree with crumbs, this song is definately sarcastic or ironic. I think the speaker is either the many ignorant Americans who turn their faces away and celebrate within themselves to "a happy new year", speaking ironicly of love and joy, selfishly repeating "us, and "our," burying away the reality of all the wars and trouble that is being fought all around the globe or the speaker is some sorr of a powerful leader, like a president.

The background sounds remind me of soldiers.
First we hear the engines and blades of flying machines (planes and helicopters) which makes me think of our soldiers leaving the coutry to other countries, then sirens of an ambulance or police car and then gunshots, meaning people getting hurt or killed.

And still, the speaker mentions only "all those who are gahered here," talking more about blessing and love. Makes me think of a Christian who is... I can't even think of the right word... Somewher in between selfish, hippocritical, and prideful. Blessing and only acquanting with those like themselves. "To all that is gentle, kind, and forgiving."

Actually, this song originally done by Peggy Lee, not Ms. Spektor.

I love both though. :D

Just to inform everyone, this song is not about sarcasm or whatever. It's about the war. the planes in the backround are fighter jets and the guns going off. Shes welcoming the new year and celebrating all who are fighting for everyone else to live and who are still living.