Après Moi

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.

This song has a sort of rhythm that reminds me of a revolutionary march. I believe regina may be mocking Russian totalitarian leaders like Stalin or Lenin pretending she was one of them and had their ideals. The lame (the crippled, the paralyzed, the handicapped in whatever way) are bringing down the fit and healthy who are faster, stronger, smarter. The elderly are bringing down the young and their future, the future of the revolution (souls). The "cold" (i believe this could mean the meek, lonely, or even the individualistic) are taking away from the lifeblood and the passionate conformity of the revolution. Boris Pasternak was a poet during the reign of the leaders of the Russian/Soviet revolution and his ideas and criticisms of them sometimes found their way into his poetry. The poem that the Russian lyrics are taken from has somewhat of an apocalyptic or after-the-war feel to it with a pinch of hope like Begin to Hope's subtle theme. Maybe regina is saying, with words taken from Madame de Pompadour (who is said to have had a premonition of the impending political and social collapse that was that lead to the French Revolution), is that though we can change things for the better we can also change things for the worse.

As far as "I must go on standing/ you can't break that which isn't yours/ I must go on standing/ I'm not my own its not my choice" to me, as a Jew from the same sort of background as Regina, it sounds like a common feeling we have. Our past is our ancestors, and while we're free to make our own choices, we tend to feel near overwhelming guilt over not carrying on traditions that we maybe feel are outdated. We are taught that our lives are not our own. That we live to honor those before us. We live to tell the stories of those who died, and those who survived. To me this song is a very Jewish song. It mirrors my own feelings of ancestory, responsiblity, guilt, expressed individuality, and history. My life is not my own, as it was passed down the line by my mother, who was given it by my grandmother, who was given it by my greatgrandmother, who was given my life through the mercy of G-d who saw it fit that she sould surrvive the camps, the walk from the camps to find home, and any shred of family or neighbor she could. I am to live my life to honor hers. To never take her struggle for granted. Its not my own to live well or live poorly as I please. Living a ruined life is a thankless life. I hear that struggle in Reginas words.

People mostly stick to the meaning of the Russian part and go deep in search for Pasternak bioghaphy details, historical allusions and so. These researches are nice. But I prefer to concentrate on the form itself. Look. The English part is about being strong: "I can't give up, I have no right to surrender, because after me everything will get ruined and those who depend on me will suffer". Then another side breaks through - we can see emotions of protaginist expressed in Russian (which mainly noone understands). This part is full of pain, hopelessness and all-pervading sorrow. But people can't understand this. This is the way to show something hidden from others. Then again comes a burst of self persuadng mantras - I! Must! Go! On! So I think this switching from English to Russian and back is the way to compare things on facade (English) and in the backyard (Russian) and the whole song is about torments of a strong personality.

It's actually..

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.

Is anyone else annoyed when people think every song on this site is about someone wanting to kill themselves?

Not all music is a call for help...

I think this song is about a revolution. The first half is the person in power telling citizens that everything is to be feared and their oppressive policies are "protecting" the people, then the second half is the people rising up and using the person in power's words against them.

The first instance of "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/Apres Moi, le deluge/After me comes the flood" is the PIP saying that the people who are different are hurting the nation and then that if they do not stay in power everyone will be destroyed. Then, in the second half, it is those people that the PIP was oppressing who they should really fear, as they are creating a new nation by the people.

It's from a Boris Pasternak poem, if anyone wants to know.

(He wrote Dr. Zhivago, oh yes he did.)

I really love this song

I believe the Russian part translatation is:

February, pick up your pen and weep, Write poems about february in sobs and ink, While thunder booming in the background Is burning in the black of spring

This was written from the perspective of a statue. I think it's about King Louis XV. He was the one who famously said "Apres moi le deluge" which means "after me come the floods." He was hated by the French people and his reign seeded the resentment towards the monarchy that eventually led to the French Revolution.

"You can't break that which isn't yours." I think she's singing about tradition here.

"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 Apres moi le deluge, after me come the floods" Sounds like a warning against the revolt.

P.S. Read Boris Pasternak's poem entitled 'February. Take your pen and weep,'.