Ave Maria

lol..."A boy on a train with a birthmark on his forehead"- the only thing this line can make me think of is Harry Potter. :)))

This might not be what Regina intended, but this song always makes me think of Plato's Allegory of the Cave.

"The muscles of the intellectuals are atrophying" ... We might think that we have a broad understanding of the world, but we are really just prisoners in a cave, only seeing shadows of reality.

"Nobody's running, nobody's hiding" ... They are chained inside of the cave. They think what they see is reality, so they are conent... they don't try to escape their shackles.

"Lit by a light that isn't even the sun, lit by a light that isn't even the moon" ... They are watching shadows on the wall of the cave, projected by a huge fire.

I think it's about a boy who has moved to/is living in a place where he doesn't quite fit in, thins are a bit alien to him, maybe he is an immigrant or a student. he has to work in an office and doesn't enjoy it, but doesn't complain. the intellectuals live in their own heads, don't even pay any attention to the sun or moon, just those artificial lights. I think maybe he is fascinated by the Christians despite his own family's tradition ('how many times..?') (I am pretty sure that the cellar = church? the roots growing up through the floor, a sort of history) and he finds beauty there, just like listening to the birds instead of the language tapes when he's on the train. but, the 'lit by a light that isn't even the sun' could also mean a sort of inner light and maybe that is what fascinates him, he wants to feel that too, sings 'ave maria' like a prayer. I am probably completely off, oh well. this is such a magnificent song, why has it not made it onto any of her albums yet? I guess the demo is the definitive version really, I love her whistling at the end <3

i loveeeeeeeeeee this song and her voice@!

this is such a great song - regina spektor's talent moves me to tears (:

Regina said in one of her live concerts that it is "Sort of Christian themed, not negative."

this song is love. regina is love and always has been.

to me thi speaks of a mans hopeful to be more intelligent. someone who is trying so hard to be profound but just was born with a simple mind. and his wife telling him its not important it doesnt matter "dont go there" and the tree is the tree of knowledge. it always pays to learn.

hahahahahah! I'm agree with super cristal

i love this song and her voice is amazing!

From what I could gather, it's a call to return to nature.

The boy is an artist who thinks unconventionally and longs for nature. People alternately laugh at his ideas and implore him to stop his train of thought, begging him to stop dreaming about returning to mankind's roots, telling him it's a pointless, unproductive way to think. He should be doing something practical, like learning a new language or holding down a steady job in an office. He turns to prayer for comfort and support, talks to God and Mary because no one else seems to understand him.