A Fortnight's Time

mmm. I do like this song, but can anyone explain what the heck the 5 x 5 bit is about? it seems like it's just random...

Just an idea but maybe the 5 x 5 = 25 bit is in reference to the straightforwardness of it all, the question of "would you like to go on a date with me?" and all she has to do is say "yes". A simple answer to a simple question. I don't know...maybe not, but all I do know is that this is a great song off an even greater album. I just love Maximo Park.

"And so Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Yes please paul!!! ;o)

This album seems to cover British modern club culture to a great degree, I reacon:

"When it comes to girls I'm mostly hypothetical If I list their names it's purely alphabetical When it comes to girls I'm truely theoretical If I test a nerve it's merely dialetical"

is about that, I'm thinking of a mobile phone on a club, night when you are going down the list trying to think of who "hypothetically" you might be able to get with. And the theoretical and dialectical ways of chatting said girl up

people have "needs" , like there not ment for each other but ...5x5=25 .. if u get me .

sarah, that makes sense. It's as though he thinks the answer "Yes" to his question is the only right one, in the same way that the answer to 5 x 5 is always 25. It's really just showing the character's desparation and narrow mind in believing that no isn't a choice, it's just the wrong answer.

When I saw them live, he said that this song was about "trying to make yourself feel better by getting a girl to go out with you", or words to that effect. This is shown in the lines

Do you have a drink To erase the day There's another way

Hope that shedded a little light on what is a fantastic but slightly confusing song

I think it's about a guy seeing things as purely black and white and being slightly obsessive over a girl, perhaps out of desparation and lack of success with girls in the past ("when it comes to girls i'm mostly hypothetical"). He seems aware of this but doesn't care in the way he says "I know it's old fashioned to say so". He is adamant that it's the right choice for her to date him.

It reminds me of a dark Pedro Almodovar film 'Atame' where the protagonist ties up a girl until she falls in love with him.

wow... thanx for everyone who commented on this song, i think i kinda understand this extremely energetic song now

I get the feeling that the entire album is about the futility of applying schoolbook logic to relationships and the real world

To me, this is about being the sort of person who can't just stroll up to a girl in a club and pull her. They usually go out with the aim of pulling, and have thought of exactly what they want to say and do, but when they're out they just lack the confidence, so they get drunk instead. Here, he breaks from that habit and tries to use the old fashioned approach to getting the girl. He doesn't think he has a chance with this girl but he decides to give it a try.

Five times five equals twenty five? I agree that it's just a way of showing how simple the question is and how easy the answer should be. Maybe the numbers are something about being an adult (25) but acting like a child (5) in this situation?

Either way, great lyrics that I think tonnes of young single blokes can relate to.