Brady 1 Report post Posted April 1, 2010 This song is so beautiful! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jamie R. 3 Report post Posted April 8, 2010 It was very surreal today: I was reading City of Thieves by David Benioff, which is a story that takes place during the siege of Leningrad during WWII. In it, there is a passage where it discusses a man playing the piano a few months into the siege. The main characters express amazement that "nobody's chopped up his piano for firewood." It made me think of this. The meaning of the song doesn't really fit, I think, but it still adds to my personal connection to it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davidh 0 Report post Posted July 28, 2010 This is maybe the best version of the song so far, from Denmark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...cgLI&feature=related Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anthony Minsky 18 Report post Posted July 29, 2010 Just watched the Copenhagen footage of this song. Boy oh boy! Each of her songs are just their own little things aren't they? They're like mini novelettes. This songs piano is just so.... I don't know, it's just so neat ('70's word for cool). I can't quite explain it. So original. I said this on some other thread, but I still think that the slight off-keyness is on purpose. She does it everytime. It's like she's saying that this isn't a very good piano, but it's not ready for 'firewood yet'. It makes me think of that synagogue piano she practiced on when she was young, the one they highlight in that CBS bio of her. That's all I can interpret so far. The words? Well, those are always hard with Regina. But I love that it's hard!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lost in the Sounds 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2010 My transcription of the lyrics, based on the Copenhagen performance, which could very well actually have slightly different words than earlier performances. Here’s what I hear: “Firewood” The piano is not firewood yet They try to remember But still they forget That the heart beats in threes Just like a waltz And nothing can stop you from dancing Rise from your cold hospital bed I tell you you’re not dying Everyone knows you’re going to live So you might as well start trying The piano is not firewood yet But the cold does get cold So it soon might be that Take it apart, call up our friends And warm up our hands by the fire Don’t look so shocked, don’t judge so harsh You don’t know you’re only spying Everyone knows it’s going to hurt But at least we’ll get hurt trying The piano is not firewood yet But a heart can’t be helped And it gathers regret Someday you’ll wake up and feel a great pain And you’ll miss every toy you’ve ever owned You want to wake up, you wish you were small Nothing consoles your crying You’ll take the clock off of your wall And you’ll wish that it was lying (piano solo) Love what you have And you’ll have more love You’re not dying Everyone knows you’re going to love Though there’s still a cure for crying Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrimarokr 0 Report post Posted July 30, 2010 Tony, I absolutely love your interpretation of the song. This is the Reg song I'm really feeling right now, the line that gets me every time is "Everyone knows it’s going to hurt But at least we’ll get hurt trying". This song is my best friend at the moment. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anthony Minsky 18 Report post Posted July 30, 2010 quote: Originally posted by mrimarokr: Tony, I absolutely love your interpretation of the song. This is the Reg song I'm really feeling right now, the line that gets me every time is "Everyone knows it’s going to hurt But at least we’ll get hurt trying". This song is my best friend at the moment. It's funny with Regina. She is always good, always, but there are certain concert moments that transcend above others. And that one is one of those to me. It's more than just a good performance, it's emotional, it's moving, it's just epic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrimarokr 0 Report post Posted July 31, 2010 I fully one hundred percent agree and when she does the piano solo at the end... I just totally lose myself in how beautiful the song is even more. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sweetness in my lungs 71 Report post Posted August 3, 2010 Just some things on the lyrics first... "The heart beats in three" "You want to go back, you wish..." "still no cure for crying" If it's not "no" then it makes no sense, even though it could sound like "a" in the video. Yes it's obvious that the off-keyness is intentional. Especially in the video from Copenhagen. You can see that that's how the song goes by the expression on her face and the way she plays it. When I was in Copenhagen I got the feeling that it was a heart monitor failing in that solo. I didn't quite get it myself. But just now I realized that hey; the heart beats in three. The piano solo part is played in 3/4 beat. So how weird it might sound... I think that the piano part is a heart beating. And this person is indeed dying. Or...well not firewood yet, but could be soon. And the author is trying to convince tis person to keep trying, because if he does then he's not dying. The more I think of it I get more and more convinced that the piano part is a heart monitor sound. And I want to apologize for the bad filming in the middle, but I was crying so hard and I had just heard regina say that Dan had passed away. I was shocked and sad. The sound is still good... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lost in the Sounds 0 Report post Posted August 3, 2010 quote: Originally posted by sweetness in my lungs: And I want to apologize for the bad filming in the middle, but I was crying so hard and I had just heard regina say that Dan had passed away. I was shocked and sad. The sound is still good... Awww there's no need to apologize for that! When I was watching the video I was wondering who that was who was crying. It's perfectly natural. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites