Firewood (The Piano's Not Firewoood Yet)

[Brady 1]

This song is so beautiful!

[Jamie R. 3]

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.

[davidh 0]

This is maybe the best version of the song so far, from Denmark:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...cgLI&feature=related

[Anthony Minsky 18]

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!!

[Lost in the Sounds 0]

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

[mrimarokr 0]

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.

[Anthony Minsky 18]

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.

[mrimarokr 0]

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.

[sweetness in my lungs 71]

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...

[Lost in the Sounds 0]

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.