Regina Spektor — Genius Next Door
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Length: 4:58
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Some said the local lake had been enchanted
Others said it must have been the weather
The neighbors were trying to keep it quiet
But I swear that I could hear the laughter
So they jokingly nicknamed it the porridge
Cause overnight that lake had turned as thick as butter
But the local kids would still go swimming, drinking
Saying that to them it doesn't matter
If you just hold in your breath til you come back up in full
Hold in your breath til you thought it through, you fool
The genius next door was busing tables
Wiping clean the ketchup bottle labels
Getting high and mumbling German fables
Didn't care as long as he was able
To strip his clothes off by the dumpsters
At night while everyone was sleeping
And to wade midway into that porridge
Just him and the secret he was keeping
If you just hold in your breath til you come back up in full
Hold in your breath til you thought it through, you foolish child
In the morning the film crews start arriving
With donuts, coffee and reporters
The kids were waking up hungover
The neighbors were starting up their cars
The garbageman were emptying the dumpsters
Atheists were praying full of sarcasm
And the genius next door was sleeping
Dreaming that the antidote is orgasm
If you just hold in your breath til you come back up in full
Hold in your breath til you thought it through, you foolish child!
Others said it must have been the weather
The neighbors were trying to keep it quiet
But I swear that I could hear the laughter
So they jokingly nicknamed it the porridge
Cause overnight that lake had turned as thick as butter
But the local kids would still go swimming, drinking
Saying that to them it doesn't matter
If you just hold in your breath til you come back up in full
Hold in your breath til you thought it through, you fool
The genius next door was busing tables
Wiping clean the ketchup bottle labels
Getting high and mumbling German fables
Didn't care as long as he was able
To strip his clothes off by the dumpsters
At night while everyone was sleeping
And to wade midway into that porridge
Just him and the secret he was keeping
If you just hold in your breath til you come back up in full
Hold in your breath til you thought it through, you foolish child
In the morning the film crews start arriving
With donuts, coffee and reporters
The kids were waking up hungover
The neighbors were starting up their cars
The garbageman were emptying the dumpsters
Atheists were praying full of sarcasm
And the genius next door was sleeping
Dreaming that the antidote is orgasm
If you just hold in your breath til you come back up in full
Hold in your breath til you thought it through, you foolish child!
Comments (66)add comment
Terrific segue from Nils Frahm's Ambre, which was just after Natalie Merchant's Motherland. Nice transitions, William. Thank you.
Lovely music for such a proud zionist mouthpiece
xray38 wrote:
She left Russia by choice long ago, and is an American citizen.
que mamada de pregunta
She left Russia by choice long ago, and is an American citizen.
que mamada de pregunta
Like Benjamin Clementine her vocals and lyrics are exceptional! Love her!
A one - plus 8 for the smile! Seriously, very nice music.
This brings me to tears…
She has such a beautiful, crystal clear voice when she sings in higher notes - wonderful.
CamLwalk wrote:
WOW!!! Just.... WOW!! Now THIS, I could listen to over and over! In another post, I indicated my "not a big fan" opinion but, for this particular piece, her voice is absolutely spot on! Almost like, the instrumental part was made for her voice accompaniment!
I heard this wonderful performance recently. If you like Regina as much as I do, you should check it out.
niseywee wrote:
I agree. Don't find much of that in many of "today's" artists. At least, not like artists from "back in the day"!! The ones that DO "tell a story" in their song, IMHO, usually are really good and, really worth listening to, just to hear the story! e.g.... Marc Broussard. Again, IMHO, a wicked talented artist, with good "stories" in some of his tunes!
I like how she tells a story
bam23 wrote:
Most excellent retort to that post! Personally, I'm not a huge fan of her music, a little too "pop music-y" for my taste. However, she does have a phenomenally excellent voice and, has the accolades to show that she's no pushover! Quite talented, quite skilled. I certainly could hear her songs, and not get tired of hearing her voice, unlike the snotty Kate Bush. Ms. Bush is definitely not my cuppa tea! Talented, perhaps... Enjoyable to listen to? Me, not so much.
Usually I can get the point of a comment, even when I completely disagree. Not here. This piece, heard for the first time, strikes me as an unusually nuanced composition. Without any time to ponder, I was drawn in. This reminds me of nothing, neither guitar nor piano, that I have heard here. My feeling is that you simply do not like the song and responded to a stimulus. Maybe another day, you will feel differently.
CamLwalk wrote:
Thanks. Sometimes I think I'm the only person who has never heard a song from Hamilton. At last I can shrug off the hair shirt.
I heard this wonderful performance recently. If you like Regina as much as I do, you should check it out.
Thanks. Sometimes I think I'm the only person who has never heard a song from Hamilton. At last I can shrug off the hair shirt.
ziggytrix wrote:
What a great story! The comments are a significant part of why I listen to RP. Thanks for sharing!
I just learned Jeff Lynne produced this album from a fun article at Pitchfork...
Pitchfork: Jeff Lynne is a real old-school rock'n'roll great, how did you hook up with him? Were you a big fan of his before you guys started working together?
RS: It's kind of funny. Actually, it's kind of sad-- I didn't know who he was or what he had done when I asked him if he'd like to produce some songs. I'm the opposite of a knowledgeable music aficionado; tomorrow, I could discover an amazing artist that people have been listening to for the past 60 years and be, like, "wow."
The reason I asked to contact Jeff was because I saw he produced the last Tom Petty record, Highway Companion, which I really loved. I noted him down so next time I did a record I could actually tell people, like, "I have a few producers I'd like to check out." I remember the silence on the phone when I said the name "Jeff Lynne" to Tom Whalley, the president of Warner Bros. But Tom was really positive about it.
By the time I was about to meet Jeff I was sufficiently nervous. But he's really sweet. We drank a lot of tea. And after I worked with him, I started to understand, like, "Oh yeah! That's Jeff-- I know that song." Sometimes you know the song or voice but you have no idea who sings it. But Jeff's definitely in the world of legends. He had these banjoleles-- a mix between a banjo and a ukulele-- and I picked one up and he was like, "Yeah, George [Harrison] gave that to me." I was like, "Oh my god," and then put it down.
What a great story! The comments are a significant part of why I listen to RP. Thanks for sharing!
anybody want to interpret the lyrics?
here's mine: it's about some guy who splooges (secretly) into the lake?
here's mine: it's about some guy who splooges (secretly) into the lake?
xray38 wrote:
She left Russia by choice long ago, and is an American citizen.
....also don't blame or begrudge the Russian people/public. We all know who's to blame. The person who was given too much power, as always: Mao, Stalin, Lenin, Amin, Hitler....same old, same old.
She left Russia by choice long ago, and is an American citizen.
....also don't blame or begrudge the Russian people/public. We all know who's to blame. The person who was given too much power, as always: Mao, Stalin, Lenin, Amin, Hitler....same old, same old.
BeanCrusher wrote:
She left Russia by choice long ago, and is an American citizen.
Are we allowed to listen to Regina Spektor, given the current goings on, or must we boycott?
I believe I will continue to listen.
She left Russia by choice long ago, and is an American citizen.
I like her song on this album where she sings like a dolphin - Folding Chair.
Are we allowed to listen to Regina Spektor, given the current goings on, or must we boycott?
I believe I will continue to listen.
I believe I will continue to listen.
CamLwalk wrote:
Thanks, that link was just a fresh hug of friendly & exquisite music :-)
I heard this wonderful performance recently. If you like Regina as much as I do, you should check it out.
Thanks, that link was just a fresh hug of friendly & exquisite music :-)
Big fat skip...
Very JS Bach-like piano!
Such an expressive voice!
Thank you for this. Such a beautiful piece of art. <3
What about the genius at the piano?
She might not be a new artist but she's new to me. First introduced by the theme of Orange is the New Black. Remarkable.
9. I really like this one.
I heard this wonderful performance recently. If you like Regina as much as I do, you should check it out.
jasko wrote:
Here voice would be perfect for a Bond theme song too...
Funny
Funny
Smitix wrote:
Funny
She's very good, but with a name like that, I think she might be a Bond villain.
Funny
This song gets better every time I hear it. 8 -> 9.
nicknt wrote:
Ditto here. 😍
I confess I'm in love with her.
Ditto here. 😍
Skydog wrote:
I'm not sure what you find boring about them, much less "super boring". They are "unusual" perhaps, but that alone would keep them from being "boring". It seems like an interesting narrative to me, certainly more interesting than most lyrics I've heard from most contemporary artists.
super boring lyrics
.
imho
.
imho
I'm not sure what you find boring about them, much less "super boring". They are "unusual" perhaps, but that alone would keep them from being "boring". It seems like an interesting narrative to me, certainly more interesting than most lyrics I've heard from most contemporary artists.
Lyrical and dreamy, a wonderful artist, introduced to me by our daughter many years ago. 
Piano accompaniment sounds a bit like Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata but played at 2 times the speed!
I just learned Jeff Lynne produced this album from a fun article at Pitchfork...
Pitchfork: Jeff Lynne is a real old-school rock'n'roll great, how did you hook up with him? Were you a big fan of his before you guys started working together?
RS: It's kind of funny. Actually, it's kind of sad-- I didn't know who he was or what he had done when I asked him if he'd like to produce some songs. I'm the opposite of a knowledgeable music aficionado; tomorrow, I could discover an amazing artist that people have been listening to for the past 60 years and be, like, "wow."
The reason I asked to contact Jeff was because I saw he produced the last Tom Petty record, Highway Companion, which I really loved. I noted him down so next time I did a record I could actually tell people, like, "I have a few producers I'd like to check out." I remember the silence on the phone when I said the name "Jeff Lynne" to Tom Whalley, the president of Warner Bros. But Tom was really positive about it.
By the time I was about to meet Jeff I was sufficiently nervous. But he's really sweet. We drank a lot of tea. And after I worked with him, I started to understand, like, "Oh yeah! That's Jeff-- I know that song." Sometimes you know the song or voice but you have no idea who sings it. But Jeff's definitely in the world of legends. He had these banjoleles-- a mix between a banjo and a ukulele-- and I picked one up and he was like, "Yeah, George [Harrison] gave that to me." I was like, "Oh my god," and then put it down.
Pitchfork: Jeff Lynne is a real old-school rock'n'roll great, how did you hook up with him? Were you a big fan of his before you guys started working together?
RS: It's kind of funny. Actually, it's kind of sad-- I didn't know who he was or what he had done when I asked him if he'd like to produce some songs. I'm the opposite of a knowledgeable music aficionado; tomorrow, I could discover an amazing artist that people have been listening to for the past 60 years and be, like, "wow."
The reason I asked to contact Jeff was because I saw he produced the last Tom Petty record, Highway Companion, which I really loved. I noted him down so next time I did a record I could actually tell people, like, "I have a few producers I'd like to check out." I remember the silence on the phone when I said the name "Jeff Lynne" to Tom Whalley, the president of Warner Bros. But Tom was really positive about it.
By the time I was about to meet Jeff I was sufficiently nervous. But he's really sweet. We drank a lot of tea. And after I worked with him, I started to understand, like, "Oh yeah! That's Jeff-- I know that song." Sometimes you know the song or voice but you have no idea who sings it. But Jeff's definitely in the world of legends. He had these banjoleles-- a mix between a banjo and a ukulele-- and I picked one up and he was like, "Yeah, George [Harrison] gave that to me." I was like, "Oh my god," and then put it down.
Yup. Got on to her because of the show. BUT...she's good. Really good. Thanks RP! Again.
Sounds a bit like Emmy the Great, or vice-versa
She's very good, but with a name like that, I think she might be a Bond villain.
I confess I'm in love with her.
Bill, after this beautiful song I love to hear Eternity by Nova Nova.
I like how she tells a story
simply beautiful -!!!
ROCK AND ROLL!!!!!
Very very nice song and voice 
Not sure about the song itself, but her voice is so strong and so gentle at the same time, brilliant.
what a voice. effortless.
Skydog wrote:
Super opposed to your humble opinion. A work of dark beauty.
super boring lyrics
.
imho
.
imho
Super opposed to your humble opinion. A work of dark beauty.
I chuckle every time I Regina, I blew my teenage daughters mind when she was listening to one of her tunes and I told her I had one of her albums.
super boring lyrics
.
imho
.
imho
good song from a very good album. Thanks Bill.
All in one - writer and performer. Unique, great!
pianocomposer wrote:
Did you upload this song as an RP catalog candidate? If so, thank you!
I have to be very picky about what I choose to upload to Radio Paradise... And still only about one in five of mine is chosen. That's okay. I like that Rebecca and Bill are choosy. I first heard this song on (rhymes with fedora) and LOVED it... very haunting lyrics and unique, eclectic music. To me, that's what RP is all about... eclectic but accessible music. I am glad this seems to be generally accepted by the listeners. It may be MONTHS before I find another song worthy of uploading.
Did you upload this song as an RP catalog candidate? If so, thank you!
casey1024 wrote:
Likewise, yes.
Really enjoying this eerie little tune.
Likewise, yes.
I like it. Bizarre lyrics perhaps.
Really enjoying this eerie little tune.
The atheists are praying for sarcasm...just sprayed the screen with a mouthful of iced tea. Utterly awesome.
The genius next door is Regina.
10.
10.
Regina Spektor, born in Russia, is half the age of Kate Bush, born in Welling, Kent (where my father walked 4 miles to buy my pram 20 years earlier) can hardly be compared.
Each is her own woman.
creekgirl wrote:
I think I've heard this song, or songs like it, a thousand times on Radio Paradise. All pretty much the same, sometimes guitar, this time piano, but basically just another hipster trying to use emotional sincerity to make up for boldness, originality and musicality. I just want to send them all to Kate Bush school.
Usually I can get the point of a comment, even when I completely disagree. Not here. This piece, heard for the first time, strikes me as an unusually nuanced composition. Without any time to ponder, I was drawn in. This reminds me of nothing, neither guitar nor piano, that I have heard here. My feeling is that you simply do not like the song and responded to a stimulus. Maybe another day, you will feel differently.I think I've heard this song, or songs like it, a thousand times on Radio Paradise. All pretty much the same, sometimes guitar, this time piano, but basically just another hipster trying to use emotional sincerity to make up for boldness, originality and musicality. I just want to send them all to Kate Bush school.
A song beautifully sung with outstanding piano.
Love the piano!
Super poetic, thanks.
I adore this song, this album and this artist. Better grab this one for the car CD player this morning.
I have to be very picky about what I choose to upload to Radio Paradise... And still only about one in five of mine is chosen. That's okay. I like that Rebecca and Bill are choosy. I first heard this song on (rhymes with fedora) and LOVED it... very haunting lyrics and unique, eclectic music. To me, that's what RP is all about... eclectic but accessible music. I am glad this seems to be generally accepted by the listeners. It may be MONTHS before I find another song worthy of uploading.
Really liked the lyrics. Kind of a reminded me of Laurie Anderson Hansel and Gretel.
Very nice music, she's got talent, but this is not a style I'd go out of my way to get my ears on. The singing, the lyrics, the music and the aesthetic are not highly prized in my wheelhouse.