Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[perspectives]

Hi,

What does it mean in the following lyrics:

While laughing up a storm
Until we were just bone
Until it got so warm
That none of us could sleep

I'm so baffled by it. What does 'bone' mean here?

The lyrics ar from Regina Spektor's On The Radio: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/reginaspektor/ontheradio.html

Thanks in advance.

[redset]

It means 'until we were dead' basically - nothing left but bone (the material your skeleton's made from). 'Long after we were dead' might be more accurate

[perspectives]

Thanks, redset.

But what does that stanza mean? To have a hearty laughter as much as you can because you will be dead someday? But what is 'until it got so warm'? If 'we' were dead, why could we not sleep because it got so warm'?

[redset]

Heh, this is where we run into problems! I can't tell you what that verse means exactly, it's painting a fairly abstract picture, so you could interpret it a few ways.

That said, I'm going to take a guess that she's describing love in a few different ways - the first verse sounds like a wild and fiery relationship, with death as a metaphor for the end or when things go wrong. A funeral is usually a very sedate affair, quiet and sombre and respectfully slow - instead she's describing the hearse racing into the crowd, leaving disaster and tragedy in its wake, and the people in the relationship laughing and enjoying every minute of it until it's all over.

The rest of the verse seems to deal with things getting 'too hot' (perhaps a reference to hell as a consequence of their recklessness, or that whatever made the relationship exciting becomes too much and they can't handle it anymore). The 'tried to find some worms to aid in the decay' part could mean they're trying to end the relationship, or find a way to ease the pain of breaking up, and the part about 'praying for disease to leave' could be a metaphor for the problems that have been caused, wanting everyone to be ok when they've been hurt.

I honestly don't know if any of this is correct but it would make sense as a theme, and it seems to fit with the other verses - about loving someone while you can, until something happens to change that, and then picking yourself up and trying again. The actual wording in the first verse deals with death, decay and disease, but I really doubt you're meant to take it literally

This site might be useful for interpreting songs, people post their own ideas and sometimes information from the actual artist:
http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858582169/1/ASC/#comment
Just bear in mind a lot of people come out with some bizarre interpretations, or focus on one word and say "it must all be literally about this!" See what makes sense to you and make up your own mind.

[redset]

Also, listening to November Rain is mentioned in the choruses and the song's called 'On The Radio', so it would be worth looking at what that song is about too and seeing how that could link in with the Regina song

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/gunsnroses/novemberrain.html

[perspectives]

Thank you so much, redset for your interpretations of the song. I totally agree with you on that there exist different interpretations by different readings of different people. Thank you also about the link of guns n roses' lyrics of November Rain. But I cannot find the song 'On the Radio' in the refrain of dNovember Rain. Thank you again and I think I'll have a thorough re-reading of 'On The Radio' to see if I can interpret it differently.

[redset]

Oh no, I meant November Rain is mentioned in On the Radio.

On the radio
We heard November Rain
That solo's really long
But it's a pretty song
We listened to it twice
'Cause the DJ was asleep

So the song's title refers to the part in the song where they listen to November Rain on the radio, and the lyrics to November Rain seem to echo some of the sentiments of On The Radio - so try reading the November Rain lyrics, and see if youy can see a connection to what Regina Spektor's singing about