The Calculation, Regina Spektor

You went into the kitchen cupboard, got yourself another hour
And you gave half of it to me
We sat there looking at the faces of these strangers in the pages
Till we knew 'em mathematically

They were in our minds until forever but we didn't mind
We didn't know better

So we made our own computer out of macaroni pieces
And it did our thinking while we lived our lives
It counted up our feelings and divided them up even
And it called that calculation perfect love

Didn't even know that love was bigger
Didn't even know that love was so, so
Hey, hey, hey

Hey this fire, it's burnin', burnin' us up
Hey this fire, it's burnin', burnin' us up

So we made the hard decision and we each made an incision
Past our muscles and our bones, saw our hearts were little stones
Pulled them out they weren't beating and we weren't even bleeding
As we lay them on the granite counter top

We beat 'em up against each other
We beat 'em up against each other
We struck 'em hard against each other
We struck 'em so hard, so hard until they sparked

Hey this fire, it's burnin', burnin' us up
Hey this fire, it's burnin', burnin' us up
Hey this fire, it's burnin', burnin' us up


I chose this song because of its unique phrases and content. It has a lot of vivid imagery and startling, abstract ideas such as a computer made of macaroni pieces and getting an hour out of the kitchen cuboard. I think the whole song is a metaphor for a relationship the author had with someone. From the line about the computer counting up their feelings and dividing them up even and calling it perfect love, it sounds like their love was artificial and meager at first. Also, in the line 'didn't even know that love was bigger' Regina Spektor seems to be saying that they were naive and innocent. I think that the verse about them taking their hearts out an beating them up against each other until they sparked is symbolic of forcing themselves to love one another. She says that their hearts weren't even beating and were little stones, possibly meaning that they had no feelings for each other. This song also has some surreal parts which add to the story Regina Spektor is telling. It is interesting to picture hearts on a granite counter top for instance. This is a thought-provoking poem that could have many meanings and I think it's fantastic.