After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in New York City's independent music scenes, particularly the anti-folk scene centered on New York City's East Village, Spektor signed with Sire Records in 2004 and began achieving greater mainstream recognition. After giving her third album a major label re-release, Sire released Spektor's fourth album, Begin to Hope, which achieved a Gold certification by the RIAA. Her following two albums, Far and What We Saw from the Cheap Seats, each debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200. 2016's Remember Us to Life peaked at 23 on the Billboard 200.
Mayor Bill de Blasio proclaimed June 11, 2019, Regina Spektor Day in New York City. Spektor was also inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame on May 18, 2019, by Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr.
Genius Next Door
Regina Spektor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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!
In "Genius Next Door," Regina Spektor paints a picture of a lake that locals believe to be enchanted due to a sudden and unexplained thickening. Though some neighborhoods tried to keep the strange occurrence hushed, the playful children of the area continued to swim and drink in the mystifying lake, unconcerned with its danger. Meanwhile, the titular "genius next door" is busy busing tables and getting high, unbothered by the quirky happenings around him. Even as the lake becomes a spectacle for reporters and pranksters alike, the genius sleeps, dreaming of his own antidote to the chaos around him.
Thematically, the song speaks to human resilience and adaptability. Even in the face of potentially dangerous or inexplicable phenomena, individuals can find ways to cope, whether through laughter, reckless abandon, or escape into dreamland. Additionally, the song touches on the concept of outsiderism and the way in which individuals who appear "strange" or outside of the norm can often have unique perspectives and internal worlds that others might not understand.
Line by Line Meaning
Some said the local lake had been enchanted
There were rumours that the lake had magical powers
Others said it must have been the weather
Some people believed that the weather caused the strange occurrence at the lake
The neighbors were trying to keep it quiet
The people who lived near the lake were trying to hide what was happening there
But I swear that I could hear the laughter
The artist is convinced that they could hear laughter coming from the lake
So they jokingly nicknamed it the porridge
They nicknamed the thick, buttery lake 'porridge' as a joke
Cause overnight that lake had turned as thick as butter
The lake had changed overnight and become very thick, like butter
But the local kids would still go swimming, drinking
Despite the strange changes, the local children continued to swim and party at the lake
Saying that to them it doesn't matter
The kids didn't care about the strange occurrences at the lake
If you just hold in your breath til you come back up in full
The artist suggests that you should hold your breath until you have fully thought something through
Hold in your breath til you thought it through, you fool
The artist is urging the listener to think carefully before acting foolishly
The genius next door was busing tables
The talented person who lived nearby was working as a busboy
Wiping clean the ketchup bottle labels
The busboy was cleaning the labels off of ketchup bottles
Getting high and mumbling German fables
The genius next door was using drugs and muttering German stories
Didn't care as long as he was able
The busboy didn't care about anything as long as he was able to live his life
To strip his clothes off by the dumpsters
The genius next door liked to take his clothes off by the dumpsters for some reason
At night while everyone was sleeping
The genius would do this at night when everyone else was asleep
And to wade midway into that porridge
The busboy would halfway swim into the thick 'porridge' lake
Just him and the secret he was keeping
The genius was keeping a secret which he didn't want to reveal to anyone else
In the morning the film crews start arriving
The next morning, film crews began to arrive at the lake
With donuts, coffee and reporters
They brought food and reporters to cover the lake's strange transformation
The kids were waking up hungover
The children who had been partying at the lake were waking up with hangovers
The neighbors were starting up their cars
The people who lived near the lake were getting ready to leave
The garbageman were emptying the dumpsters
People were going about their morning routines, including the garbage collectors
Atheists were praying full of sarcasm
Even people who didn't believe in God were making sarcastic prayers
And the genius next door was sleeping
The talented person who lived nearby was still asleep
Dreaming that the antidote is orgasm
The genius was dreaming that the solution to all of their problems was an orgasm
Hold in your breath til you thought it through, you foolish child!
The singer repeats their earlier advice to think carefully before acting foolishly
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: REGINA SPEKTOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Darchangel 21
Lyrics:
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
Till you come back up in full.
Hold in your breath, till you thought it through, you fool.
The genius next door was bussing 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 dumpster
At night while everyone was sleepin'
And wade midway into that porridge
Just him and a secret he was keeping
(Chorus)
(Instrumental)
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 garbage men were emptying the dumpsters
Atheists were praying full of sarcasm
And the genius next door was sleeping
Dreaming that the antidote is orgasm
(Out Chorus)
Bloody Red Bird
My theory:
I think the song is about the difference btw children and adults. In the song, the lake turned white and thick over night. It was unbelievable and ridiculous under any circumstances, but the adults treat it as nothing, they don’t care at all. The lake symbolizes every amazing thing that happened in our lives that we are so used to that we don’t notice any more. Only the children can see it, but they are not surprised or alerted either, because it’s their everyday life.
The genius sees it as well. In the song, the genius was struggling. He was upset and angry (get drunk and busting table), and also tried to keep everything normal and in order (wiping clean the ketchup bottle label). I think the genius is an adult who still had the dream of a child, but he tried to hide it, that’s why he only goes to the lake at night secretly. He’s at rupture with himself, that’s why he committed suicide in the end.
In the lyric: “…hold in your breath, till you thought it through, you fool” or “you foolish child.” I think it’s like an exchange between the genius and the child. It’s probably that the genius was misunderstood and was viewed as a weirdo or fool (I mean who speak in german when they’re drunk). To the kids, they don’t understand the struggle of the genius. And for the genius, he was like, “wait till you grow up, you foolish child”, probably……
In the end the genius died and no one care, the world continued to move on. For the kids, their playing time is over and they have to face real life (the hangover). Whether they will grow up become other adults or become another genius, who knows?
syanide
My own interpretation of the story on this track is about a lonely, shy teenage boy who is extremely intelligent (intuitive). Although at the same time, he's going through extreme mental pain. Abuse or neglect. Either by his parents or his friends.
And the only way he's able to escape from it is through masturbation. In the lake.
Until one day, he knew that his life will possibly never be fixed. And from that point on, he goes to the lake, and
commits suicide by drowning.
The people felt bad for the boy but knew that, he was a "genius" for pleasuring himself because that was the only way out to escape his pain. But it wasn't enough and so then he kills himself.
As the metaphor, I feel like that an "orgasm" is like drowning.
In other words, like death.
KamdenIsabelYards
Only Regina Spektor can make the word 'dumpster' sound like the most beautiful and poetic word ever spoken
Wooly Cooly
dumpster ah
Ben Philon
In interviews she has stated that she herself doesn't really know what the song is about. I love her because she's one of those rare artists that leaves the meaning up to you and focuses on making hauntingly beautiful music.
Rem
The song is about whatever you want it to be about, whatever you're feeling, whatever your thoughts in depth are... It was born in Regina Spektor's world, and now it is a part of each of us.
kitkat424
What I love about this song is that you can pull out so many new meanings / things you wouldn't have thought of every time you listen to it. It's so mysterious.
clark
Genius Next Door actually makes me cry, something sad movies and literature fail to do. Regina Spektor's songs make me simultaneously sad, and yet they make me remember that life is worth living, and that I do have potential and mean something, anything at all. There is so much power in her voice and words. It's inspiring. :)
Alexander Toucan
This comment is severely underrated. I feel the same when I listen to her songs
iloveintensegum
Her voice is amazing! I love it so much! Shes such a good singer <3 love this song!
fısıltı
Wow heyy!
J Bowmer
This is beautiful, incredibly so. It's disturbing, gross and slightly melancholic roots just...somehow ADD instead of detracting. The simple way she gets her message across, yet exquisitely complicated, the way she captures the human essence...*sigh* I love Regina Spektor