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.
How
Regina Spektor Lyrics
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How can I never see you again?
There's a time and place
For one more sweet embrace
And there's a time, ooh
When it all, ooh
Went wrong
That we will meet again somehow
Oh, oh, oh, oh baby
How can I begin again?
How can I try to love someone new?
Someone who isn't you
How can our love be true?
When I'm not, ooh
I'm not over you
I guess you know by now
That we will meet again somehow
Time can come and take away the pain
But I just want my memories to remain
To hear your voice
To see your face
There's not one moment I'd erase
You are a guest here now
So baby
How can I forget your love?
How can I never see you again?
How can I ever know why some stay, others go?
When I don't, ooh
I don't want you to go
I guess I know by now
That we will meet again somehow
Time can come and wash away the pain
But I just want my mind to stay the same
To hear your voice
To see your face
There's not one moment I'd erase
You are a guest here now
So baby
How can I forget your love?
How can I never see you again?
The song "How" by Regina Spektor expresses the lingering pain and memories of a past love that the singer just cannot seem to shake off. The lyrics repeatedly question how she can forget this person's love and move on. The singer is torn between finding a way to try to love someone new and accepting that their love might not be true as long as she is still not over her ex-lover. The chorus repeats the phrase "I guess you know by now that we will meet again somehow," suggesting that the singer's hope for a reunion with her ex-lover might be the reason why she has difficulty letting go.
The verses highlight the importance of memories and how even if time can take away the pain, the desire to remember and hold on to those memories remains. The lyrics portray the ex-lover as a "guest" that still lingers in the singer's heart and mind, making it challenging to move on.
The song's tempo is slow and melodic, echoing the melancholic tone of the lyrics. The music is primarily driven by the piano and supported by strings in some parts. Regina Spektor's vulnerable and emotive vocals bring out the pain, longing, and ambivalence that characterize the emotions of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
How can I forget your love?
It's difficult for me to forget about the love that we used to share.
How can I never see you again?
I can't imagine my life without seeing you again.
There's a time and place
For one more sweet embrace
There's a certain moment in time where one more hug or kiss would be perfect.
And there's a time, ooh
When it all, ooh
Went wrong
But then there was that moment when everything went wrong between us.
I guess you know by now
That we will meet again somehow
I believe that fate will bring us together again one day.
How can I begin again?
How can I try to love someone new?
Someone who isn't you
How can our love be true?
It's hard for me to move on and try to love someone else because they won't be you and our love won't be the same.
When I'm not, ooh
I'm not over you
I still have feelings for you and haven't moved on completely.
Time can come and take away the pain
But I just want my memories to remain
To hear your voice
To see your face
There's not one moment I'd erase
While time may heal the pain of our separation, I don't want to forget the good memories we shared together.
You are a guest here now
Even though you aren't physically here, you still reside in my thoughts and memories.
How can I ever know why some stay, others go?
When I don't, ooh
I don't want you to go
I question why some relationships last while others fall apart, but in my case, I don't want us to part.
Time can come and wash away the pain
But I just want my mind to stay the same
Time may heal emotional wounds, but I don't want to forget what we shared.
You are a guest here now
You continue to have a place in my heart and mind, even though we're not together.
So baby
How can I forget your love?
How can I never see you again?
I can't bring myself to forget about the love we shared or the possibility of seeing you again.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: REGINA SPEKTOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Luis Ugas
¿Cómo puedo olvidar tu amor?
¿Cómo puedo nunca verte otra vez?
Hay un tiempo y un lugar para una dulce abrazo más
Y hay un tiempo en el que todo salió mal
Supongo que ahora ya sabes que nos volveremos a encontrar de alguna manera
¿Cómo puedo empezar de nuevo?
¿Cómo puedo tratar de amar a alguien nuevo?
Alguien que no eres tú, ¿Cómo puede nuestro amor ser verdad?
Cuando no te he olvidado.
Supongo que ahora ya sabes que nos volveremos a encontrar de alguna manera
El tiempo puede venir y quitar el dolor
Pero yo sólo quiero que mis recuerdos se mantengan
Para oír tu voz
Para ver tu cara
No hay ningún momento que borraría
Eres un invitado aquí ahora
Así que el cariño,
¿Cómo puedo olvidar tu amor?
¿Cómo puedo nunca verte otra vez?
¿Cómo voy a saber por qué algunos se quedan y otros se van?
Cuando no quiero que te vayas...
Edric Duran
How can I forget your love
How can I never see you again
There is a time and place
For one more sweet embrace
And there is a time, ooh, when it all, ooh, went wrong
I guess you know by now
That we will meet again somehow
How
Oh baby
How can I begin again
How can I try to love someone new
Someone who isn't you
How can our love be true
When I'm not, ooh, I'm not over you
I guess you know by now
That we will meet again somehow
Time can come and take away the pain
But I just want my memories to remain
To hear your voice
To see your face
There's not one moment I'd erase
You are a guest here now
So baby
How can I forget your love
How can I never see you again
How can I ever know why some stay, others go
And I don't, ooh, don't want you to go
I guess I know by now
That we will meet again somehow
Time can come and wash away the pain
But I just want my mind to stay the same
To hear your voice
To see your face
There's not one moment I'd erase
You are a guest here now
So baby
How can I forget your love
How can I never see you again
Matt Rolston
I hope you're in a better place now than you were when you wrote this.
This song speaks to me now because I'm going through divorce but along with this song, I try to listen to "On the Radio":
"This is how it works:
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
Try and love the things you took
Take that love you made
Stick it into someone else's heart
Pump in someone else's blood
You walk arm in arm
Hope it doesn't get harmed
But even if it does
you'll do it all over again"
I think that this works both ways. You trade the things you like about yourself and what they like and you become a different person, hopefully a better one for having been with that person. If they leave, take that new mix you have and find what you like now and try again.
TheAdamHawkTTV
I say this a lot... but Regina deserves so much more attention she gets. Brilliant.
Scorpius XI
Still to this day
Haiden Geary
She makes plenty of money, has gotten lots of attention. I'm not even sure why so many say this, about so many. Boggles the mind. Besides, whats it matter? Besides, its quality, never quantity.
David Walsh
I say that about KT Tunstall and Jill Sobule.
James Gandy
@MonkeyDoodleCartel mmm
R Beigh
Regina Spektor's lyrical skills are incredible - her phrasing and words are so powerfully spot on. The piano work on this song just hits you straight in the heart and takes your breath away. And who would think that just watching her irises close when exposed to the light could be so emotive? Her eye color is like the rain lashed clouds clearing after a storm. This is truly a masterpiece by a rare and fabulously talented musician.
david gustafsson
Her voice is also one of a kind
twas brillig
this comment is a masterpiece
Michaelan
I wholeheartedly agree. Mainstream music will never come close to this genuine work of art
Luis Ugas
¿Cómo puedo olvidar tu amor?
¿Cómo puedo nunca verte otra vez?
Hay un tiempo y un lugar para una dulce abrazo más
Y hay un tiempo en el que todo salió mal
Supongo que ahora ya sabes que nos volveremos a encontrar de alguna manera
¿Cómo puedo empezar de nuevo?
¿Cómo puedo tratar de amar a alguien nuevo?
Alguien que no eres tú, ¿Cómo puede nuestro amor ser verdad?
Cuando no te he olvidado.
Supongo que ahora ya sabes que nos volveremos a encontrar de alguna manera
El tiempo puede venir y quitar el dolor
Pero yo sólo quiero que mis recuerdos se mantengan
Para oír tu voz
Para ver tu cara
No hay ningún momento que borraría
Eres un invitado aquí ahora
Así que el cariño,
¿Cómo puedo olvidar tu amor?
¿Cómo puedo nunca verte otra vez?
¿Cómo voy a saber por qué algunos se quedan y otros se van?
Cuando no quiero que te vayas...