The Calculation
Regina Spektor Lyrics
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Got yourself another hour and gave
Half of it to me
We sat their looking at the faces
Of the strangers in the pages
Until we knew them mathematically
They were in our minds
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 our calculation
Perfect love
Didn't even know
That love was bigger
Didn't even know
Didn't even know that love was so, so
Hey hey hey hey
Hey this fire, hey this fire
I'm burning us up
Hey this fire, hey this fire
I'm burning us
Oh, oo oo oo, oo oo oo oo
So we made the hard decision
And we each made an incision
Past our muscles and our bones
Our hearts were little stones
Pulled 'em out they weren't beating
And we weren't even bleeding
As we lay them on our 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 til they sparked
Hey this fire, hey this fire
I'm burning us up
Hey this fire, hey this fire
I'm burning us up
Hey this fire, hey this fire
I'm burning us
Oh, oo oo oo, oo oo oo oo
Oo oo oo oo oo oo
In "The Calculation," Regina Spektor sings abouyt a relationship that’s built on a weak foundation, consisting of mere math and statistics rather than true love. The first verse describes two individuals who are looking at a book full of strangers and getting to know them "mathematically". They're spending time and effort on it, but it's meaningless - they're only seeing these people on paper, with no real connection or love.
In the second verse, they make their own computer out of macaroni and rely on it to do all of their thinking while ignoring their own feelings. It even counts their emotions and divides them evenly, leading them to believe that they have found the answer to perfect love. However, their ignorance of what love really is leads them down a dangerous path, as they burn themselves up by making a hard decision (possibly regarding their relationship) and ripping their hearts out.
The fiery metaphor in the chorus of the song suggests that they're burning themselves up in the choice that they've made. While they had no idea that love was bigger than what they thought it was, they have now realised the magnitude of what they've lost.
Line by Line Meaning
You went into the kitchen cupboard
You took some time for yourself to think and reflect
Got yourself another hour and gave
You were generous with your time and shared it with someone else
Half of it to me
You split your time evenly with the other person
We sat their looking at the faces
We observed the people in the pages of a book or magazine
Of the strangers in the pages
We were reading about people we didn't know
Until we knew them mathematically
We analyzed the patterns of their behavior to understand them
They were in our minds
We thought about them frequently
Until forever
We thought about them for a long time
But we didn't mind
We enjoyed having them in our thoughts
We didn't know better
We didn't realize that this wasn't a healthy way to interact with the world
So we made our own computer
We created a mental model of reality to make sense of it
Out of macaroni pieces
We used whatever tools and resources we had available
And it did our thinking
We relied on our mental model to make decisions
While we lived our lives
We went about our daily routines
It counted up our feelings
Our mental model attempted to quantify emotions
And divided them up even
We tried to make sense of feelings by putting them into categories
And it called our calculation
Our mental model labeled this process
Perfect love
We thought we had found a formula for love and happiness
Didn't even know
We were unaware of the true nature of love
That love was bigger
Love is a more complex and mysterious concept than we thought
Didn't even know
We were naive and ignorant
Didn't even know that love was so, so
We underestimated the depth and power of love
Hey hey hey hey
Transition to a new part of the song
Hey this fire, hey this fire
Our misguided approach to love and life is destructive
I'm burning us up
Our mental model is causing harm to ourselves and others
So we made the hard decision
We realized we needed to change our approach
And we each made an incision
We underwent a personal transformation
Past our muscles and our bones
We transcended our physical selves
Our hearts were little stones
Our hearts had become hardened and closed off
Pulled 'em out they weren't beating
Our hearts had become numb and lifeless
And we weren't even bleeding
We were still alive despite this transformation
As we lay them on our granite counter top
We examined our hearts to understand them better
We beat 'em up against each other
We challenged our own beliefs and assumptions
We struck 'em hard against each other
We were relentless in our pursuit of growth and self-awareness
We struck 'em so hard, so hard til they sparked
Our hearts were rekindled with passion and energy
Oo oo oo oo oo oo
Transition to the final part of the song
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: REGINA SPEKTOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind