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.
The Flowers
Regina Spektor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And still I refuse to throw them away
Some of the bulbs never opened quite fully
They might so I'm waiting and staying awake
Things I have loved I'm allowed to keep
I'll never know if I go to sleep
Regina the paperback mummy
What then?
I'm taking the knife to the books that I own
And I'm chopping and chopping and boiling soup from stone
Things I have loved I'm allowed to keep
I'll never know if I go to sleep
Things I have loved I'm allowed to keep
I'll never know if I go to sleep
The lyrics in Regina Spektor's song, The Flowers, suggest a sense of regret, confusion, and uncertainty that comes with holding onto things that are no longer useful or alive. The rotting flowers symbolize a faded love or relationship that the singer refuses to let go of, even though they are causing discomfort and pain. She holds out hope that some of the bulbs may still bloom, but in doing so, she is sacrificing her own happiness and well-being as she stays awake, fixated on the possibility of something that may never come to fruition.
The piles of papers and books that surround her further illustrate her sense of feeling trapped and overwhelmed, as if suffocating beneath her own thoughts and memories. She takes a knife to her books and boils soup from stone as if trying to extract something valuable from them, yet in doing so, she is destroying the very things that were meant to offer her knowledge and joy.
Overall, the song speaks to the complexities of human emotion and our tendency to hold onto things that no longer serve us. It is a poignant reflection on the pain, longing, and hope that comes with letting go of the past and moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
The flowers you gave me are rotting
The love and emotions that you bestowed on me are slowly withering away
And still I refuse to throw them away
I still cling onto the memories of our intimate moments together and refuse to move on
Some of the bulbs never opened quite fully
Our relationship had potential, but it never fully blossomed or came to fruition
They might so I'm waiting and staying awake
I'm holding onto hope that things may change, so I'm staying awake and vigilant for any chance at reconciliation
Things I have loved I'm allowed to keep
I have the right to hold onto the memories and emotions of our past relationship
I'll never know if I go to sleep
But if I let go and move on, I will never have the chance to see what could have been
The papers around me are piling and twisting
The chaotic mess around me reflects the turmoil in my mind and the weight of my emotions
Regina the paperback mummy
I feel suffocated and trapped by my thoughts and fears, like I've been wrapped up in a cocoon of my own making
What then?
I don't know how to move forward from here or what my future holds
I'm taking the knife to the books that I own
I'm proactively trying to clear out the clutter in my life and let go of the things that no longer serve me
And I'm chopping and chopping and boiling soup from stone
Although it's a difficult and painful process, I'm trying to create something new and nourishing out of the remnants of my past
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: REGINA SPEKTOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind