The basic idea behind Durutti Column’s music is to break with whatever structure supports the foundations of musical formalism, in order to try and create a kind of music which really can belong to everyone.
The Durutti Column partly derives its name from the struggle of revolutionary anarchist Buenaventura Durruti to liberate Spain during the bloody civil war of the 1930s. A legendary anarchist, he fueled a libertarian communist movement with lofty ideals and eventually led a formidable column of 6,000 men towards Zaragoza during the summer of 1936. His aim was to liberate the city, defeat Fascism and declare a free commune but his plan failed when the column became entrenched just outside the city. Later he was persuaded to go to Madrid with his men and take on Franco's Moroccan militia. During this escapade he was shot in the back.
The second source for the title comes from the activities of the Situationists Internationale in Strasbourg in 1966. In a grand gesture of anarchism they papered the walls of the city with a comic strip titled "The Return of the Durutti Column". (Note the change of spelling of Durruti's name). Vini Reilly explains: "I was always interested in the Situationists Internationale -- an anarchist group in Europe who published a book with a sandpaper cover so that it would destroy all the other books on the shelves. In the Sixties they were very radical and through their slogans, criticisms and ideas, wanted to change something. They used the title 'the Return of the Durutti Column' many times in their manifestos. So you can see that I saw the production of a very tranquil music in 1979 as an anarchic gesture!"
Party
The Durutti Column Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dreams burnt out forever
This is a party
How did I get here
This is a party
How did I get here
Always left lying slumped in a chair
Wondering why the room's so bare
Unable to leave
Turn off the light
Turn off the glare
The girl I came with
Lying drunk on the floor
I don't remember her name
It doesn't matter anymore
Still got her shoes on
She's covered in her coat
Dreams burnt out forever
Dreams burnt out forever
Abandoned to a silence
Screaming out of passion and pain
The sense of my loss
Again and again
Abandoned to a silence
Screaming out of passion and pain
The sense of my loss
Again and again
This is a party
How did I get here
[fade]
The Durutti Column's Party is a melancholic reflection of a night gone wrong. The song uses repetition, paralleled images, and vague descriptions to convey a sense of confusion, listlessness and desolation. The opening verse with "Dreams burnt out forever" repeats twice, emphasizing a sense of finality and failure. The repetition of "This is a party" and "How did I get here" adds to the feeling of disorientation and lack of control over one's life. The line "unable to leave" hints at a possible addiction or dependence on alcohol or drugs, which could also explain the sense of detachment and the inability to connect with others around them.
The second verse describes the singer's surroundings: a bare room, a drunk girl on the floor, abandoned dreams, and a sense of loss. The girl's shoes left on also suggest the casualness and emptiness of the night. The use of parallel structure and conflicting images such as "screaming out of passion and pain" creates a sense of confusion and internal turmoil. The repeating phrase "again and again" adds to the feeling of monotony and despair. The final repetition of "This is a party, how did I get here" fade out, leaving the listener with a sense of emptiness and lack of resolution.
Line by Line Meaning
Dreams burnt out forever
All of my aspirations and hopes have been destroyed and will never come to fruition
Dreams burnt out forever
All of my aspirations and hopes have been destroyed and will never come to fruition
This is a party
Despite the fact that everything is in shambles, there is still a social gathering taking place
How did I get here
I am puzzled about why I am in this situation, and I do not know how I arrived here
This is a party
Despite the fact that everything is in shambles, there is still a social gathering taking place
How did I get here
I am puzzled about why I am in this situation, and I do not know how I arrived here
Always left lying slumped in a chair
I am frequently in a state of exhaustion, and often find myself slouched in a chair
Wondering why the room's so bare
I am perplexed about the lack of objects in this space
Unable to leave
For some reason, it is difficult for me to exit this area
Unable to leave
For some reason, it is difficult for me to exit this area
Turn off the light
Please switch off the illumination in this room
Turn off the glare
Do not leave the light on, as it is too bright
The girl I came with
The woman I arrived with
Lying drunk on the floor
The woman with whom I arrived is intoxicated and collapsed on the ground
I don't remember her name
I have forgotten the woman's name
It doesn't matter anymore
It is no longer relevant or significant
Still got her shoes on
She continues to wear her footwear
She's covered in her coat
She is wrapped in her garment
Dreams burnt out forever
All of my aspirations and hopes have been destroyed and will never come to fruition
Dreams burnt out forever
All of my aspirations and hopes have been destroyed and will never come to fruition
Abandoned to a silence
I am left alone with no sound
Screaming out of passion and pain
I yell because of my emotional and physical agony
The sense of my loss
The feeling that I have lost something critical
Again and again
Repeating over and over
Abandoned to a silence
I am left alone with no sound
Screaming out of passion and pain
I yell because of my emotional and physical agony
The sense of my loss
The feeling that I have lost something critical
Again and again
Repeating over and over
This is a party
Despite the fact that everything is in shambles, there is still a social gathering taking place
How did I get here
I am puzzled about why I am in this situation, and I do not know how I arrived here
[fade]
The song's volume fades out
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC
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