The Karelia formed from the ashes of rock/jazz band The Blisters, with Huntley, Alan Wylie, and Glen Thomson of the earlier band joined by Greek drummer Tassos Bobos. Their sound has been described as "prog/techno rock with Iggy-voxed overtones", and "jazzy film-noir lo-fi."
The band's only album, Divorce At High Noon, was released in 1997 on Roadrunner Records to little acclaim. Produced by Bid of The Monochrome Set,[1] it was an off the wall mix of rock and jazz trumpet with unusual lyrics. The final song, "Garavurghty Butes", was completely freestyle with improvised lyrics and musical arrangement. The band did not tour and were unknown outside Glasgow. Very few copies of the album sold (literally hundreds) and the band split in 1998 after contributing to an EP for the Guided Missile label.
Upon the huge success of Franz Ferdinand fans began to exchange originals of Divorce at High Noon for £50-£100. Because of this, the album was re-released in February 2005. It featured all of the previous album and two bonus tracks.
The band's name derives from the same named Greek tobacco industry "Karelia". It is also an area in Northern Europe divided between Russia and Finland.
Exaggeration
The Karelia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But But I don't resole
I see you longing
For your romantic memories.
My patience cannot last
As I see you recreate the dunning(?) of your past
As caricatures to emulate.
Oh, I take my sweet little minutes
I cannot recall others
I throw my guts in buckets
As I try to lose I try to
I take my shots in dribbles
I sniff in baked soda
I like to stroke my
As I try to lose exaggeration.
To bloom
I am a twisted memory
Who does not what he's done
And is not what he used to be.
Another one
Is dreaming
Of someone who is gone
To bring me to my twisted jealousy.
The Karelia's song Exaggeration contains lyrics that depict a complex relationship where one person is trying to move forward and forget the past, but the other person seems to be stuck in their romantic memories. The first verse talks about how the singer made the other person come, but they don't resolve, implying that there is still tension between them. The following lines express the singer's observation of the other person longing for their romantic memories, which can be inferred as the reason why they are still holding back.
The second verse is where the singer's patience starts to wear thin as they see the other person recreating their past experiences and turning them into caricatures to imitate their past selves. The use of the word dunning is unclear, but it could be interpreted as a misspelling of either "dawning" or "dazzling," both of which can add to the idea that the other person is trying to recapture a moment of their past. However, their attempts only end up being exaggerations.
The chorus talks about how the singer takes their own time to move on and tries different methods, such as taking shots in dribbles and sniffing baked soda, to help forget the past. They also like to stroke their, which could mean different things, but in this context, it could be a reference to calming oneself down or taking time to reflect. They want to lose the exaggeration, which could be interpreted as the other person's tendencies to create distorted versions of their past, but the singer seems to be finding it difficult.
Finally, the last verse talks about how there is another person dreaming of someone who is gone, implying that the other person is still holding onto someone from their past. This other person is causing the singer's twisted jealousy, but it is unclear whether they are jealous of the other person's past love or the other person themselves. The overall meaning of the song is that it is difficult to move on when someone is still holding onto their past, and sometimes it takes more than just time to forget.
Line by Line Meaning
I made you come
I was the one who initiated this relationship.
But I don't resole
However, I am not willing to mend or fix any problems that may arise.
I see you longing
I notice that you yearn for something.
For your romantic memories.
Specifically, it seems to be for the romantic memories you have from the past.
My patience cannot last
I am quickly losing my patience.
As I see you recreate the dunning(?) of your past
Especially as I watch you try to recreate the events of your past.
As caricatures to emulate.
Doing so in a way that almost seems like you are copying exaggerated versions of yourself.
Oh, I take my sweet little minutes
I prefer to take my time and move slowly.
I cannot recall others
I am not very good at remembering other things or people.
I throw my guts in buckets
I am putting forth a lot of effort.
As I try to lose I try to
I am attempting to lose something, perhaps an addiction or bad habit.
I take my shots in dribbles
I am cautious and take things one step at a time.
I sniff in baked soda
I am looking for something that is not actually there.
I like to stroke my
I enjoy self-indulgence.
As I try to lose exaggeration.
Even though I am trying to change, I still have a tendency to exaggerate things.
To bloom
I want to grow and change for the better.
I am a twisted memory
However, I recognize that I have a complicated and convoluted past.
Who does not what he's done
In fact, I am not entirely sure of everything I have done myself.
And is not what he used to be.
I have changed significantly since my past experiences.
Another one
There is someone else.
Is dreaming
They have dreams and desires.
Of someone who is gone
But unfortunately, that person is no longer present in their life.
To bring me to my twisted jealousy.
This fact is causing me to feel a sense of jealousy or envy, despite my own complicated past.
Contributed by Matthew T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.