30 Minutes
t.A.T.u. Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Mama, Papa
Forgive me

Out of sight
Out of mind
Out of time
To decide
Do we run?
Should I hide?
For the rest
Of my life

Can we fly?
Do I stay?
We could lose
We could fail

In the moment
It takes
To make plans
Or mistakes

30 minutes, a blink of an eye
30 minutes, to alter our lives
30 minutes, to make up my mind
30 minutes, to finally decide

30 minutes, to whisper your name
30 minutes, to shoulder the blame
30 minutes, of bliss, thirty lies
30 minutes, to finally decide

Carousels
In the sky
That we shape
With our eyes

Under shade
Silhouettes
Casting shade
Crying rain

Can we fly?
Do I stay?
We could lose
We could fail

Either way
Options change
Chances fail
Trains derail

30 minutes, a blink of an eye
30 minutes, to alter our lives
30 minutes, to make up my mind
30 minutes, to finally decide

30 minutes, to whisper your name
30 minutes, to shoulder the blame
30 minutes, of bliss, thirty lies
30 minutes, to finally decide

To decide
To decide, to decide, to decide

To decide
To decide, to decide, to decide





To decide

Overall Meaning

The above song, "30 Minutes" by t.A.T.u. is a song that explores the idea of making quick decisions that could alter our lives completely. The song begins with the guilt-ridden lyrics "Mama, Papa, forgive me," which sets the stage for the singers' internal struggle. They feel like they have to make a choice and have only thirty minutes to do so, and the consequences of their decision could haunt them forever. The song is a conversation between two lovers who are questioning their future together, whether they should take the risk or play it safe. The lyrics "Can we fly? Do I stay? We could lose, we could fail" show their fear of taking the chance.


The song's structure is interesting because it breaks down the thirty minutes into a series of decision-making moments. The lyrics "In the moment it takes to make plans or mistakes" highlight how time is fleeting, and we need to make choices before it's too late. The chorus repeats the statement "30 minutes, to finally decide," emphasizing the pressure to make a decision.


The song paints a somber picture of love that is intense and fleeting, and the singers know that their time is running out. They use various imagery to describe the situation, including "Carousels in the sky that we shape with our eyes" and "under shade, silhouettes casting shade, crying rain." These poetic elements give depth to the song and make it more than just a pop tune.


Line by Line Meaning

Mama, Papa
Addressing one's parents as a gesture of seeking forgiveness


Out of sight
Something that is not visible or apparent to the eye


Out of mind
An object or thought that is not present in one's conscious awareness


Out of time
The absence of sufficient remaining time within which to complete a task or make a decision


To decide
To settle on a conclusion or course of action after careful consideration


Do we run?
Asking if it's better to escape or avoid a difficult situation


Should I hide?
Questioning the merits of withdrawing or pretending nothing's wrong


For the rest
For the remainder of a lifetime or future situation


Of my life
The entirety of one's time on earth


Can we fly?
Asking if the opportunity to escape or rise above a situation exists


We could lose
Admitting the possibility of failure, misfortune or defeat


We could fail
Acknowledging the risk of not succeeding or falling short of a goal


In the moment
During a specific instance or brief period of time


It takes
The amount of time or effort needed to accomplish something


To make plans
To devise a strategy, outline, or course of action


Or mistakes
An action or decision that proves to be incorrect or misguided


30 minutes, a blink of an eye
A metaphorical measure of time that is incredibly brief


30 minutes, to alter our lives
A short period of time that can radically influence our future


30 minutes, to make up my mind
The amount of time that one has to decide on a matter of great importance


30 minutes, to finally decide
The period in which one must come to a decision or conclusion


30 minutes, to whisper your name
The length of time it takes to say someone's name in a hushed manner


30 minutes, to shoulder the blame
The duration one might need to accept responsibility for a mistake or misdeed


30 minutes, of bliss, thirty lies
The time it takes to embrace or experience fleeting pleasure, followed by a lengthy period of deceit


Carousels
Merry-go-rounds, a symbolic representation of life's ups and downs


In the sky
Up above, beyond our reach or control


That we shape
A metaphorical concept that our thoughts and imaginings help to mold reality


With our eyes
Suggesting that what we perceive and acknowledge helps to create our world


Under shade
Beneath a covering, shelter or hideout


Silhouettes
The outline, shape or contour of an object against a contrasting background


Casting shade
A metaphor that suggests obscuring, hiding or covering something


Crying rain
A description of a heavy, sorrowful downpour of raindrops


Either way
Regardless of the choice or outcome, it still has a significant impact


Options change
The possibilities open to one shift or diminish over time


Chances fail
The likelihood of succeeding at something is reduced or eliminated


Trains derail
A reference to the potential for disaster or chaos to ensue when something goes awry


To decide
Reiterating the need to settle on a clear course of action


To decide
Underlining the importance of making the right choice


To decide
Emphasizing the gravity of the decision at hand




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IVAN SHAPOVALOV, SERGEY SASUNIKOVICH GALOYAN, MARTIN KIERSZENBAUM, VALERIJ POLIENKO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@shrek_428

The title 30 minutes has an even deeper meaning, especially considering where the world is heading nowdays. 30 minutes is how long an intercontinental ballistic missile takes to get from Russia to the United States. 30 minutes to contemplate your life, the world, and how they both are about to end....Follow the english lyrics, it's eerie when you include this possibility.
Out of sight
Out of mind
Out of time
To decide
Do we run?
Should I hide?
For the rest
Of my life
Can we fly?
Do I stay?
We could lose
We could fail
In the moment
It takes
To make plans
Or mistakes

[Chorus]
30 minutes a blink of an eye
30 minutes to alter our lives
30 minutes to make up my mind
30 minutes to finally decide
30 minutes to whisper your name
30 minutes to shoulder the blame
30 minutes of bliss, thirty lies
30 minutes to finally decide
[Verse 2]
Carousels
In the sky
That we shape
With our eyes
Under shade
Silhouettes
Casting shade
Crying rain
Can we fly?
Do I stay?
We could lose
We could fail
Either way
Options change
Chances fail
Trains derail

[Chorus]
30 minutes a blink of an eye
30 minutes to alter our lives
30 minutes to make up my mind
30 minutes to finally decide
30 minutes to whisper your name
30 minutes to shoulder the blame
30 minutes of bliss, thirty lies
30 minutes to finally decide
To decide
To decide, to decide, to decide
To decide
To decide
To decide
To decide
To decide
To decide



@romaary7972

Out of sight, out of mind
Out of time to decide
Do we run? Should I hide
For the rest of my life?

Can we fly? Do I stay?
We could lose, we could fail
In the moment it takes
To make plans or mistakes

30 minutes, the blink of an eye
30 minutes to alter our lives
30 minutes to make up my mind
30 minutes to finally decide
30 minutes to whisper your name
30 minutes to shoulder the blame
30 minutes of bliss, 30 lies
30 minutes to finally decide

Carousels in the sky
That we shape with our eyes
Under shade silhouettes
Casting shade, crying rain

Can we fly do I stay
We could lose, we could fail
Either way, options change
Chances fail, trains derail

30 minutes, a blink of an eye
30 minutes to alter our lives
30 minutes to make up my mind
30 minutes to finally decide
30 minutes to whisper your name
30 minutes to shoulder the blame
30 minutes of bliss, 30 lies
30 minutes to finally decide

To decide
To decide, to decide, to decide
To decide
To decide
To decide
To decide
To decide



All comments from YouTube:

@stevenmckinney9924

I miss this band so passionately... their videos, their songs, everything about them... absolutely wonderful duo...

@Toma13578

What happened whit them

@acecha05

@@Toma13578 A lot, including the fact they lost a lot of fans when they were outed for having a fake lesbian relationship for fame.

@Leading23

@@acecha05 Who exposed it? Firstly, they said that they were straight in 2001)) There are many early interviews in which this image was discussed. In Russia, absolutely everyone knew that they were not lesbians). The group collapsed when its main creator, the ideological inspirer Shapovalov, got thoroughly hooked on drugs. And the girls left him. Yulia also completely lost her voice. In general, the band broke up for objective reasons.

@acecha05

@@Leading23 Yeah, I heard of the drugs. Only thing I disagree with you here is nobody knew they were not lesbians, maybe in Russia, here in the states they did not know. Everyone I knew felt duped when it became common knowledge that it was just an act. I do not know who outed them, maybe they outed themselves. I just know for a bit there the fans were angry as hell. My niece straight broke their CD in half lol.

@Leading23

@@acecha05 The fact is that the girls have been saying from the very first day that they are not lesbians. But no one listened to them. It's been 21 years, people are still surprised that they are not lesbians)) I feel sorry for the girls, they are constantly negative, also from the fans. They didn't deserve it. Yulia has a daughter aged 18)) I.e. her daughter is already 4 years older than her mother when she starred in the video <All the things she said>. Yulia was 14 years old at the time of shooting the video)

10 More Replies...

@SatansWerewolf

I always thought the song was about only having 30 min to decide if the girl was going to run away with her lover or not, but this video makes the song way darker than I'd ever imagined.

@LovinFunIntegrales

in Russian everything is clearer, they translated that very badly

@FadedMxstery

For this song, it’s implied that Julia's character was in a relationship with one of the lovers on the carousel and committed murder-suicide as a result of Lena's or the boy's infidelity, although it could also have been unrequited love for either of them.

@chriztianwennersten4154

This video still gets to me. It is profoundly deep and tragic.

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