How Soon Is Now? by t.A.T.u. Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Anthem of Alienation
Lyrics
Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar
I am the son and the heir
Of nothing in particular
You shut your mouth
How can you say
I go about things the wrong way?
I am human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does
I am the son and the heir
Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar
I am the son and the heir
Of nothing in particular
You shut your mouth
How can you say
I go about things the wrong way?
I am human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does
There’s a club if you like to go
You could meet somebody who really loves you
So you go and you stand on your own
And you leave on your own
And you go home, and you cry
And you want to die
When you say it’s gonna happen now
What exactly do you mean?
See I’ve already waited too long
And all my hope is gone
You shut your mouth
How can you say
I go about things the wrong way?
I am human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does
A throbbing guitar riff, a haunting chorus, and a sense of existential dread weave together to form a tapestry of angst in t.A.T.u.’s cover of ‘How Soon Is Now?’. Originally penned by The Smiths, t.A.T.u.’s rendition carries a weight of its own, rife with the angst and raw energy that permeated early 2000s pop music.
It’s a tale of longing, a cry for recognition in a world that often closes its ears to the quietest voices. But what does this reinterpretation by the Russian duo add to the song’s rich history? We dive beneath the surface to find the ache in its verses and the hope between its lines.
The Echo of Vulnerability in a Shout
The repetition of ‘I am the sun and heir’ isn’t merely a lyric; it’s a declaration. While t.A.T.u. sings of grandeur as the sun, the ‘heir of nothing in particular’ paints an image of an identity crisis. It showcases a universal fear of insignificance and the dread of not living up to one’s own or society’s expectations.
The criminal ‘vulgarity’ of shyness suggests a world that penalizes the timid, revealing a deeper societal critique. t.A.T.u. channels this frustration through their melodically charged angst, a resonating force with legions of fans who find solace in their shared vulnerability.
The Solitary Cry for Connection
Humanity’s basic need to be loved serves as the centerpiece of ‘How Soon Is Now?’. t.A.T.u.’s iteration takes this universal longing and casts it against the backdrop of the post-Soviet era — a time fraught with seeking identity amid cultural upheaval.
The demand, ‘You shut your mouth, how can you say I go about things the wrong way’, is both defensive and pleading. It calls for understanding, refusing condemnation, emphasizing the fundamental right to seek and maintain connection.
The Ominous Underbelly of Club Culture
This song paints a painfully lonely portrait of the club scene, a place designed for togetherness that instead morphs into an arena of isolation. t.A.T.u.’s delivery underscores the hollowness of such spaces, intensified by their cultural context of post-Soviet Russia, where Western club culture was a burgeoning novelty.
The ‘club’ becomes a metaphor—a labyrinth where one navigates hopes and reality, connectedness, and alienation. The stark narrative of going alone, leaving alone, and the aftermath encapsulates the soul-crushing cycle of seeking but not finding.
The Visceral Line That Defines an Era
Among the memorable lines of this song, ‘I’m a human and I need to be loved, just like everyone else does’, is an achingly raw nerve that pulses throughout the track. It encapsulates the emo zeitgeist of the early aughts, yet feels timeless in its candid human cry.
It’s a line that transcends the t.A.T.u. cover, resonating through the dissonant chords to find a home in the hearts of anyone who’s ever felt sidelined, less-than or misunderstood. It’s the universal appeal to be seen, to be accepted, with all our imperfections and idiosyncrasies.
Adrift in Translation – The Hidden Context
The power in ‘How Soon Is Now?’ lies not only in the literal, but also in what’s lost in translation — from The Smiths’ original English angst to t.A.T.u.’s Russian-infused rendition. It’s the layers of cultural reinterpretation that add to the song’s dense tapestry of meaning.
A Russian act tackling this Western anthem brings forth nuances that evoke the complexities of a generation looking westward for identity while grappling with their own heritage. This duality of embracing and challenging cultural norms is embedded within the cover, imbuing it with fresh, powerful subtext.
