Regina Spektor: Genius Next Door Meaning

Genius Next Door Lyrics

Some said the local lake had been enchanted

others said it must have been the weather

the neighbors were trying to keep it quiet

but I swear I could hear the laughter

so they jokingly nicknamed it the porridge

cause overnight that...

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   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   May 20th 2014 !⃝

   I believe that the song is about what it sounds like it's about- the Genius next door.
   In a small town there is a lake where teenagers go to party, and many of them hook-up in the lake- "So they joked and they nicknamed it 'the Porridge' 'cause overnight that lake had turned as thick as butter"- the boys came in the lake, which of course the adults thought was inappropriate- "the neighbors were trying to keep it quiet".
   
   In that town there was a teenaged outcast, whom was never invited to the parties because he was poor- " The genius next door was busing tables, wiping clean the ketchup bottle labels"- he had to support his family. But because nobody tried to talk to him they didn't know how intelligent and amazing he was- "Getting high and mumbling German fables"- he had turned to drugs.
   The genius was jealous of all the other teens, so when everybody was gone he would go to the lake- "To strip his clothes off by the dumpsters At night while everyone was sleeping
   And to wade midway into that porridge."
   
   But truly the genius is lonely and has to support his family and can't the weight on his shoulders, so he commits suicide in a way that seems fitting- in the lake(If you just hold in your breath til you come back up in full Hold in your breath til you thought it through)Which Regina blames on his being young (you foolish child),so he believes now he gets the attention he dreamed for-"In the morning the film crews start arriving
   With donuts, coffee and reporters and",when in reality everthing goes on as it was-"The kids were waking up hungover, the neighbors were starting up their cars, The garbageman were emptying the dumpsters"- and since the lake will become taboo and no one will want to hook-up in it, he won't miss any more of the parties, which also does not happen (since the kids still wake up hungover from their parties).
   But even though nothing happened as he hoped, one thing does happen- his Orgasm ("And the genius next door was sleeping, dreaming that the antidote is orgasm"), which is actually a
   metaphor for 'release' from his previous life and the burdens included in it.
2. anonymous

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   Aug 28th 2014 !⃝

   I had always thought the genius was a teenage boy, and he was a creature in german folklore, and whenever he went into water he magicly turned into this being. i had always thought he was part nolk ( a european water shapeshifting monster) "he gets high mumbling german fables" is one line of regina spektor's and then i made the connection, that was his secret, the lake wasnt enchanted he was. Just a crazy/ out there thought.
3. anonymous

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   Jun 30th 2014 !⃝

   In a town there are people, the 'neighbors' who want to keep everything strange quiet. For example, the town's lake has some strange things happen to it, but the neighbors just laugh about it but try to keep it a secret all the same.
   There is a person in this town who is literally a genius, but because of society and the neighbors, they have to pretend to be normal. Instead of being the creative, smart, individual they are, they are condemned to bust tables and wipe ketchup bottle labels like another boring, non-extraordinary person. But at night, the genius next door goes to the lake because there they are allowed to be free, and do whatever they want. No one knows about it because it's the only time they are allowed to be unrestricted.
   But then the night's over, and the morning comes and another boring day starts. Once the day starts, the genius is back to being just another normal person.
4. anonymous

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   Jan 18th 2012 !⃝

   Its about a lake that is "magic" because when a male goes swimming in it and holds his breath long enough he orgasms. the genius goes to the lake and tries this again only this time he drowns

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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