Song Meaning

The narrator wants to invite someone to dinner but is broke, lamenting that "Index and honor - can't be eaten." This sets up a stark contrast between the desire for a shared meal and the harsh reality of financial limitations. The immediate emotional tone is one of frustration and a touch of desperation, amplified by the plea, "I'm normally hungry." This financial struggle is compounded by social pressures, as friends refuse to lend money, demanding repayment first. The lyrics highlight a persistent tension: "Love and money still trouble us." The narrator expresses a lack of appetite for the mundane, rejecting the idea of cheap street food like "sausages under Grandka" in favor of a more cultured, yet unattainable, experience. The chorus ingeniously uses literary classics as currency. The narrator suggests that a few bad poets could afford an appetizer, two volumes of Shakespeare would provide soup, and a schnitzel from the Čapek brothers would be a main course, with Leo Tolstoy as dessert. This satirical exchange underscores the disconnect between intellectual wealth and material poverty, humorously pointing out that while literature is abundant, actual funds are scarce. The repeated plea, "Mr. Main Course, give us our change!" reinforces this ironic situation. Ultimately, the lyrics reveal a deep appreciation for the classics, not just as art, but as a source of imaginative sustenance. The narrator finds solace and a form of fulfillment in the books from their father's library, suggesting that in the absence of material means, the richness of literature provides a unique, albeit non-edible, form of nourishment. This appreciation for "classics from my father's library" offers a poignant resolution to the dinner dilemma.