Глотатель портвейна (Port WIne Swallower)

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of a figure, the "Port Wine Swallower," presented as both a tedious presence and an oddly gifted individual, capable of "flying like a fly" amidst a chaotic scene of cigarettes, cheap food, opportunistic women, and pretentious art lovers. This juxtaposition highlights a character who navigates a gritty, perhaps debauched, environment with a peculiar, almost insect-like grace, suggesting a detachment from the surrounding mess. The narrator recalls a past friendship, contrasting it with the present. There's a sense of lost connection and a pointed observation about the "Port Wine Swallower's" current, unexpected romantic pursuit. The lyrics imply a shift from intellectual pastimes like solving crosswords to a more primal, perhaps desperate, search for fulfillment, which the narrator finds ironically fulfilled in an unlikely partner, a "crone" after failing with "beautiful and slender ladies." A striking image emerges in the final verse: a collective, almost fatalistic descent. The narrator acknowledges impending pain and the futility of their actions, stating, "we'll eat all the dogs, but won't get any smarter." Yet, amidst this bleak outlook, there's a strange comfort found in the simple act of holding a glass, with each sip bringing the speaker closer to their final resting place, the "columbarium board."