Negativland - Time Zones lyrics
<b>Time Zones</b> by <i>Negativland</i><br />
The Autonomous Komi Republic,
which is part of the Russian Federation,
is situated in the far northwest of Europe,
and spreads up to the Arctic part
of the Ural Mountains.
It's crossed by nine northern parallels.
Ten fair-sized European states
could be placed on its territory.
Besides indigenous residents
(that is, the Komi people),
there are also Russians, Ukrainians,
Nenetses, Chuvashis , and Tartars.
And now, let's go back into
history a little bit. (CLICK)
A boy lying on skins behind our backs
was turning the knobs
of a small transistor radio.
(". . . making efforts
to use radios as vehicles
of the psychological warfare.
A subversive . . . .")
And the tent was suddenly filled
with an announcer's voice
speaking Komi.
(Jane Jane Jane Jane Jane Jane Jane Jane . . .)
Then, with music from Moscow,
followed by English and French speech.
("The recording was made
at the Moscow Theatre
of Musical Miniatures.")
Now, back to modern times.
YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE.
AT THE RECOMMENDATION
OF THE INTERNATIONAL TIME BUREAU,
COMMENCING AT TWENTY-THREE HOURS,
FIFTY-NINE MINUTES,
SIXTY SECONDS UTC,
AN EXTRA SECOND WILL BE INSERTED
INTO THE NBS TIME SCALE.
THIS ADJUSTMENT IS REQUIRED
TO MAINTAIN INTERNATIONALLY COORDINATED
UNIVERSAL TIME
AS BROADCAST FROM THESE STATIONS,
IN CLOSE AGREEMENT WITH UT1,
OR ASTRONOMICAL TIME.
("WA6ODB with a question.")
"And, uh . . ."
"Do you know how many time zones
there are in the Soviet Union?"
". . . and about power . . ."
"D'you kn--"
"We got so much power now . . ."
"Do you know how many time zones
there are in the Soviet Union?"
"We got so much power now,
that it's ridiculous."
"D'you kn--
Do you know how many time zones
there are in the Soviet Union?"
". . . power,
and all that,
that's power . . . .
We got so much power,
that it's ridiculous."
"We have . . ."
". . . power,
power, power, power,
power, power now,
it's ridiculous.
We got so much power now . . ."
"Do you know how many time zones
there are in the Soviet Union?"
"It's not even funny."
"D'you kn--"
"That's ridiculous."
"Do you know how many . . ."
"It's not even funny."
"D'you kn--"
"That's ridiculous."
"Do you know how many . . ."
"That's, that's ridiculous."
"Do you know how many time z--"
"That's ridiculous.
It's not even funny."
"D'you kn--"
"It's not even funny."
"D--"
"It's not even funny."
"Do you know how many time zones
there are in the Soviet Union?"
"It's not even funny.
How many time zones?"
"Yeah. We have,
we have four in this country, right?"
(Hello?)
"How many time zones?"
"Yeah."
(Hello? Yes.)
"One, two, three . . ."
"Four in this country, right?"
"Uh, yessir."
"Mm hm."
"Uh, four . . .
One, two, three . . . yessir."
"Right."
"One, two, three . . . yessir."
"Mm hm."
(". . . .radio station, Radio Moscow")
"Uh, four . . . time zones?"
"Yeah. We have four in this country, right?"
"Uh, nosir."
"We have, we have . . ."
"Uh, yessir."
"Mm hm."
"And, uh . . ."
"Do you know how many time zones they have?"
"Uh, yessir.
Uh, four . . .
uh, nosir.
I never really studied that up."
"Eleven."
"Eleven. It's not even funny."
"Eleven."
"Eleven. That's . . . that's ridiculous."
"Eleven."
"Eleven. Well, that's what we can do.
We can go anywhere,
because we live here, we . . ."
"Yeah, but . . ."
". . . anywhere else."
"But, not only, not only
the right of free travel,
I'm saying . . . eleven."
"Eleven.
One, two, three . . . yessir."
"Mm hm. Eleven."
"Eleven."
"That's how big they are."
"Yeah. Yeah. Eleven."
(What happened to my call?)
"That's how big they are."
"Yeah. Yeah. I,
I can believe that,
I'm a firm believer in that."
"Alright."
"One, two, three . . .
uh, four . . . yessir.
One, two . . . yessir. Yessir."
"Mm hm."
(. . . Radio Moscow, 215 2101)
"The Soviet Union's
the whole half side of the world."
"Yeah."
"And we're just a little,
one little tenth
of the globe."
"Yeah."
"They, uh,
when you talk about fightin',
we're a country that, uh,
we're a firm believer on pride,
and it's called help thy neighbor,
do not kill,
do not, you know,
steal, cheat, lie from everybody.
That's why we have to have computers, because
man,
nobody is perfect.
You know?"
"Mm hm."
"It's not even funny."
"D'you kn--"
"And about power,
man,
nobody is perfect.
You know?"
"So what is your point?"
"Nobody is perfect.
You know?"
"So what is your point, Glen?"
"There's . . . there . . .
there's two things you don't talk about,
and one's politics,
and the other one's religion."
"D'y-- d'you kn--"
"The reason you don't talk about 'em
is because they combine in each other.
You know what I'm saying?"
"Do you know how many time zones
there are in the Soviet Union?"
"You know what I'm saying?"
"Don't you kid yourself.
Thanks, Glen, for the uh . . .
well, just thanks for the . . .
the good thoughts."
THIS CONCLUDES OUR TRANSMISSION TO OCEANIA.
HOWEVER, LISTENERS IN EAST ASIA
MAY CONTINUE LISTENING
ON THE FOLLOWING SHORTWAVE FREQUENCIES:
6110, 7230, 9565,
9760, 15160, AND 15425 KILOHERTZ.
