Lyrics Time Zones - Negativland

Time Zones

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 9 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, Ukranians, Nenetzes, Tchubashis, and Tartars
And now, let’s go back into history a little bit.
(shortwave radio turns on) 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.
(«Jam, jam, jam, jam, jam, jam…
«) 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
(beep)
«Your attention, please: At the Recommendation of the international time bureau,
commencing at 23 hours 59 minutes 60 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 this station,
in close agreement with UT1, or astronomical time.»
(«WA6O-DB, 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’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’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.»
«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.»
«It's not even funny.»
«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.)
«Four in this country, right?»
«Uh, yessir.»
«Mm hm.»
«Uh, four … 1, 2, 3 … yessir.»
«Right.»
«1, 2, 3 … 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.
1, 2, 3 … 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.»
«1, 2, 3 … uh, four … yessir.
1, 2 … yessir.
Yessir.»
«Mm hm.»
(I need 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.»
«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’s, there’s two things you don’t talk about: one’s politics,
the other one’s religion.»
«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, 15 160, and 15 425 kilohertz
(shortwave dial spinning)