The Stranglers — Vladimir and Olga

Twas a hot September, the hottest I can remember We took the children in the larder, and headed for the warm climbs of Odessa I'd worked hard the whole season Olga portrayed a tiredness which she strove to conceal We stopped at an inn and took some lunch - some simple fare of cheeses and borshch The bread tasted strange - Olga mentioned to me the old wives tale of 'bread mould madness' I laughed and ate, and ate and laughed The food did me good, the beer refreshed my dusty brow It was as we reached Odessa that I started to feel The strangest mood descend over me from nowhere The sky changed colour; Vehicles on the road were a funfair It struck me as being incredibly funny That we four were in a tin can Hiding ourselves from the cruel, harsh, alien world outside I stopped the car in the middle of the intersection in the centre of Odessa And stepped outside to dance and laugh at the insignificance of our ordered lives The traffic built up and Odessa saw it's largest Most confused and contorted traffic jam and I started to laugh I laughed and laughed until I cried and cried; I cried and cried until I laughed and laughed I laughed and laughed until I cried and cried; I cried and cried until I laughed and laughed...