"Cinco Minutos Con Vos" is a song by Elvis Costello and The Roots. The title translates to "Five Minutes With You" in English. The song tells a story through its lyrics. The song starts with the narrator standing on the curb, trying not to disturb the dark carnival crew and a glittering voice. There is a sense of anticipation in the air as someone in the distance tells them to rejoice because the casualties are few. It sets a mysterious and slightly eerie atmosphere. The narrator then contemplates the idea of letting someone loose, perhaps from some sort of confinement. However, they realize that the key won't work in unlocking the lock. The face of the clock seems to mock them, as if time is passing by while they remain stuck in these five minutes with someone. As the song transitions into Spanish, the lyrics mention the narrator's father and how he knew something important. He whispers to the narrator to go to Montevideo and wait for him there. The narrator wonders how to begin this journey and acknowledges that they are always being listened to, perhaps indicating a sense of surveillance or paranoia. The sirens lament the plague they encounter, and bullets falling from the sky threaten to make the narrator disappear. The dimming searchlights offer little hope in this dark and uncertain world. The Spanish lyrics create a sense of urgency and danger. The song then transitions back to English, with the propeller droning, and the narrator waking up alone. They are thrown through a door and descend into a silver space, surrounded by blue. Someone who was waiting for them doesn't know what they've been through in these five minutes. The lyrics suggest a connection or longing for someone, but circumstances prevent them from being together. The lyrics mention the earth being scattered and years of tears being wiped out. The colors will fly, and the wind will cry, as the narrator is strapped to a mast, knowing that this fleeting moment wouldn't last for five minutes with the person they desire. There is a sense of loss and longing in the final lines of the song. Overall, "Cinco Minutos Con Vos" tells a story of anticipation, confinement, danger, and longing. The lyrics create a moody atmosphere with elements of mystery and a touch of romance.
