"In order for the mood to become more Russian down there
He's gotten his hands on a Russian ballet dancer
She dances the polka in a traditional manner
Then he gives her a hundred bucks to make her shut up until next Friday
Yes, the mood in Marcello's basement is impeccable!
You're disgusting and sweaty when you leave it!
And if you can't stand the distance
You can't be part of the resistance!
Halleluja! (repeated)
You have to dance the ompa 'til you die!"

First we are told that Marcello wants an authentic Russian mood in the basement, by employing a ballet dancer to dance traditional polka, and that he pays her not to tell anyone about what's going on down there. In the last part of the verse, we are told, that if we can't handle the pressure (i.e. don't dare play russian roulette" we can't be part of "the resistance". The Resistance is also the name of the album, and from this, one can paint their own picture of what "the resistance" is - from what we are told in this song, it is a group, possibly of terrorists or vigilantes, which require their members to risk their life every Friday in a game of Russian roulette.

The very last lines of the song a repeated "you have to dance the ompa 'till you die" is a reference to another song of the same album; "Ompa til du dør".

"Here, people play Russian roulette each Friday,
And this Sunday it will host a confirmation.
Mrs. Conradas has given a clear message; this Sunday at twelve o'clock
She doesn't want to see a single drop of blood.
But Marcello is a fine man when he's drinking,
It's his wine, his ladies and his dance
He's a charming man and there is no one like him
Everything and everyone in that basement belongs to him.
Halleluja! (repeated)"

Now we are given the information that the basement hosts russian roulette parties, and that Christian confirmation parties are also held down there, which is ironic, as the two are almost opposites of each-other. A lady, known only as Mrs. Conradas, has told Marcello that there must be no blood in the basement when the confirmation begins. In the last part of this verse we are told about Marcello; he is a fine man, he's charming and he owns everyone and everything in the basement, and hints that he is probably a gangster.

"There is a staircase which leads into a basement
It's so narrow that you have to climb it sideways
And on the walls there's plenty of pictures
Of people who've gone down there, but none will see again.
Because Marcello's basement is no ordinary basement
There's been 100 men down there at once
There's a table in the middle of the floor, on the table is a revolver
On it is written "Made in Hong Kong".
Halleluja! (repeated)"

This first verse serves as a teaser for the listener; it merely describes the setting of the song; Marcello's basement. It mentions that there are pictures on the walls around the staircase, with people no one will see again, and furthermore mentions that there is a gun on a table in the middle of the room, hinting at criminal activity.

"Look at you now, look at you now. Look at you now, look at you now. With one foot in the grave you disappear, go, go, go! Ah, I know you so well. You could've been a diamond but instead you are coal, now go!"

"You must check that the oven is burning before you feel safe. With an angel on your shoulder and a devil on your back. Leap through the forest and a graveyard gate. You can catch a train, but jump forward. You could shine as much as a diamond, but you wanted to be burnt coal."

"No officer, please let me stay! It's easy for you to send in a voluntary soldier, but who should take care of my wife and child?" "170, do you understand?! 170, I'm waiting for an answer!"

The narrator mentions to his officer (or is thinking, this is not clear) that he does not want to fight, as his family will be left without a caretaker if he dies. The officer however, orders him into the field. 170 refers to the number of the narrator, a symbol of the lack of value that human lives have in the army.

"Thank God for the field medics, because they sew together private and general. The day came, I was waiting for signals. I got my last order from the highest of commands, and he screamed: "170, go, is that understood?!"

The narrator mentions how happy he is for the medics, and how they treat the injuries of everyone, no matter how respected their title is. Then one day, he mentions that a commandeering officer orders him to go out to fight.

"It was night, it was day, and night again. I wrote letter after letter, but I never got a letter back. Half a year with shots and open wounds. Half a year, dear God, time passes so slowly."

The narrator refers to his time in the army, being nothing but shooting and injuries, and that the days seemed to flow in and out of each-other. He also says that he wrote letters (presumably home), but that he never received any letters back. It is unknown, if he received no letters because his wife never wrote to him, or because he was simply never given the letters by the commanders in his squad.

"Relax, I'll be back soon. You know I'll be paid adequately. I'm volunteering as soldier. When I'm going in the field, I'll be a dad."

The narrator is saying his goodbyes to his wife, before volunteering as a soldier for a fair amount of money. His wife is pregnant, and by the time he will be fighting the enemy, his wife will have given birth to their child.

And it had become known,
that I carried a document,
of a such character,
that they arrested me,
and interrogated me.
The police, the police, the police.
They arrested me and interrogated me, the police.

It was late
And I was on my way
All the way from Germany to Poland.
They wanted to know everything I've heard
And everything I've heard.