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This song was originally written as a solo composition and interlude - the intention was a 2-minute long electronic extravaganza of drum machines and synths, and nothing more. Obviously, something went terribly wrong and it turned into a good song! I am very proud of the Daft Punk-esque middle section, which features one of the most intense drum-related moments on the record - was great fun to play. The arpeggios were inspired mostly by the song "Night Moves" by synthpop artist Roosevelt. Derick's "wall of sound" keyboard solo really improves the section. At the last minute Sid added the intro guitar and piano melody and the entire track suddenly felt fresh and varied, and the arrangement was changed slightly to incorporate his contributions.

Thematically, Paean of Praise is about Nikolai Yezhov, Stalin's bulldog and leader of the NKVD secret police, argued to be responsible for the deaths of millions in the Great Purge. In December 1937 the Russian newspaper Ogonek published a poem titled "Song of Batyr Ezhov" (batyr meaning hero) by Kazakhstan's "national poet", Dzahmbul Dzhabaev.

Stalin's faithful and devoted friend,
Before whom enemies tremble in fright.
He does not betray his love for the native land.
The country knows him as its best friend.
Spies and sworn enemies dream about him,
Always with a bare slicing sword

I praise the hero, who sees and hears
How the enemy, who creeps upon us in the dark, breathes.
I praise the courage and strength of the hero
Who strikes the courage and strength of the hero
Who strikes the enemies with an iron hand.
I praise batyr Ezhov, who
Dug up and wiped out the snakes' lairs,
Who stood up, threatening the winged enemies,
To guard the country and its harvest.
Be forever decorated with the Lenin order,
Our sharp-sighted guardian of factories and fields,
And let my song carry throughout the world
Universal glory to our native batyr

Yezhov called Dzhambal the "country's best poet" and said, "I have been brought up by Stalin and the party of Lenin and Stalin. I have served it, do serve it, and will serve it until the end of my days." After presiding over mass arrests and executions in the Great Purge, Yezhov soon fell out of favour with Stalin. He was arrested on April 10, 1939 as an "enemy of the people" due to "wrecking", incompetence, theft of government funds, treasonous collaboration with German spies (none of which were supported by evidence), as well as sexual promiscuity and homosexuality, which he dismissed as "based on the fantasies of the investigators". Yezhov was tortured and confessed to his crimes but quickly maintained that his confession had been lies; he denied being a conspirator and preferred "death to telling lies". He maintained his love for Stalin until the end. Yezhov was shot in the basement of a prison built for his own victims, and subsequently all traces of his presence were removed from the Soviet Union.

The sample in the synth arpeggio break is spoken by Molotov, one of Stalin's other top officials, who worked often with Yezhov.