The meaning of the lyrics of the song "It was a time for drunken lads." (Byilo vremya dlya rebyat pyanyih) the performer of the song "Mikhail Krug"

It was a time for drunken boys, and the "Express" cafe was hot.

I was just a kid then, and Vityok Bazanov gave me his guitar.

I remember him entering the dark hallway in his slippers, looking at his feet...

That's how I remember him now, God willing, he outlived many.

Time passed, slipped away, someone drank themselves to death, foolishly withered away.

But you need so little in life: a home, a plant, a son and a mom.

To go to the bathhouse with steam on Sovetskaya Street, but it's hard to squeeze in there with a basin - it's cramped.

And then, in the circle of old friends, I would continue my song...

Было время для ребят пьяных, и кафе "Экспресс" давал жару.

Мне, юнцу ещё, Витёк Базанов подарил тогда свою гитару.

Помню, он входил в подъезд тёмный в своих шлепанцах, смотря в ноги...

Я его таким сейчас помню, дал бы Бог, так пережил многих.

Было время, но прошло, скралось, кто-то спился да зачах сдуру.

Но ведь надо в жизни так мало: дом, растение и сын с мамой.

На Советской в баньку бы с паром, да трудно с тазом там пролезть — тесно.

И потом в кругу друзей старых я продолжил бы свою песню...

In Mikhail Krug's song "There Was a Time for Drunken Guys," the lyrical hero nostalgically describes a period of his youth. The lines "There was a time for drunken guys, and the cafe 'Express' was hot" take us to the atmosphere of a carefree youth filled with fun, meeting friends, and perhaps the first steps into the world of music.

The image of Vitya Bazanov, who gave the hero a guitar, symbolizes mentorship, the transfer of experience from the older generation to the younger. The detail "he entered the dark entrance in his slippers, looking at his feet" creates an image of a simple person, perhaps tired of life, but at the same time sincere and generous.

The phrase "God grant that he outlived many" sounds like a bitter reflection on the transience of time and the inevitability of loss. In the following stanzas, the author contrasts the past with the present: "There was a time, but it passed, crept away, someone drank too much and withered away foolishly." Here comes the motive of disappointment, unfulfilled hopes.

However, the song is not saturated with hopelessness. The lyrical hero finds solace in the simple joys of life: "But you need so little in life: a house, a plant, and a son with your mother."

The final lines "I'd go to the bathhouse on Sovetskaya Street for a steam, but it's hard to get through with a basin - it's cramped. And then, in the circle of old friends, I would continue my song..." bring us back to the theme of friendship and continuity of generations. Despite the hardships and losses, the hero believes in the power of human connection and finds solace in memories of the past.