The meaning of the lyrics of the song "City Garden" (Gorsad) the performer of the song "Mikhail Krug"

Across the packed snow, laden with booze,

The boys drag girls, a coveted prize.

The girls have no choice but to comply,

And walk with unfamiliar steps, heel to toe they rise.

Where laughter and drink once flowed with ease,

Cigarette butts now litter the ground.

In the snow lie bottles, fishtails abound,

And scraps of fat can be found.

Black crows rejoice, an old man in green as well,

He's quick to scavenge, his tool a rusty nail.

A feast for all, winter's bounty they unveil.

Summer brings a different scene, a garden full of life,

Crowds gather in shady spots, seeking solace, seeking strife.

A shout of "Police!" and everything is gone,

Hidden from sight, until the next dawn.

По протоптанному снегу, с грузом "белого" спиртного, тащат девочек ребята, тащат лакомый кусок.

И девчонкам не осталось ничего уже другого, как ступать со вновь знакомым с каблука и на носок.

Там, где пили и смеялись, понатыканы окурки.

Там в снегу лежат бутылки, сало, рыбные хвосты.

Рады чёрные вороны и старик в зелёной куртке:

Тут им есть чем поживиться — тот к бутылкам "штопор сбил".

А летом — просто красота: горсад кишит людьми;

Забиты злачные места, и лишь услышим: "Милиция!" —

И сразу прячут всё, что здесь нельзя.

Mikhail Krug's song "Gorsad" (City Garden) uses seemingly simple imagery and everyday plot to deliver a powerful social commentary on the realities of post-Soviet Russia in the 1990s.

The first lines paint a bleak picture: men are dragging women through the snow, leaving a trail behind them. The women are likely unconscious after consuming alcohol ("with a load of 'white' liquor"). The phrase "tasty morsel" is a derogatory comparison, reducing women to objects for sexual gratification. The women are forced to comply ("there's nothing left for them to do"), and the image of walking "from heel to toe" could symbolize their forced removal and loss of free will.

The second stanza continues to describe the setting: an unkempt city garden, covered in snow and littered with cigarette butts, bottles, and leftovers. The atmosphere is one of desolation and despair. The appearance of "black ravens" and "an old man in a green coat" is allegorical. Ravens, feasting on carrion, symbolize decay and destruction. The old man, collecting bottles, embodies marginalized, impoverished existence, forced to survive on the vices of others.

The last stanza contrasts the winter scene by depicting summer. The city garden transforms, filled with people, but this is only a superficial gloss. The phrase "wicked places" hints at the continued sale of alcohol and possibly drugs. The appearance of the police is the only factor restraining chaos, but it's only a temporary measure. As soon as the danger passes, everything returns to its usual state.

Ultimately, "Gorsad" is not just a description of a place but a metaphor for the decline of a society that has lost its moral compass. The song exposes the ugly underbelly of the turbulent 1990s: rampant alcoholism, violence, social stratification, and indifference to the world around. Despite its outward simplicity, the song is filled with bitterness and disillusionment, forcing listeners to reflect on the price of "freedom" and the consequences of the collapse of the old world.