The meaning of the lyrics of the song "About the city of Kalinin" (O gorode Kalinine) the performer of the song "Mikhail Krug"

So much diverse information every day - all kinds of executions, shadows on the fence:

There, someone will be offended in front of everyone, here they yell under the window until midnight.

And it would be good for the people of Kalinin to know about all this - it's impossible to write about everything in our press,

And besides, it's all different nonsense: who was taken, who was taken, how and where.

Chorus:

Rumors are going around the city: They say our jeans are not in fashion.

Jeans are sewn in Kalinin, only they don't wear out, but tear.

They dug up our native Tverskoy Prospekt, because a bad person

Worked there carelessly, as we say, with his sleeves down.

But this is not the only inconvenience: they also dug up 'Chaikovsky Street'.

A year ago, they laid all the asphalt again, and now the pipes have rotted - well, things happen!

Chorus:

Well, what is there to be surprised about: Everything should break down.

How to find out what happened, what was hidden from the people of Kalinin.

Fire safety measures were not taken in our 'super grand hotel' 'Seliger':

It caught fire on the fourth floor - there was no flame, but smoke was already pouring out.

Who set it on fire, what the hell, - here's a disaster! - the foreign tourist threw a cigarette butt and went to bed.

They come here from capitalist countries to drink vodka - we need to check them all for alcohol.

Chorus:

Well, don't we have enough of them? Every second one is an alcoholic.

Stores fulfill the plan, but what's the point, they only pull on vodka.

Well, don't we have enough of them? Every second one is an alcoholic.

Stores fulfill the plan, but what's the point, they only pull on vodka.

Сколько разных информации каждый день — экзэкуций всяких, теней на плетень:

Там кого-то оскорбят при всем честном, здесь орут до полуночи под окном.

А калининцам про всё бы это знать — в нашей прессе невозможно всё писать,

Да к тому же ведь о разной ерунде: кто забрал, кого забрали, как и где.

Припев:

Слухи по городу ходют: Наши, мол, джинсы не в моде.

Джинсы в Калинине шьются, только не трутся, а рвутся.

Перерыли наш родной Тверской проспект, потому что нехороший человек

Проработал там тяп-ляп да трын-трава, как мы скажем, опустивши рукава.

Но ведь это неудобство не одно: и "Чайковского" разрыли заодно.

Год назад асфальт ложили весь снова, а теперь ведь трубы сгнили — ну, дела!

Припев:

Ну, а к чему удивляться: Всё ведь должно поломаться.

Как же узнать, что случилось, что от калининцев скрылось.

Не приняли противопожарных мер в нашем "суперграндотеле" "Селигер":

Загорелся на четвёртом этаже — пламя не было, а дым валил уже.

Кто поджёг, какого черта, — вот напасть! — интурист окурок бросил и лёг спать.

Понаедут тут с капстран водку жрать — надо их на алкоголь всех проверять.

Припев:

Ну, мало у нас этих, что ли? Каждый второй — алкоголик.

План магазины, да что там, только лишь тянут на водке.

Ну, мало у нас этих, что ли? Каждый второй — алкоголик.

План магазины, да что там, только лишь тянут на водке.

In his song "About the City of Kalinin," Mikhail Krug uses irony and bitterness to depict life in a provincial Soviet city (Kalinin is the former name of Tver).

The first verse paints a picture of information overload, where gossip and rumors ("all sorts of executions, shadows on the wattle fence") overshadow real events. The author hints at censorship in the press ("it is impossible to write everything in our press"), which limits itself to publishing insignificant incidents ("who took, who was taken, how and where").

The chorus, built on a play on words ("sewn – torn"), ridicules the low quality of local goods, in this case, jeans, which were in short supply and a symbol of Western culture.

The second verse describes the inconvenience associated with constant repair work ("They dug up our native Tverskoy Prospekt... and 'Chaykovsky' was also dug up"). The author ironically remarks on irrationality and mismanagement ("A year ago, the asphalt was laid all over again, and now the pipes have rotted – well, well!").

The third verse addresses the topic of the fire at the Seliger Hotel and makes fun of the stereotype of drinking foreigners ("a foreign tourist threw a cigarette butt and went to bed... to drink vodka"). The chorus repeats the idea that alcoholism is a common problem ("Every second person is an alcoholic").

Overall, the song "About the City of Kalinin" is a satirical look at Soviet reality, where everyday problems, shortages, alcoholism, and indifference are hidden behind outward well-being.