The meaning of the lyrics of the song "The Ballad of the Short Neck" (Ballada o korotkoy schee) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

A commander, at any given time,

Should be short-necked, it is no crime:

With chest close to the chin you see,

And back beginning at the nape, you'll be.

Upon a short and sturdy base,

The head sits firmly in its place -

Much harder to be strangled then,

And lassoes will not cause you pain.

But they stretch their necks up high,

And stand up on their tiptoes, nigh:

To see ahead more clear and far,

To look above the heads they are.

But then you're just a sitting duck,

Though distant light your eyes may pluck -

An unsteady pose, a foolish thing,

Your neck exposed, inviting string.

And any wicked soul around

Will count the bones that there abound -

You see afar, yet miss what's near,

Unsafe it is to live with neck so clear.

This parable of Eastern lore

An aged aksakal did pour.

"Even fairy tales here bear a sting" -

I thought, my own neck measuring.

Полководец - с шеею короткой

Должен быть в любые времена:

Чтобы грудь - почти от подбородка,

От затылка - сразу чтоб спина.

На короткой незаметной шее

Голове удобнее сидеть, -

И душить значительно труднее,

И арканом не за что задеть.

А они вытягивают шеи

И встают на кончики носков:

Чтобы видеть дальше и вернее

Нужно посмотреть поверх голов.

Все, теперь ты - темная лошадка,

Даже если видел свет вдали, -

Поза - неустойчива и шатка,

И открыта шея для петли.

И любая подлая ехидна

Сосчитает позвонки на ней, -

Дальше видно, но - недальновидно

Жить с открытой шеей меж людей.

Вот какую притчу о Востоке

Рассказал мне старый аксакал.

"Даже сказки здесь - и те жестоки", -

Думал я - и шею измерял.

In his "Ballad of a Short Neck," Vladimir Vysotsky employs allegory to address conformity and its cost. The poem contrasts two types of individuals: those "with a short neck" and those who "stretch their necks."

"Short neck" symbolizes submissiveness, conformity, and an unwillingness to see beyond one's nose. Such people are convenient for those in power ("much harder to strangle"), posing no threat ("nothing for a noose to catch"). They prefer not to stand out, blindly following the rules, even if it means sacrificing their individuality and conscience.

"Stretched neck," on the contrary, embodies the pursuit of knowledge, independent thinking, and the desire to see the world as it is, even if it involves risk. Such people are dangerous to any authoritarian regime because they see further, think critically, and are not afraid to speak their minds.

Vysotsky does not idealize the "long-necked." He acknowledges that their openness makes them vulnerable ("posture - unstable and shaky," "neck open for the noose"). In a world where evil reigns ("vile viper"), "to live with an open neck" is perilous. But even recognizing the risks, the lyrical hero seems to choose a "long neck" because "one sees further," though "shortsightedly."

The final lines add another layer to the poem's interpretation. The "old aksakal's" tale of the East's cruelty can be interpreted as an allegory for a totalitarian society where individuality is suppressed. By "measuring his neck," the lyrical hero is not simply checking a physical feature but making a moral choice: to live "keeping his head down" or to take a risk for the sake of truth and freedom.