The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Lieutenant's birthday party at the "Berlin" restaurant" (Den rojdeniya leytenanta milicii v restorane «Berlin») the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

Spend a day in a policeman's shoes -

Life will seem the other way around.

Let's drink to those who are in the MUR, -

To those in the MUR, no one drinks.

And at the next table - a company,

And at the next table - fun, -

And she doesn't pay any attention to me,

Her neighbor is bombarding her with Yesenin.

Spend a day in a policeman's shoes -

Life will seem the other way around.

Let's drink to those who are in the MUR, -

To those in the MUR, no one drinks.

I understand that Tamara has a mind,

That she has a diploma and aspirations, -

And I poured vodka into the aquarium:

Drink, fish, to my birthday!

Spend a day in a policeman's shoes -

Life will seem the other way around.

Let's drink to those who are in the MUR, -

To those in the MUR, no one drinks...

Побудьте день вы в милицейской шкуре -

Вам жизнь покажется наоборот.

Давайте выпьем за тех, кто в МУРе, -

За тех, кто в МУРе никто не пьет.

А за соседним столом - компания,

А за соседним столом - веселие, -

А она на меня - ноль внимания,

Ей сосед ее шпарит Есенина.

Побудьте день вы в милицейской шкуре -

Вам жизнь покажется наоборот.

Давайте выпьем за тех, кто в МУРе, -

За тех, кто в МУРе никто не пьет.

Понимаю я, что в Тамаре - ум,

Что у ей - диплом и стремления, -

И я вылил водку в аквариум:

Пейте, рыбы, за мой день рождения!

Побудьте день вы в милицейской шкуре -

Вам жизнь покажется наоборот.

Давайте ж выпьем за тех, кто в МУРе, -

За тех, кто в МУРе никто не пьет...

Vladimir Vysotsky's song "A Police Lieutenant's Birthday at Restaurant Berlin" tells a story of bitter loneliness of a man in uniform, whose profession casts a shadow even on his personal life.

Contrast and irony:

From the very first lines, the author uses contrast, juxtaposing the holiday and the everyday life of a policeman: the restaurant "Berlin" with its merriment and ease is alien to the lyrical hero - a police lieutenant who, even on his birthday, cannot shake off the burden of responsibility. The phrase "Spend a day in a policeman's shoes - Life will seem the other way around" is a direct appeal to the listener, an invitation to empathy. The hero seems to be saying: you don't know what it's like to live in constant tension, to see the seamy side of life, to face crime.

The tragedy of the profession:

The repetition of the phrase "Let's drink to those who are in MUR - To those who don't drink in MUR" is a bitter irony. Police officers fighting crime cannot afford to relax, because people's lives depend on their sobriety and vigilance. The image of "MUR" (Moscow Criminal Investigation Department) is symbolic: it represents a world of danger and risk, a world where there is no place for idleness and frivolity.

Love line and existential crisis:

The song also has a love line - the hero is unrequitedly in love with a girl named Tamara ("I understand that Tamara has a mind, That she has a diploma and aspirations"), who is passionate about another. This motif emphasizes the loneliness and alienation of the lieutenant: he is alone not only in his profession, but also in his personal life. Pouring vodka into the aquarium with the words "Drink, fish, for my birthday!", the hero seems to admit his defeat, his inability to break the vicious circle of loneliness and hopelessness.

The final:

The finale of the song is cyclical, it brings us back to the initial motive. The lieutenant again proposes a toast "to those who are in MUR", but this repetition no longer sounds ironic, but a tragic realization of his fate, the impossibility of breaking out of the vicious circle of the profession, which has become both a vocation and a curse.