The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Road story" (Dorojnaya istoriya) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

I grew tall and handsome -

Thanks to my mother and father.

I lived in harmony with people,

Never bossed anyone around.

I walked with my back straight,

Lived my life as it was,

And used my head to help myself.

I wandered and came home,

With years behind me.

The years hang on me - not to be thrown away or sold.

But I got a boss who was a eager recruiter:

And I started driving trucks beyond the Urals.

The road, and on the road a MAZ truck, stuck up to its ears,

Darkness in the cabin, my partner has been silent for three hours.

I wish he'd at least shout - it's infuriating,

Five hundred kilometers back, five hundred forward, and he's drumming "Sabre Dance" with his teeth.

We both knew the route, that this MAZ was expected at the construction site.

And our job: he got in, we drove off - night, all night long.

Well, of course it had to happen on New Year's Eve: five hundred back, five hundred forward, honking in vain, a blizzard, and no one to help.

"Turn off the engine," he says. "Let this MAZ burn in hell." He says, "You see for yourself - there's nothing left to do here."

"You see for yourself: five hundred all around, and by nightfall it will be completely snowed in - it will bury it so deep, there'll be no need for a funeral."

I answer: "Don't be a fool!"

And he reaches for a wrench,

And looks at me like a wolf:

He can be really tough sometimes.

And what does he care: five hundred all around,

And whoever survives,

Will prove who was right when they come to get us.

He was closer to me than family: he ate from my hand. And here he is, looking into my eyes - and I feel a chill down my spine.

And I realized, five hundred all around, and who will figure it out later,

that he forgot who I am to him and who he is to me.

And he went off somewhere to the side.

I let him go and lay down myself.

I had a dream about our little adventure.

As if there were five hundred all around again, and I'm looking for a way out of the gate - but there is none: there's only an entrance, and even that's not the right one.

The ending is simple: a tow truck arrived, and there was a cable, and there was a doctor, and the MAZ ended up where it was supposed to be.

And he came back, all shaken up,

And there's another long trip ahead.

I don't hold grudges.

I'll take him with me again.

Я вышел ростом и лицом -

Спасибо матери с отцом.

С людьми в ладу,

Не понукал, не помыкал.

Спины не гнул, прямым ходил,

И в ус не дул, и жил как жил,

И голове своей руками помогал.

Бродяжил и пришёл домой,

Уже с годами за спиной.

Висят года на мне - ни брость, ни продать.

Но на начальника попал, который бойко вербовал:

И за Урал машины стал перегонять.

Дорога, а в дороге МАЗ, который по уши увяз,

В кабине тьма, напарник третий час молчииит.

Хоть бы кричал - аж зло берёт

Назад пятьсот, пятьсот вперёд, а он зубами "танец с саблями" стучит.

Мы оба знали про маршрут, что этот МАЗ на стройках ждут.

А наше дело: сел, поехал - ночь, полночь.

Ну, надо ж так под Новый год: назад пятьсот, вперёд пятьсот, сигналим зря, пурга и некому помочь.

Глуши мотор он говорит. Пусть этот МАЗ огнём горит. Мол, видишь сам - тут больше нечего ловить.

Ну, видишь сам: кругом пятьсот, и к ночи точно занесёт- так заровняет, что

не надо хоронить.

Я отвечаю: "Не канючь!"

А он за гаечный за ключ,

И волком смотрит:

Он вообще бывает крут.

А что ему: кругом пятьсот,

И кто кого переживёт,

Тот и докажет кто был прав, когда припрут.

Он был мне больше, чем родня: он ел с ладони у меня. А тут глядит в глаза -

и холод на спине.

И понял я, кругом пятьсот и кто там после разберёт,

что он забыл кто я ему и кто он мне.

И он ушёл куда-то вбок.

Я отпустил, а сам прилёг.

Мне снился сон про наш весёлый наворот.

Что будто вновь кругом пятьсот, ищу я выход из ворот - но нет его: есть только вход и то не тот.

Конец простой: пришёл тягач, и там был трос, и там был врач и МАЗ попал куда положено ему.

И он пришёл, трясётся весь,

А там опять далёкий рейс.

Я зла не помню.

Я опять его возьму.

English:

Vladimir Vysotsky's song "Road Story" tells the story of a difficult situation faced by two truck drivers during a long-haul journey. Stuck on a roadless terrain amidst a snowstorm, the heroes are confronted not only with harsh natural conditions but also with a serious test of their friendship and human qualities.

The lyrical hero, from whose perspective the story is told, appears as a simple, straightforward, and hardworking man. He is used to achieving everything through honest means, without humiliating himself or resorting to tricks. He sees his partner primarily as a friend, with whom he shares not only the hardships of the road but also a piece of bread.

However, the extreme situation reveals the true nature of his partner. Faced with danger, he panics and is ready to abandon the truck and his friend to their fate, just to save his own life. The cruelty and selfishness that his partner suddenly displays shock the lyrical hero. He cannot believe that the man he considered closer than family is capable of such betrayal.

Nevertheless, the hero does not hold a grudge against his partner. He understands that fear can break even the strongest person. That is why, at the end of the song, he is ready to embark on another journey with him.

"Road Story" is not just a story about an incident on the road; it is a philosophical reflection on true friendship, loyalty, and forgiveness. It makes one think about the importance of remaining human in any, even the most difficult, situation.