CATEGORIES » MEANING OF THE SONG

The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Marathon, or Long-Distance Running" (Marafon, ili Beg na dlinnuyu distanciyu) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

I'm running, <...>, running, pounding, sliding

Along the cinder track, —

I can't eat,

I can't drink,

I can't sleep —

Not a wink.

Maybe I just want to go for a walk

At Guryev Timoshka's?

But no: I'm running, running, pounding

Along the cinder track.

And that Guinean Sam Brook

Lapped me!

And just yesterday everyone around

Was telling me: "Sam is a friend!"

Sam's one of us, they said, a Guinean friend!

My Guinean friend is really tearing it up —

The gap is getting wider.

Well, I hope that soon

I'll catch my second wind.

Then I'll look for my third, after that,

Then my fourth wind...

Well, on my fifth, I'll surely close

The distance with that Guinean!

You know, what a good friend he is!

Look: he lapped me again!

And just yesterday everyone around

Was telling me: "Sam is a friend!"

Sam's one of us, they said, a Guinean friend!

The highlight of the program — the marathon,

And it's ninety degrees out,

But he's used to the heat —

That's why he's doing so well.

I'd like to see him, by the way,

If it were minus thirty!

But now, of course, — catch him if you can!

All that's left is to curse!

You know, what a good friend he is!

Look what he's doing: he lapped me for the third time!

I need a friend like that...

What's his name again... Sam Brook!

Sam — our Guinean Brook!

Я бегу, <...>, бегу, топчу, скользя

По гаревой дорожке, —

Мне есть нельзя,

мне пить нельзя,

Мне спать нельзя —

ни крошки.

А может, как раз я гулять хочу

У Гурьева Тимошки?

Так нет: бегу, бегу, топчу

По гаревой дорожке.

А гвинеец Сэм Брук

Обошёл меня на круг!

А ещё вчера все вокруг

Мне говорили: "Сэм — друг!"

Сэм — наш, говорили, гвинейский друг!

Друг-гвинеец так и прёт —

Всё больше отставание.

Ну, я надеюсь, что придёт

Второе мне дыхание.

Потом я третье за ним ищу,

Потом — четвертое дыханье...

Ну, я на пятом, конечно, сокращу

С гвинейцем расстоянье!

А вообще, тоже мне — хорош друг!

Гляди: обошёл меня на круг!

А ещё вчера все вокруг

Мне говорили: "Сэм — друг!"

Сэм — наш, говорили, гвинейский друг!

Гвоздь программы — марафон,

А градусов — все тридцать,

Но к жаре привыкший он —

Вот он и мастерится.

Я б, между прочим, поглядел бы на него,

Когда бы было минус тридцать!

Ну, а теперь, конечно, — достань его!

Осталось — материться!

Вообще-то, тоже мне — хорош друг!

Гляди, что делает: обошёл на третий круг!

Нужен мне такой друг...

Как его — даже забыл... Сэм Брук!

Сэм — наш гвинейский Брук!

In Vladimir Vysotsky's song "Marathon, or Long-Distance Running," the lyrical hero participates in a grueling marathon. From the very first lines, one feels the tension: "I run, <...>, I run, I trample, I slide." The hero is deprived of the opportunity to rest, to regain his strength - "I can't eat, I can't drink, I can't sleep - not a crumb." The question arises: is this a run of his own free will, or is the hero forced to run, unable to stop?

The appearance of a rival, the Guinean Sam Brook, exacerbates the situation. Just yesterday, everyone called him a friend, and today he is a competitor, overtaking the hero "by a lap." In this confrontation, the hero seeks strength in his "second", "third", "fourth wind", hoping to catch up with his opponent on the fifth.

The image of Sam Brook is twofold. On the one hand, he is a "friend," on the other, a rival who evokes envy and even anger. The hero tries to find an excuse for his success: "The highlight of the program is the marathon, And the temperature is thirty degrees, But he is used to the heat - That's why he's doing so well." At the same time, he cannot hide his irritation and disappointment: "Well, there you go - some friend! Look: he's lapped me!".

The finale of the song is full of contradictory emotions: from impotent anger ("All that's left is to swear!") to an attempt to convince himself of the value of friendship, even despite defeat ("I need a friend like that... What was his name again... Sam Brook! Sam - our Guinean Brook!").

Thus, the song "Marathon" is not just a description of a sports competition, but also a metaphor for the struggle of life, full of trials, disappointments, and the search for one's own path.

More Articles
In Vladimir Vysotsky's poem "The Little Frog," the author uses an allegory to address the theme of decision-making and taking responsibility for one's choices. The little frogs, "set to guard the house," personify people who face the need to make choices in ambiguous situations
In Vladimir Vysotsky's song "The Middle Men," a satirical depiction of a battle conceals a profound philosophical subtext about the nature of human conformity and the price of mediocrity.The poem contrasts three types of people, embodying different models of behavior in society
In his song "Lukomorye No More," Vladimir Vysotsky doesn't simply retell the familiar images of Pushkin's poem. Instead, he creates a satirical parody of Soviet reality
Vladimir Vysotsky's song "Twenty Thousand Horsepower Crammed into Machines.
Vladimir Vysotsky's song "The Steam Engine Flies Through Valleys and Hills.
In his song "Life Flew By," Vladimir Vysotsky paints a portrait of a lyrical hero who has walked a difficult life path, full of hardship, wandering, and dangerous adventures. The hero is a collective image of a person hardened by harsh realities, surviving repression, deportation, and deprivation
Feedback: mail@wikimeaning.com
Privacy Policy
Disclaimer
About Wikimeaning