The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Mishka Shifman" (Mischka Schifman) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

Mishka Shifman's a clever guy -

He's got a sixth sense, you see.

"What do we even see," he sighs,

"Besides the bloody telly?

You watch Sopot, eat their dust,

While anyone, it's true,

Can just waltz in, no fuss, no must,

And make aliyah, it's a zoo!

Mishka told me on our way

To Mnevniki, with a sly grin,

"I caught Golda Meir today,

Broadcasting from within!"

And such stories he did tell,

So vivid and so grand,

I almost booked myself a cell

In Tel Aviv's promised land!

I wasn't even drunk, not yet,

But twice I did protest:

"Moshe Dayan, I'll never forget,

That one-eyed, lying pest!

Aggressive beast, a Pharaoh through and through,

Where there's aggression, I steer clear, it's true."

Then Mishka, fueled by vodka's might,

Fell into an ecstatic state:

"They kicked us out, it's our birthright,

From Egypt's grand estate!

This insult, I cannot let slide,

I crave redemption's dawn,

To wash away the shame and hide,

Since the day that Christ was born!"

He grabbed my chest, eyes full of fire,

"I need a friend, come on, let's go!

We're not just saying 'hi' and 'bye',

This is a journey, don't you know!

Let's walk, as pilgrims, hand in hand,

Our earthly cares we'll quell,

Who needs Mnevniki, this land?

We're going straight to Israel!"

"I'm with you," I said, "through thick and thin,

You saved me at the port that day.

But there's a snag, a tiny sin,

My passport says I'm here to stay.

Russian blood runs in my veins,

My great-granddad, a Samarin bold,

And anyone else who joined our chains,

Was Tatar, so I've been told."

Don't doubt Mishka, he's the real deal,

No room for doubt, it's plain to see,

Every branch of his family tree

Boasts Jewish roots, it's how they feel.

His granddad, paralyzed and worn,

A doctor labeled as a blight...

While I'm surrounded, every morn,

By antisemites, day and night!

Then Mishka, the doctor, fell quite still,

"Israel's full of them, it's true,

Gynecologists alone could fill

A stadium, it's a zoo!

No room for dentists, not a chance,

Too many begging for a seat,

Where can they find enough patients to dance?

It's unemployment, can't be beat!"

"To hell with it!" Mishka cried with pain,

"A visa or a watery grave!

We're going, Kolya, to the main

Event, the Israeli wave!"

Seeing his friend consumed by woe,

And knowing well his dangerous mood,

I took a swig and said, "Let's go!

Adventure calls, I'm in the mood!"

...A queue stretched long, a hundred strong,

To reach the office, filled with dread,

They told Mishka, "No, you're in the wrong,"

But waved me through, "Come on ahead."

He yelled, "There's been a huge mistake!

I'm Jewish, can't you see?"

They said, "Not quite, for goodness sake!

Now get out, and let us be!"

Mishka's tormented, wracked with doubt,

"Who is this foe, unseen, unknown?"

The answer's simple, there's no way out,

The reason's clear, and his alone:

I'm in the clear, touch wood, it's true,

While Mishka drinks his sorrows deep,

He says they didn't let him through

Because of Column Number Five, he weeps.

Мишка Шифман башковит -

У него предвиденье.

Что мы видим, - говорит,-

Кроме телевиденья?

Смотришь конкурс в Сопоте -

И глотаешь пыль,

А кого ни попадя

Пускают в Израиль!

Мишка также сообщил

По дороге в Мневники:

Голду Меир я словил

В радиоприемнике...

И такое рассказал,

До того красиво!-

Что я чуть было не попал

В лапы Тель-Авива.

Я сперва-то был не пьян,

Возразил два раза я -

Говорю: Моше Даян -

Сука одноглазая,-

Агрессивный, бестия,

Чистый фараон,-

Ну, а где агрессия -

Там мне не резон.

Мишка тут же впал в экстаз -

После литры выпитой -

Говорит: Они же нас

Выгнали с Египета!

Оскорбления простить

Не могу такого,-

Я позор желаю смыть

С Рождества Христова!

Мишка взял меня за грудь:

Мне нужна компания!

Мы ж с тобой не как-нибудь -

Здравствуй-до свидания,-

Побредем, паломники,

Чувства придавив!..

Хрена ли нам Мневники -

Едем в Тель-Авив!

Я сказал: Я вот он весь,

Ты же меня спас в порту.

Но одна загвоздка есть:

Русский я по паспорту.

Только русские в родне,

Прадед мой - самарин,-

Если кто и влез ко мне,

Так и тот - татарин.

Мишку Шифмана не трожь,

С Мишкой - прочь сомнения:

У него евреи сплошь

В каждом поколении.

Дед параличом разбит,-

Бывший врач-вредитель...

А у меня - антисемит

На антисемите.

Мишка - врач, он вдруг затих:

В Израиле бездна их,-

Гинекологов одних -

Как собак нерезаных;

Нет зубным врачам пути -

Слишком много просится.

Где на всех зубов найти?

Значит - безработица!

Мишка мой кричит: К чертям!

Виза - или ванная!

Едем, Коля,- море там

Израилеванное!..

Видя Мишкину тоску,-

А он в тоске опасный,-

Я еще хлебнул кваску

И сказал: Согласный!

...Хвост огромный в кабинет

Из людей, пожалуй, ста.

Мишке там сказали нет,

Ну а мне - пожалуйста.

Он кричал: Ошибка тут,-

Это я - еврей!..

А ему: Не шибко тут!

Выйди, вон, из дверей!

Мишку мучает вопрос:

Кто тут враг таинственный?

А ответ ужасно прост -

И ответ единственный:

Я в порядке, тьфу-тьфу-тьфу,-

Мишка пьет проклятую,-

Говорит, что за графу

Не пустили - пятую.

In the song "Mishka Shifman", Vysotsky uses irony and satire to tell the story of two friends: Mishka Shifman, obsessed with the idea of emigrating to Israel, and the lyrical hero, who treats this idea with humor.

Mishka Shifman is a collective image of a Soviet Jew gripped by the "emigration fever" that emerged in the USSR in the 1970s. He idealizes Israel, ignoring its real problems ("What do we see," he says, "Besides television?"). Mishka firmly believes that Israel is a "promised land" where he is awaited with open arms, and pays no attention to the fact that "I caught Golda Meir on the radio."

The lyrical hero, on the contrary, has a more sober view of things. He does not share Mishka's enthusiasm and points out the illogicality of his arguments ("Aggressive, a beast, A pure Pharaoh - Well, where is the aggression - There is no reason for me"). However, seeing his friend's obsession and wanting to help him, he agrees to go to Israel with him.

The culmination of the song is the scene at the OVIR (Visa and Registration Department), where Mishka, contrary to his expectations, is denied an exit visa, and the lyrical hero unexpectedly receives one. This absurd plot twist emphasizes the unpredictability and absurdity of the Soviet system, which is guided not by logic and common sense, but by its own, often unclear, criteria.

The ending of the song leaves a bitter aftertaste. Mishka, having not received a visa, tries to find an explanation for what happened, blaming everything on the "fifth line" (nationality) in his passport. The lyrical hero, who received a visa but lost a friend, is forced to accept this situation.