The meaning of the lyrics of the song "My friend went to Magadan." (Moy drug uehal v Magadan) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

My friend has gone to Magadan.

Hats off, hats off!

He went alone, he went alone,

Not to the camps, not to the camps.

It's not that my friend was unlucky,

Not to spite anyone,

Not for the rumour that he's a fool,

But just because, just because.

Someone might say: "It's a mistake!

How can he give up everything?

After all, there are only camps,

And in them are murderers, in them are murderers!"

He will answer: "Don't believe the rumours.

There are no more of them there than in Moscow."

Then he'll pack his suitcase -

And to Magadan, and to Magadan.

If I were not too old -

I would have jumped off the train at night, -

But I'm not going to Magadan,

Leaving my habits, breaking the shackles.

I will sing to the sound of the strings

About what he will see,

About what I have never seen in my life, -

About Magadan, about Magadan.

My friend went of his own accord,

He's had enough, he's had enough.

He will not be beaten by the guards,

He's a volunteer, he's a volunteer.

And my destiny is given to me by God...

Or maybe I should go to Magadan too,

Leave with my friend together

And lie low, and lie low.

Мой друг уехал в Магадан.

Снимите шляпу, снимите шляпу!

Уехал сам, уехал сам,

Не по этапу, не по этапу.

Не то чтоб другу не везло,

Не чтоб кому-нибудь назло,

Не для молвы, что, мол, чудак,

А просто так, а просто так.

Быть может кто-то скажет: - Зря!

Как так - решиться всего лишиться?

Ведь там сплошные лагеря,

А в них убийцы, а в них убийцы!

Ответит он: - Не верь молве.

Их там не больше, чем в Москве.-

Потом уложит чемодан -

И в Магадан, и в Магадан.

Не то чтоб мне не по годам, -

Я б прыгнул ночью из электрички, -

Но я не еду в Магадан,

Забыв привычки, закрыв кавычки.

Я буду петь под струнный звон

Про то, что будет видеть он,

Про то, что в жизни не видал, -

Про Магадан, про Магадан.

Мой друг поехал сам собой,

С него довольно, с него довольно.

Его не будет бить конвой,

Он - добровольно, он - добровольно.

А мне удел от бога дан...

А, может, тоже в Магадан

Уехать с другом заодно

И лечь на дно, и лечь на дно.

Vladimir Vysotsky's song "My Friend Went to Magadan" carries a multifaceted meaning, reflecting the spirit of the time and the internal struggle of the lyrical hero.

Freedom of Choice and Escape from the System: The main motive is the pursuit of freedom, an escape from ordinary life, which the lyrical hero associates with limitations and suffocation. Magadan, a harsh region associated with labor camps and exile, becomes a symbol of an anti-world, a space free from imposed rules and norms. The friend leaves "not by stage", "not for the sake of rumor", but "just because" - this is his conscious choice, a challenge to routine and dullness.

Romance of the Unknown and Thirst for Change: The song has a romantic motive – a craving for the unknown, for adventures. Magadan attracts with its severity, its dissimilarity to the familiar world. The lyrical hero admires the friend's courage, his willingness to take risks, to start living by his own rules.

Contrasting Myth and Reality: Vysotsky breaks down stereotypes about Magadan as a purely tragic place. The friend objects to the common opinion: "There are no more of them than in Moscow" – showing that evil and violence are inherent not only in remote areas but also in everyday life.

Internal Struggle of the Lyrical Hero: In the last verses of the song, a motive of envy and a desire to follow his friend appears. The lyrical hero feels constrained by circumstances ("And my fate is given to me by God..."), but dreams of a similar act, of "laying low", that is, starting a new life, free from old habits and conventions.

Thus, the song "My Friend Went to Magadan" is not just a story about a trip, but a philosophical reflection on the freedom of choice, on the search for one's place in life, on the desire to break free from the ordinary.