The meaning of the lyrics of the song "My metrics are stored somewhere in the archives." (Moya metrika gde-to v arhive hranitsya) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

My birth certificate’s somewhere in the archives,

And the archive in ‘41 near Minsk burned down.

So maybe I’m twenty, or maybe I’m thirty,

Well, and for a birth month, I chose April.

In April the sun blazes down,

In April — on the first — everyone lies.

And after April comes May,

And in May they love, and in May they drink.

My mother died in ‘43 in Kaluga,

Who my father was, maybe even my mother didn’t know.

I chose my place of residence in the south,

And we don’t get to choose our final resting place.

In April the sun blazes down,

In April — on the first — everyone lies.

And after April comes May,

And in May they love, and in May they drink.

Моя метрика где-то в архиве хранится,

А архив в сорок первом под Минском сгорел.

Так что, может, мне двадцать, а может быть тридцать,

Ну, а месяц рожденья я выбрал апрель.

В апреле солнце припекает,

В апреле — первого — все врут.

А за апрелем май бывает,

А в мае любят, а в мае пьют.

Мать моя умерла в сорок третьем в Калуге,

Кто отец мой, быть может, не знала и мать.

Место жительства я себе выбрал на юге,

А места притыченья не нам выбирать.

В апреле солнце припекает,

В апреле — первого — все врут.

А за апрелем май бывает,

А в мае любят, а в мае пьют.

The poem "My Birth Certificate Is Kept Somewhere in the Archives" by Vladimir Vysotsky features a lyrical hero reflecting on his life, fate, and search for his place in the world. The text is filled with irony, bitterness, and a touch of cynicism, characteristic of Vysotsky's work.

From the very first lines, the hero declares the loss of his roots: his birth certificate, the document confirming his birth, burned down in the archives near Minsk in 1941. This detail immediately refers to the tragic events of the Great Patriotic War, leaving a deep mark on the fate of an entire generation. The loss of the birth certificate becomes a symbol of the loss of the past, history, and roots.

The inability to establish an exact date of birth ("So maybe I'm twenty, or maybe thirty") emphasizes the uncertainty and fragility of human life against the backdrop of historical cataclysms. The hero seems to be redefining himself, choosing April as the month of his birth.

The choice of April is no coincidence. It is the month of spring, awakening, and hope. However, Vysotsky introduces a contradictory image: "In April, the sun shines brightly, In April - on the first - everyone lies." The sunny, joyful image of spring is overshadowed by deceit and distrust. April Fool's Day is a day of laughter and jokes, but in the context of the poem, it takes on a bitter connotation of illusions hiding behind external lightness.

May, following April, continues the theme of life and love: "And in May they love, and in May they drink." However, duality is present here as well. Love and merriment coexist with a bitter aftertaste of doom and escape from reality.

The fate of the hero's mother is tragic: "My mother died in forty-three in Kaluga." She died at the height of the war, leaving her son an orphan. The unknown father is another touch to the portrait of a lyrical hero deprived of his past, roots, and certainty.

"I chose my place of residence in the south" is another attempt by the hero to find at least some stability, to take root in this world. However, even here bitter irony overtakes him: "And we do not choose the places where we end up." The choice of residence turns out to be illusory, fate once again reminds of its power.

The repetition of the lines about April and May at the end of the poem creates the effect of cyclical recurrence and doom. The hero is caught in the grip of fate and history, unable to change his life.

The poem "My Birth Certificate Is Kept Somewhere in the Archives" is a reflection on broken destinies, a lost generation forced to live in conditions of uncertainty and constant threat. It is a search for oneself and one's place in a world devoid of illusions and hope.