The meaning of the lyrics of the song "At Petrovsky market..." (Na Petrovskom na bazare…) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

At Perovsky market, noise and din,

Selling everything you need, junk and clutter within.

Women, rags, and baskets, crowds abound,

Women, rags, and baskets, blocking the ground.

There are newspapers, roasted seeds,

Cigarettes, and lemons, if one concedes.

There's water, cold water,

Drink water, water, gentlemen, sir!

Rutabagas, melons, fermented milk, soda, and kvass on ice,

Samovars, soup, and porridge - all at a price.

And there's plenty of liquor, a buffet at every turn,

No lack of spirits, there's no concern.

There are newspapers, roasted seeds,

Cigarettes, and lemons, if one concedes.

There's water, cold water,

Drink water, water, gentlemen, sir!

Here sits a woman, hunched and sound asleep,

While a dog pays her basket a visit, so deep.

It knocked over the basket, the vendor cried,

"The damned creature ate everything in sight!"

There are newspapers, roasted seeds,

Cigarettes, and lemons, if one concedes.

There's water, cold water,

Drink water, water, gentlemen, sir!

Suddenly, a cry at the market: "Airplane!"

Someone cleverly managed, turned a pocket insane.

"Oh, help me, good people, they've stolen my cash!"

"Serves you right, you fool, you shouldn't be so rash.

No time to gawk at airplanes, you see."

There are newspapers, roasted seeds,

Cigarettes, and lemons, if one concedes.

There's water, cold water,

Drink water, water, gentlemen, sir!

На Перовском на базаре шум и тарарам

Продается все, что надо, барахло и хлам

Бабы, тряпки и корзины, толпами народ

Бабы, тряпки и корзины заняли проход

Есть газеты, семечки каленые

Сигареты, а кому лимон?

Есть вода, холодная вода

Пейте воду, воду, господа!

Брюква, дыни, простокваша, морс и квас на льду

Самовары, щи и каша - все в одном ряду

И спиртного там немало, что ни шаг - буфет

Что сказать, насчет спиртного недостатку нет

Есть газеты, семечки каленые

Сигареты, а кому лимон?

Есть вода, холодная вода

Пейте воду, воду, господа!

Вот сидит, согнувши спину, баба, крепко спит

А собачка ей в корзину сделала визит

Опрокинула корзину, и торговка в крик

Все проклятая скотина съела в один миг

Есть газеты, семечки каленые

Сигареты, а кому лимон?

Есть вода, холодная вода

Пейте воду, воду, господа!

Вдруг раздался на базаре крик: "Аэроплан!"

Ловко кто-то постарался, вывернул карман

Ой, рятуйте, граждане хорошие, из кармана вытащили гроши

Так тебе и надо, не будь такой болван

Нечего тебе глазеть на аэроплан

Есть газеты, семечки каленые

Сигареты, а кому лимон?

Есть вода, холодная вода

Пейте воду, воду, господа!

Vladimir Vysotsky's song "At the Petrovsky Market…" is a satirical depiction of the hustle and bustle of a typical Soviet market. Beneath the seeming simplicity of the lyrics lies a profound social commentary on the lives of ordinary people in the USSR.

1. Atmosphere and Abundance:

The opening stanzas paint a vivid picture of the market's vibrant chaos: noise, crowds of people, an abundance of goods – from food to junk. The author uses repetitions ("women, rags, and baskets") to emphasize the monotony and hustle that reign in the market. Despite the seeming abundance, there is irony in the lyrics: "everything you need is for sale, junk and trash."

2. Social Cross-Section:

People from different walks of life meet at the market: vendors trying to make a living, drinking men, and cunning pickpockets. The story of the dog stealing food from the basket is a metaphor for a difficult life, where everyone fights for themselves, and luck is fickle.

3. Soviet Reality:

The image of the airplane, attracting everyone's attention, is a symbol of something unattainable, a dream of a better life that leads away from the gray market reality. The incident with the theft of money during the general excitement is a hint that in pursuit of illusions, people lose their vigilance and become victims of deception.

4. The Refrain – Mockery and Consolation:

The repeating refrain "There are newspapers, roasted sunflower seeds... Drink water, water, gentlemen!" performs several functions. On the one hand, it creates a comic effect, emphasizing the absurdity of what is happening. On the other hand, one can hear bitter irony in it: water is the only thing that is available to everyone, while other life's blessings are not easy to come by.

Thus, Vysotsky's song is not just a description of a market scene, but a multi-layered work that reflects the realities of Soviet society, where behind the external bustle lie problems, inequality, and unfulfilled dreams.