The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Oh, where was I yesterday?" (Oy, gde byil ya vchera) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

Oh, where was I yesterday - I can't find it, no matter how hard I try,

I only remember the wallpapered walls.

I remember Klavka was there and her friend with her,

I kissed both of them in the kitchen.

And in the morning I got up,

And they started telling me:

That I swore at the hostess,

I wanted to intimidate everyone,

That I was dancing naked,

That I was singing songs,

And my father, they said,

Was a general.

And then he tore his shirt and beat his chest,

He said that everyone had betrayed me,

And that he wouldn't let the guests get a word in edgewise -

He kept bothering them with gangster chords.

And then he stopped drinking,

Because he was tired,

He started smashing crystal on the floor,

Pouring wine on the walls,

And the coffee set,

After breaking the window,

He took it and threw it down.

And no one could even say a word to me,

But then they quietly pulled themselves together,

They piled on in a crowd, started tying my hands,

And by the end, everyone was having fun.

Someone spat in my face,

And someone poured vodka into my mouth,

And some dancer

Kicked me in the stomach,

A young widow,

Faithful to her husband,

(After all, we live once)

Took pity on me.

And I was turning pale in the kitchen with a bruised face,

I pretended to back down —

"Untie me!" I shouted, "That's enough!" -

They untied me, but hid the forks.

That's when it really started —

I can't describe it in words,

And where did I get

So much strength in my hands?

Like a wounded beast,

In the end, I did wonders,

Knocked out the windows and the door,

And demolished the balcony.

Oh, where was I yesterday - I can't find it for the life of me,

I only remember the wallpapered walls...

And my face remains, with bruises on it.

Where can I go now with these bruises?

If it's all true,

Well, at least a third of it,

There's only one thing left:

Just lie down and die.

It's a good thing that the widow

Was able to survive it all,

She took pity on me

And took me in to live with her.

Ой, где был я вчера — не найду, хоть убей,

Только помню, что стены с обоями.

Помню, Клавка была и подруга при ней,

Целовался на кухне с обоими.

А наутро я встал,

Мне давай сообщать:

Что хозяйку ругал,

Всех хотел застращать,

Будто голым скакал,

Будто песни орал,

А отец, говорил,

У меня генерал.

А потом рвал рубаху и бил себя в грудь,

Говорил, будто все меня продали,

И гостям, говорят, не давал продохнуть —

Все донимал их блатными аккордами.

А потом кончил пить,

Потому что устал,

Начал об пол крушить

Благородный хрусталь,

Лил на стены вино,

А кофейный сервиз,

Растворивши окно,

Взял да выбросил вниз.

И никто мне не мог даже слова сказать,

Но потом потихоньку оправились,

Навалились гурьбой, стали руки вязать,

И в конце уже все позабавились.

Кто плевал мне в лицо,

А кто водку лил в рот,

А какой-то танцор

Бил ногами в живот,

Молодая вдова,

Верность мужу храня,

(Ведь живем однова)

Пожалела меня.

И бледнел я на кухне с разбитым лицом,

Сделал вид, что пошел на попятную —

Развяжите!- кричал, — да и дело с концом! -

Развязали, но вилки попрятали.

Тут вообще началось —

Не опишешь в словах,

И откуда взялось

Столько силы в руках?

Я, как раненный зверь,

Напоследок чудил,

Выбил окна и дверь,

И балкон уронил.

Ой, где был я вчера — не найду днем с огнем,

Только помню, что стены с обоями...

И осталось лицо, и побои на нем.

Ну куда теперь выйти с побоями?

Если правда оно,

Ну, хотя бы на треть,

Остается одно:

Только лечь, помереть,

Хорошо, что вдова

Все смогла пережить,

Пожалела меня

И взяла к себе жить.

The meaning of Vladimir Vysotsky's song "Oh, Where Was I Yesterday" lies in the ironic depiction of the aftermath of a wild, probably alcoholic, party. The lyrical hero, waking up with a hangover, does not remember the events of the previous day but tries to reconstruct the picture of what happened from snatches of phrases and the reactions of others.

Gradually, the image of a rowdy man emerges before us, who brawled, fought, smashed furniture, insulted guests - in general, behaved as cheekily and inadequately as possible. However, the hero himself presents his actions with humor, trying to portray himself as a victim of circumstances.

The song is full of hyperbole and grotesqueness, which enhance the comic effect and create an absurd situation. The culmination is the scene where the hero is tied up, but he, gathering his last strength, destroys everything around him.

The ending of the song is ambiguous. On the one hand, the hero seems to repent, but on the other hand, he finds solace in the arms of a compassionate widow.

The song "Oh, Where Was I Yesterday" is a satire on drunkenness and the riotous lifestyle that was characteristic of a certain part of Soviet society. Vysotsky ridicules the bragging, aggression, and vulgarity that often accompanied feasts.