The meaning of the lyrics of the song ""Song of a Film Actor"" (Pesenka kinoaktera) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

As if in a fairy tale, on the screen -

And no wizard is needed -

In the new film, suddenly the peasants

Turn into princes!

Now a merchant - now a pauper,

Now a good man - now a villain, -

In life, he hardly drinks at all

And is a father of eight children.

Boys, boys are running through the yards,

Mysterious and loud-voiced.

Hurry! Come on! They have arrived to you -

The living film actors!

But for our brother,

Frankly speaking,

Sometimes to play a soldier

Is more interesting than a king.

In life, everything is without change,

And in the cinema: now a god, now a thief, -

Many ups and downs

The film actor has experienced.

Boys, boys are running through the yards,

Mysterious and loud-voiced.

Hurry! Come on! They have arrived to you -

The living film actors!

How many versions, how much debate

Arises here and there!

They know about the film actor

Even more than he himself does.

And everywhere they discuss,

And with knowledge they say -

How much he earns a month

And for the umpteenth time he is married.

Boys, boys - no advertising is needed -

Mysterious and loud-voiced.

Hurry! Come on! They have arrived to you -

The living film actors!

Enough arguments and conjectures -

There is a more important matter.

Those who are hungry for sensations

Are unlikely to be interested here.

You know, in the cinema, an era

Can fly by in a moment.

People see us, but - what a pity -

That we don't see them.

So we hurry to unfamiliar friends -

Both to adults and to children, -

To look at you, everything that you want,

Ask - we will answer!

Словно в сказке, на экране -

И не нужен чародей -

В новом фильме вдруг крестьяне

Превращаются в князей!

То купец - то неимущий,

То добряк - а то злодей,-

В жизни же - почти непьющий

И отец восьми детей.

Мальчишки, мальчишки бегут по дворам,

Загадочны и голосисты.

Скорее! Спешите! Приехали к вам

Живые киноартисты!

Но для нашего для брата,

Откровенно говоря,

Иногда сыграть солдата

Интересней, чем царя.

В жизни все без изменений,

А в кино: то бог, то вор,-

Много взлетов и падений

Испытал киноактер.

Мальчишки, мальчишки бегут по дворам,

Загадочны и голосисты.

Скорее! Спешите! Приехали к вам

Живые киноартисты!

Сколько версий, сколько спора

Возникает тут и там!

Знают про киноактера

Даже больше, чем он сам.

И повсюду обсуждают,

И со знаньем говорят -

Сколько в месяц получает

И в который раз женат.

Мальчишки, мальчишки - не нужно рекламы -

Загадочны и голосисты.

Скорее! Спешите! Приехали к вам

Живые киноартисты!

Хватит споров и догадок -

Дело поважнее есть.

Тем, кто до сенсаций падок,

Вряд ли интересно здесь.

Знаете, в кино эпоха

Может пролететь за миг.

Люди видят нас, но - плохо

То, что мы не видим их.

Вот мы и спешим к незнакомым друзьям -

И к взрослым, и к детям,-

На вас посмотреть,- все, что хочется вам,

Спросите - ответим!

In "The Song of a Film Actor," Vladimir Vysotsky reflects with irony and melancholy on the fate and perception of actors.

The first stanza contrasts the fairytale world of cinema, where peasants easily become princes, with the actor's real life, full of routine and a large family. Vysotsky uses hyperbole ("father of eight children") to emphasize the contrast.

The second stanza continues the theme of the gap between the on-screen persona and the real person. An actor can transform into anyone: from a merchant to a villain, from a god to a thief. But behind the succession of masks hides an ordinary person who seeks in the profession not only fame but also the opportunity to live different lives.

The chorus, repeated throughout the song, is a symbol of childhood delight in the magic of cinema and the naive perception of actors as the characters they play.

The third stanza touches upon the theme of gossip and rumors that surround the lives of celebrities. People, not knowing the real life of an actor, invent their own versions, discussing his fees and personal life.

The fourth stanza calls for abandoning a superficial perception. Vysotsky emphasizes that behind the tinsel of fame lies hard work and a desire to convey important thoughts and feelings to the viewer. The actor, like a window into another world, allows viewers to see what is inaccessible to them in real life.

The final lines are the actor's address to the audience, an invitation to dialogue and mutual understanding. The actor needs the viewer as much as the viewer needs the actor, and only together can they create true art.