The meaning of the lyrics of the song ""The Hammer Thrower's Song"" (Pesenka pro metatelya molota) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

I loosened up my shoulder – the stands fell silent,

Holding their breath in anticipation.

Ah, what do I care for my opponent – Jones or Kramer –

The record is already in my pocket!

Planned, ordered, secured, –

I feel like I could fly after it myself.

But I can't, for I am a hammer thrower:

I am commanded to throw – and so I throw.

Oh, it's a shame I throw it in Italy:

At home, I'd throw the hammer effortlessly –

Terribly far, much farther,

And even better – if it were once and for all.

I'm against widespread admiration,

But I hope that no more than a year will pass –

I will still hurl it so far,

That even the judge with a search party won't find it...

Now reporters are swarming all around

"They helped me," – I answer them, –

"To climb the steep sports ladder –

My team, my coach, and – my family."

Я раззудил плечо – трибуны замерли

Молчанье в ожидании храня

Эх, что мне мой соперник – Джонс ли, Крамер ли, –

Рекорд уже в кармане у меня!

Замётано, заказано, заколото, –

Мне кажется – я следом полечу

Но мне нельзя, ведь я – метатель молота:

Приказано метать – и я мечу

Эх, жаль, что я мечу его в Италии:

Я б дома кинул молот без труда, –

Ужасно далеко, куда подалее

И лучше – если б враз и навсегда

Я против восхищения повального

Но я надеюсь: года не пройдет –

Я все же зашвырну в такую даль его

Что и судья с ищейкой не найдет...

Сейчас кругом корреспонденты бесятся

"Мне помогли, – им отвечаю я, –

Подняться по крутой спортивной лестнице

Мой коллектив, мой тренер и – семья"

Vladimir Vysotsky's song "About the Hammer Thrower" is a satirical look at the world of big-time sports, where ambition and thirst for fame often overshadow sportsmanship and even basic human decency.

The protagonist, a hammer thrower, is full of self-confidence and disdain for his rivals. The record, for him, is a foregone conclusion, he feels superior even before the competition begins. The phrases "Swept away, ordered, nailed down" emphasize this self-confidence, bordering on arrogance.

However, there is more to his bravado than just sporting excitement. The metaphor of the "hammer" takes on a sinister connotation, especially in the context of the lines "It's a pity I'm throwing it in Italy: / I would have thrown the hammer at home without difficulty, – / Terribly far away, to who knows where / And better – if it were once and for all." Here we are no longer talking about a piece of sports equipment, but about the desire to get rid of an opponent, to wipe him off the face of the earth.

The following lines only confirm this idea. The hero dreams of throwing the hammer so far "that even the judge with a bloodhound won't find it." The image of the "bloodhound" finally destroys the illusion of a sporting competition, turning it into an act of aggression, a desire to destroy the competitor.

The final lines, where the hero attributes his success to "the team, the coach, and the family," sound like a mockery. The real reason for his "victory" is not hard work and the support of loved ones, but cold calculation, cynicism, and ruthlessness.

Vysotsky's song is not just a sketch from the world of sports, it is a metaphor for human relationships, where ambition, envy, and lust for power can push a person to the lowest of actions.