The meaning of the lyrics of the song "A Sentimental Boxer's Song" (Pesenka sentimentalnogo boksera) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

A blow, another blow... One more...

Another blow – and there you are

Boris Butkeev (Krasnodar)

Lands an uppercut

He has me pinned against the ropes

I barely manage to escape...

Another uppercut – I'm on the floor

And I'm not feeling great!

And Butkeev thought, as he crushed my jaw:

Life is good, oh life is good!

At the count of seven I'm still down –

My fellow countrymen lament

I rise, I dive, I slip away –

And I'm getting points

It's not true that towards the end

I save my strength –

I've never been able since childhood

To hit a man in the face

But Butkeev thought, as he crushed my ribs:

Life is good, oh life is good!

There's whistling in the stands, there's howling:

"Get him, he's a coward!"

Butkeev comes in close –

And I clinch, hugging the ropes

But he broke through – he's Siberian

They're pushy, that lot –

And I told him: "You strange man!

You're tired – take a break!"

But he didn't hear – he thought, still breathing:

Life is good, oh life is good!

But he keeps hitting – the big brute! –

I can see I'm in trouble

After all, boxing is not a brawl – it's a sport

For the brave and so on

He landed a blow – one, two, three –

And... lost his own strength –

The referee raised my hand

The one I didn't hit with

He lay there thinking that life is good

Good for some, but for others – not so much!

Удар, удар... Еще удар...

Опять удар – и вот

Борис Буткеев (Краснодар)

Проводит апперкот

Вот он прижал меня в углу

Вот я едва ушел...

Вот апперкот – я на полу

И мне нехорошо!

И думал Буткеев, мне челюсть кроша:

И жить хорошо, и жизнь хороша!

При счете семь я все лежу –

Рыдают землячки

Встаю, ныряю, ухожу –

И мне идут очки

Неправда, будто бы к концу

Я силы берегу, –

Бить человека по лицу

Я с детства не могу

Но думал Буткеев, мне ребра круша:

И жить хорошо, и жизнь хороша!

В трибунах свист, в трибунах вой:

"Ату его, он трус!"

Буткеев лезет в ближний бой –

А я к канатам жмусь

Но он пролез – он сибиряк

Настырные они, –

И я сказал ему: "Чудак!

Устал ведь – отдохни!"

Но он не услышал – он думал, дыша

Что жить хорошо и жизнь хороша!

А он всё бьет – здоровый, черт! –

Я вижу – быть беде

Ведь бокс не драка – это спорт

Отважных и т. д

Вот он ударил – раз, два, три –

И... сам лишился сил, –

Мне руку поднял рефери

Которой я не бил

Лежал он и думал, что жизнь хороша

Кому хороша, а кому – ни шиша!

In Vladimir Vysotsky's song "Sentimental Boxer's Song", we witness a juxtaposition of two worlds: the harsh reality of the boxing ring and a naive, optimistic outlook on life.

The lyrical hero is a boxer who is not burning with the desire to fight but is rather forced to participate in this brutal sport. He doesn't derive pleasure from beating his opponent, as evidenced by the lines: "I haven't been able to hit a man in the face since I was a child." The hero does not strive for victory at any cost, rather he tries to survive, to avoid blows.

His opponent, Boris Butkeev, is presented as a typical fighter, confident, persistent, and ruthless. He believes in a simple truth: "Life is good, and it's good to be alive!", which, like a refrain, is repeated throughout the song. This phrase, uttered by Butkeev in moments of triumph, contrasts with the position of the lyrical hero and takes on an ironic connotation.

In the final part of the song, the hero wins, but not through strength and aggression, but rather due to the fatigue of his opponent. The defeated Butkeev, lying in the ring, begins to doubt his own righteousness: "He lay there thinking that life is good for some, but for others, it's no good at all!".

Thus, Vladimir Vysotsky's song is not just a description of a boxing match. It is a reflection on life and death, on victory and defeat, on the fact that behind seeming simplicity and optimism, a cruel reality can be hidden.