The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Song of a Finished Man" (Pesnya konchennogo cheloveka) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

Apathy crawls like a lizard in my bones,

My heart and sober mind, for once, at ease.

No breathlessness at exhilarating speeds,

No blood running cold on winding turns.

Love's grip no longer seizes my throat,

My nerves, once taut, now beg to be torn free.

They sag like clotheslines, limp and unrestrained.

No longer do I care who's "he" or who's "she."

I'm on the horse, push me off, I say,

With only "no" and "never" as my sway.

I drink no water for my teeth's dry plea,

No rush for people, no urgency for me.

My bow lies useless, string rotted and frail,

Arrows all broken, fueling the fire's trail.

I don't push, don't strive, just exist, that's all,

Even the thought of attacks fails to enthrall.

Transparent as a window, open wide,

Unnoticeable as linen, I reside.

I'm on the horse, push me off, I say,

With only "no" and "never" as my sway.

My wounds don't ache, nor do my scars still sting,

Sterile bandages concealing everything.

They don't distract, they don't itch, they don't plead,

No thoughts, no questions, not even a seed.

Tired of fighting Earth's relentless pull,

I lie here, shortening the distance to the noose.

My heart twitches as if it's not my own,

Time to go where "never" and "no" are known.

Time to go where "never" and "no" are known.

Истома ящерицей ползает в костях

И сердце с трезвой головой не на ножах

И не захватывает дух на скоростях

Не холодеет кровь на виражах

И не прихватывает горло от любви

И нервы больше не в натяжку хочешь рви

Провисли нервы как верёвки от белья

И не волнует кто кого он или я

Я на коне толкани я с коня

Только "не" только "ни" у меня

Не пью воды чтоб стыли зубы питьевой

И ни событий ни людей не тороплю

Мой лук валяется со сгнившей тетевой

Все стрелы сломаны я ими печь топлю

Не напрягась не стремлюсь а как-то так

Не вдохновляет даже самый факт атак

Я весь прозрачный как раскрытое окно

И не приметный как льняное полотно

Я на коне толкани я с коня

Только "не" только "ни" у меня

Не ноют раны да и шрамы не болят

На них наложены стерильные бинты

И не волнуют не свербят не теребят

Ни мысли ни вопросы ни мечты

Устал бороться с притяжением Земли

Лежу так больше расстояние до петли

И сердце дёргается словно не во мне

Пора туда где только "ни" и только "не"

Пора туда где только "ни" и только "не"

In his song "The Song of a Finished Man", Vladimir Vysotsky paints a picture of profound apathy and indifference towards life. The lyrical hero is on the verge of complete emotional and spiritual exhaustion.

From the very first lines, "Lassitude crawls like a lizard in my bones / And my heart is no longer at odds with my sober head," we feel a sense of powerlessness, an inability to experience vivid emotions. Everything that used to excite and delight – speed, risk, love – now evokes no response. Nerves, once stretched to the limit, now "sag like clotheslines."

The hero does not fight, does not resist; he has resigned himself to his condition: "I'm on a horse – push me off, I don't care / All I have is "no" and "not" for you." The negative particles "no" and "not" become key in the hero's vocabulary, emphasizing his indifference, his lack of desires and aspirations. He expects nothing from life, makes no plans, feels neither pain nor joy.

The image of a broken bow and arrows, which the hero uses to heat the stove, symbolizes the loss of meaning in life, the refusal to fight. He becomes "transparent", invisible, like "linen cloth".

In the final stanzas of the song, the hero's desire to escape life, to find peace in oblivion, where there is "only "no" and "not," becomes evident.

"The Song of a Finished Man" is a frightening, poignant testament to the inner emptiness that can befall a person who has lost the meaning of life.