The meaning of the lyrics of the song "The Song of General Dreintelle" (Pesnya o Drenteln-generale) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

Ah, in the Third Department's hold,

By Tsar's command so bold,

Brave General Drentel, name renowned,

Gathered gendarmes all around.

To cleanse their throats for tasks ahead,

A vodka shot for each he spread,

And fifty kopecks he bestowed,

With these words flowing, overflowed,

Ah, overflowed!

"Suspicious faces, I declare,

Have multiplied beyond compare,

In our capital they plot and stir,

And even aim to murder, sir!

You, my blue-uniformed brigade,

Search every dwelling, unafraid,

The Tsar's authority we wield,

Drag them to the station, boys, revealed!

If any dare to stand their ground,

Strike them down without a sound,

For I, General Drentel, vow,

Responsibility will avow,

Ah, avow!"

But sorrow filled their duty's call,

The blue-clad officers said, "Appall!

Oh, father of our loyal force,

General Drentel, our source,

Why not demonstrate with grace,

How we should serve and fill our place?

For doubt still lingers in this fight,

God forbid, they take our life tonight!"

Ah, tonight!

At this declaration, bold and stark,

Drentel, unfazed, made his remark,

"With all our might, three hundred strong,

Upon the nihilist we throng!

Overwhelm him with our force,

He won't utter a peep, of course!

He won't utter a peep, of course,

Ah, of course!

And so they went, in our grand town,

Those blue-clad ranks, of great renown,

Seeking with valor, fierce and bold,

To search each dwelling, new and old.

They dug and searched, they beat and struck,

Yet all their targets, they could not pluck!

We showed them then, with might and main,

They'd failed to break us, it was plain!

Op-pa! Cha-cha-cha!

Ох, как в третьем отделеньи

По царёву повеленью

Храбрый Дрентель-генерал

Всех жандармов собирал

Для промывки ихней глотки

Раздавал по рюмке водки

По полтиннику дарил

Речь такую говорил

Ох, говорил!

"Подозрительные литца

Расплодилися в столитце

И бунтуют, и мутят

И меня убить хотят!

Уж вы, синие мундиры

Обыщите все квартиры

От царя дана нам власть:

Знай, тащи, ребята, в часть!

Если где сопротивленье

В морду бей без промедленья:

Сам, мол, Дрентель-генерал

Отвечает за скандал!

Ох, за скандал!

Но, исполнены печали

Голубые отвечали:

"Ах, отец ты из отцов

Генерал ты Дрентелёв

Показали бы примерно

Как тебе мы служим верно

Да сумнительно, вишь, тут

Сохрани Господь, убьют!"

Ох, убьють!

На такое заявленье

Молвил Дрентель без смущенья:

"Всем отрядом, душ хоть в триста

Навались на нигилиста!

Навалитесь на него

И не пикнет ничаво!

И не пикнет ничаво

Ох, ничаво!

И пошли у нас в столитце

Рыскать синих веренитцы

Хочет доблестная рать

Всю столицу перебрать

Рыли, рыли, били, били

Всё же всех не перебили!

Показали мы им - вот!

Опрокинули господ!

Оп-па! Ча-ча-ча!

Vladimir Vysotsky's "Song about General Drenteln" uses satire and sarcasm to depict the order of Tsarist Russia during the reign of Alexander II. General Drenteln, a real historical figure and chief of the gendarmes and the Third Section, is portrayed as a symbol of the cruelty, paranoia, and incompetence of the regime.

Main themes of the song:

The government's fear of dissent: Drenteln, obsessed with the idea of conspiracies and assassination attempts, orders his subordinates, the gendarmes, to carry out raids and arrests of "suspicious persons." This detail reflects the atmosphere of fear and repression characteristic of the period of reaction following the abolition of serfdom.

Hypocrisy and cowardice of the security forces: The gendarmes, depicted as "blue uniforms," verbally demonstrate loyalty and zeal but are actually afraid to carry out Drenteln's orders. They fear resistance from the "nihilists," preferring not to risk their own skins for the dubious goals of their superiors. This detail emphasizes the corruption and inefficiency of the punitive apparatus.

The failure of repressive measures: Despite all the efforts of the gendarmes, they fail to eradicate sedition. The "nihilists" remain elusive, and the raids only lead to chaos and arbitrariness. The ending of the song, full of irony and black humor, shows that repression is not only inhumane but also pointless.

Artistic features:

Grotesque and satire: Vysotsky uses hyperbole and the grotesque to ridicule the absurdity of the situation and create a satirical effect. For example, the scene where the gendarmes are afraid to attack a "nihilist" even with three of them ridicules their cowardice and incompetence.

Colloquial lexicon and vernacular: The language of the song is deliberately simple and close to colloquial. The characters' speech contains slang, jargon, and common expressions, which creates a comic effect and gives the song a satirical edge.

Musicality and rhythm: The song has a catchy tune and an energetic rhythm, making it similar to a folk dance. This enhances the satirical effect by contrasting with the seriousness of the theme.

In conclusion: "Song about General Drenteln" is not just a historical anecdote, but a sharp social satire directed against any manifestation of tyranny, arbitrariness, and incompetence of power. Vysotsky shows that fear and repression cannot destroy freedom of thought but only generate lies, cowardice, and lawlessness.