The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Song about a masquerade ball" (Pesnya pro bal-maskarad) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

Today in our integrated brigade

A rumor spread about a masquerade ball

They handed out masks of rabbits

Elephants and alcoholics

And scheduled it all – at the zoo

“Why go all dressed up –

Tell me, my darling, for God’s sake?”

She told me, “Get dressed!”

Saying, she was embarrassed by me

Otherwise, as always, I’d end up in the back

I borrowed a dress from Nadia, she says,

I’ll be like Marina Vlady tonight

And I’ll spend, even if it’s the last thing I do

My Sunday best time

Even with your drunken mug, but dressed up!

Why did I even bother ironing and primping?

They caught me right away at the zoo

Because our Kolya the ringleader

Gave me the alcoholic mask

And I got invited by some guys to join them

I found myself back at the zoo

Lo and behold, two wives – well, two Marina Vladys!

Dressed as animals

With two hippos

I went wild too – and lay in wait

In the morning, they gave us a bonus in the brigade

Saying that at the masquerade ball

Apparently, I not only

Played an alcoholic for them

But also ended up in the hippo enclosure

Сегодня в нашей комплексной бригаде

Прошел слушок о бале-маскараде

Раздали маски кроликов

Слонов и алкоголиков

Назначили все это - в зоосаде

"Зачем идти при полном при параде -

Скажи мне, моя радость, Христа ради?"

Она мне: "Одевайся!"

Мол, я тебя стесняюся

Не то, мол, как всегда, пойдешь ты сзади

Я платье, - говорит, - взяла у Нади

Я буду нынче как Марина Влади

И проведу, хоть тресну я

Часы свои воскресные

Хоть с пьяной твоей мордой, но в наряде!

Зачем же я себя утюжил, гладил?

Меня поймали тут же в зоосаде

Ведь массовик наш Колька

Дал мне маску алкоголика

И на троих зазвали меня дяди

Я снова очутился в зоосаде

Глядь - две жены, - ну, две Марины Влади!

Одетые животными

С двумя же бегемотами

Я тоже озверел - и встал в засаде

Наутро дали премию в бригаде

Сказав мне, что на бале-маскараде

Я будто бы не только

Сыграл им алкоголика

А был у бегемотов я в ограде

Vladimir Vysotsky's song "The Fancy-Dress Ball Song" tells the story of a hapless hero who finds himself at a costume ball held in a zoo. Behind the mask of humor and satire lie themes of social inequality, hypocrisy, and alcoholism.

Images and Symbols:

Fancy-dress ball in the zoo: The combination of a festive occasion and a place of animal confinement creates an atmosphere of absurdity and incongruity. The masks hiding the faces emphasize the falseness and pretense of the ball's participants.

Animal masks and the "alcoholic" mask: The masks symbolize the roles people play in society. "Alcoholic" is a label attached to the hero, which defines his behavior in the eyes of others.

Wife dressed as Marina Vlady: The image of the famous actress contrasts with the real life of the hero and his wife. This indicates a desire to escape from everyday life, to try on a different life, even if illusory.

Hippopotamuses and the hero's "ferocity": Animals become a metaphor for unrestrained behavior and loss of control. The hero, like an animal, finds himself in an "enclosure" - a limited space of his passions and desires.

Meaning:

The song mocks the hypocrisy and falseness that reign in society. Behind the masks of decency, vices and base instincts are hidden. The hero, being an "alcoholic", becomes a victim of circumstances and his own weakness. He is unable to resist the pressure of society and is drawn into a whirlpool of absurd events. In the finale of the song, despite receiving an award, the hero remains in the same "enclosure" as the animals – trapped by his problems and illusions.