The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Song about the Criminal Code" (Pesnya pro Ugolovnyiy kodeks) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

We have no need for plots and intrigue:

We know about everything, anything you name.

For instance, I consider the best book in the world

To be our Criminal Code.

And if I'm feeling restless and can't sleep,

Or with a hangover, my face is pale –

I'll open the Code to any page,

And I can't help it – I read it till the end.

I didn't give my comrades advice,

But I know robbery is a matter of honor for them, –

That's just what I read about it:

Not less than three, not more than ten.

Think about these simple lines, –

Why do we need novels of all times and lands? –

They have barracks, long like prison terms,

Scandals, fights, cards, and deceit...

I wish I could avoid these lines for a hundred years! –

Behind each one, I see someone's fate, –

And I rejoice when the article is not so bad:

After all, someone will get lucky!

And my heart beats like a wounded bird

When I start reading my article,

And blood pounds and hammers in my temples, –

Like when the cops come to take you away.

Нам ни к чему сюжеты и интриги:

Про всё мы знаем, про всё, чего ни дашь

Я, например, на свете лучшей книгой

Считаю Кодекс уголовный наш

И если мне неймется и не спится

Или с похмелья нет на мне лица –

Открою Кодекс на любой странице

И не могу – читаю до конца

Я не давал товарищам советы

Но знаю я – разбой у них в чести, –

Вот только что я прочитал про это:

Не ниже трех, не свыше десяти

Вы вдумайтесь в простые эти строки, –

Что нам романы всех времен и стран! –

В них есть бараки, длинные как сроки

Скандалы, драки, карты и обман...

Сто лет бы мне не видеть этих строчек! –

За каждой вижу чью-нибудь судьбу, –

И радуюсь, когда статья – не очень:

Ведь все же повезет кому-нибудь!

И сердце бьется раненою птицей

Когда начну свою статью читать

И кровь в висках так ломится-стучится, –

Как мусора, когда приходят брать

In his song "The Criminal Code Song," Vladimir Vysotsky utilizes irony and sarcasm to portray the realities of Soviet society, where fear of the law and the repressive system was an integral part of everyday life. The lyrical hero of the song, representing a generalized image of a common man, cynically proclaims the Criminal Code to be "the best book," emphasizing its pervasive influence on life.

The words "we know everything, whatever you ask" imply that in an environment of total control and censorship, information about "real life" was often gleaned from crime reports, rumors, and speculation. The lack of freedom of speech and thought was compensated by knowledge of the articles of the Criminal Code, which became not just a set of laws, but a mirror of social norms and "rules of the game."

The hero finds a strange solace in reading the Code, knowing by heart the articles concerning his social circle ("robbery is their honor"), and seeing in the fates of the condemned a reflection of his own destiny. The words "behind each one, I see someone's fate" emphasize the feeling of fatality and predetermination that prevailed in a society where individuality was suppressed, and fear of the system was a tool of control.

In the final stanzas of the song, irony gives way to anxiety and fear. The hero's heart beats like a "wounded bird" when he reads "his" article, and the pounding of blood in his temples is compared to "the arrival of the cops." This image conveys the horror of the repressive machine that could fall upon anyone, regardless of their guilt.

Therefore, "The Criminal Code Song" is not just an ironic sketch but a deep and tragic reflection on life in a totalitarian state, where the Criminal Code becomes a symbol of fear, repression, and the suppression of the individual.