The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Received by the store manager." (Poluchil zavmagazina) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

The store manager got

Three hundred meters of crepe de Chine,

He was a terrible crook and a rogue.

Forty meters he gave away,

Thirty meters he squandered,

He brought the rest all home.

And his wife said: "Honey,

How without any help

Did you overcome such a weight?

Why did you bring everything at once?

You should have divided it into two trips,

My tireless moth."

Eh, moth, oh, moth,

Everything comes to an end.

Nothing on earth lasts forever,

They will ask you, of course,

Are you clean or not clean.

So be careful

And, before it's too late, look around.

My neighbor across the hall

Often starts quarrels:

"I'll get to you, oh, I'll get to you all,

You were sleeping on the stove then,

When we took Warsaw

In nineteen-fifteen.

And don't touch me at all,

My wife is at the front,

I am considered a front-line husband."

If you have an apartment,

If you have a bully,

Then, it's not a sin, remind him:

Eh, moth, oh, moth,

Everything comes to an end.

Nothing on earth lasts forever,

They will ask you, of course,

Are you clean or not clean.

So be careful

And, before it's too late, look around.

Получил завмагазина

Триста метров крепдешина,

Был он жуткий жулик и прохвост.

Сорок метров раздарил он,

Тридцать метров разбазарил,

Остальное все домой принес.

И жена сказала: «Милый,

Как же без подсобной силы

Ты такую тяжесть одолел?

Для чего принес все сразу?

Разделил бы на два раза,

Мой неутомимый мотылек.»

Эх, мотылек, ох, мотылек,

Всему приходит срок.

На земле ничто не вечно,

Спросят у тебя, конечно,

Чист или не чист.

Так что берегись

И, пока не поздно, оглянись.

Мой сосед по коридору

Часто затевает ссоры:

«Я до вас, ох, я до вас до всех дойду,

Вы ж тогда на печке спали,

Когда мы Варшаву брали

В над-над-надцатом году.

И вообще меня не троньте,

У меня жена на фронте,

Я считаюсь фронтовичный муж.»

Если есть у вас квартира,

Если есть у вас задира,

То, не грех, напомните ему:

Эх, мотылек, ох, мотылек,

Всему приходит срок.

На земле ничто не вечно,

Спросят у тебя, конечно,

Чист или не чист.

Так что берегись

И, пока не поздно, оглянись.

Vladimir Vysotsky's song "The Shop Manager Received" is a satirical commentary on corruption and hypocrisy in Soviet society.

The first verse introduces us to the "shop manager" – a typical representative of small-scale Soviet trade. He receives a scarce crepe de chine fabric, but instead of putting it up for sale, he "gives away", "squanders", and, of course, "brings home" most of the goods.

The second verse reveals the "home" side of the story. The wife, instead of reproaching her husband for stealing, admires his "industriousness" and "ingenuity". This detail emphasizes the commonplace nature of corruption – it is perceived as the norm, not a crime.

The chorus is the moral of the story, addressed not only to the "shop manager" but also to all those who live dishonestly. The "moth" flying into the fire is a metaphor for a person who lives for the moment, without thinking about the consequences of their actions. Vysotsky reminds us that "nothing lasts forever on earth," and sooner or later everyone will have to answer for everything.

The second image of the song is the "neighbor across the hall" – another recognizable type of Soviet person who hides behind his past ("took Warsaw") to justify his boorish behavior in the present. Vysotsky ridicules such people, reminding them that past merits do not give the right to permissiveness.

The repetition of the chorus at the end of the song reinforces the main idea: everyone must be responsible for their actions, and no excuses will help to avoid retribution.