The meaning of the lyrics of the song "I remember playing Durak, Point, and Stoss back then." (Pomnyu, ya v buru, v ochko i v stos togda igral) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

I played him at cards, can't remember the game

Can't recall the bitch, though his face is the same

I lost him two girls, he took them away

Damn, went spades, not hearts, what a price I did pay!

I lost him two girls, he took them away

Damn, went spades, not hearts, what a price I did pay!

He shuffled the deck like a pro would have done

Then I made my move, wish I'd never begun

He slammed roubles down, the Kremlin his game

While I choked on my spit, swallowed down all my shame.

Went spades, not hearts, now they're gone with the wind

Damn, went spades, not hearts, what a mess I am in!

My hands were all shaky, like I'd chickens to steal

Like it was my first time, the tension I feel

He threw me a bone, let me win half a grand

Went spades, not hearts, now they're gone with the sand

Went spades, not hearts, now they're gone with the sand

The bets were all rising, felt too good to be true

Then I made my mistake, knew not what to do

He put them on stake, those two girls, my only prize

And I went spades, not hearts, a fool in disguise!

And I went spades, not hearts, a fool in disguise!

Shuffled the deck again, had to make a new start

But my nerves gave me up, tore my insides apart

There was nothing to do, no more tricks up my sleeve

So I took him out back, laid the bastard to grieve

Damn, went spades, not hearts, what a price I did pay!

Damn, went spades, not hearts, what a price I did pay!

Помню, я однажды и в очко, и в стос играл

А с кем играл — не помню этой стервы

Я ему тогда двух сук из зоны проиграл

Эх, зря пошёл я в пику, а не в черву!

Я ему тогда двух сук из зоны проиграл

Зря пошёл я в пику, а не в черву!

Он сперва как следует колоду стасовал

А потом я сделал ход неверный

Он рубли с Кремлём кидал, а я слюну глотал

И пошёл я в пику, а не в черву!

Он рубли с Кремлём кидал, а я слюну глотал

И пошёл я в пику, а не в черву!

Руки задрожали, будто кур я воровал

Будто сел играть я в самый первый

Он сперва для понта мне пол сотни проиграл

И пошёл я в пику, а не в черву!

Он сперва для понта мне пол сотни проиграл

И пошёл я в пику, а не в черву!

Ставки повышались, всё шло слишком хорошо

Но потом я сделал ход неверный

Он поставил на кон этих двух — и я пошёл

И пошёл я в пику, а не в черву!

Он поставил на кон этих двух — и я пошёл

И пошёл я в пику, а не в черву!

Я тогда по-новой всю колоду стасовал

А потом не выдержали нервы

Делать было нечего — и я его прибрал

Ох, зря пошёл я в пику, а не в черву!

Делать было нечего — и я его прибрал

Зря пошёл я в пику, а не в черву!

The song "I remember playing Bura, Ochko, and Stoss" by Vladimir Vysotsky is a narrative from the perspective of a former prisoner reminiscing about a disastrous card game. While the lyrics are laden with prison slang, the song carries a deep psychological meaning and explores themes of fate, destiny, and human error.

Here are the key elements that reveal the meaning of the song:

Atmosphere of Hopelessness: From the very first lines, a heavy and oppressive atmosphere is established. The lyrical hero finds himself in a desperate situation, having lost everything in a card game, not to just anyone, but presumably to a fellow inmate ("I lost two bitches from the zone to him").

The Role of Chance and Fate: The phrase "I shouldn't have gone for the spade, I should've gone for the heart!" is repeated throughout the song like a haunting motif. It symbolizes not only a bad decision in the card game but also a wrong turn in life that led the hero down a path of tragic consequences.

The Unnamed Opponent: The identity of the hero's adversary is never revealed ("I don't remember that bitch I played with"), making him an embodiment of faceless fate that the hero struggles against.

The Illusion of Winning: At first, luck seems to be on the hero's side ("At first, he lost me half a hundred just for show"), but this only lulls him into a false sense of security and pushes him to take even greater risks.

The Motif of Deception: The line "He shuffled the deck real good at first" suggests that the hero might have been cheated, which further intensifies the feeling of injustice and the inevitability of his downfall.

Loss of Freedom: Losing "two bitches from the zone" can be interpreted as losing the last vestiges of freedom, the last glimmer of hope for a better life.

Dramatic Climax: The song culminates in a moment of desperation when the hero, unable to bear the weight of his loss and the psychological pressure, commits a crime ("There was nothing else to do — and I took him out").

Therefore, Vysotsky's song is not just a story about losing at cards. It's a metaphor for the journey of a man who, having made a wrong choice, finds himself at the mercy of fate and is forced to pay the price for his mistakes.