The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Forgetting about business/work/chores" (Pozabyiv pro dela) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

Forgetting troubles and worries,

Unable to help myself at all,

I love to stand by the road,

To frighten the late passers-by.

"Citizen, allow me a cigarette",

"But I don't smoke, I'm sorry, not now",

And then I so quietly, without asking,

Brush past the man's sides.

Pretending that everything is forgotten,

Running fifty paces away,

The man will call me a bandit,

A hooligan, and that's that.

But if I meet a woman,

I don't ask her for a smoke,

But calmly hint to her,

That she has nowhere else to hurry.

Forgetting troubles and worries,

Unable to help myself at all,

I love to stand on the road,

If only it were better not to meet women.

Позабыв про дела и тревоги,

И не в силах себя удержать,

Так люблю я стоять у дороги,

Запоздалых прохожих пугать.

"Гражданин, разрешите папироску",

"А я не курю, извините, пока",

И тогда я так тихо, без спросу

Отминаю у дяди бока.

Сделав вид, что уж все позабыто,

Отбежав на полсотни шагов,

Обзовет меня дядя бандитом,

Хулиганом и будет таков.

Но если женщину я повстречаю,

У нее не прошу закурить,

А спокойно ей так намекаю,

Что ей некуда больше спешить.

Позабыв про дела и тревоги,

И не в силах себя удержать,

Так люблю я стоять на дороге,

Но только б лучше мне баб не встречать.

In Vladimir Vysotsky's song "Forgetting About Business," we are initially presented with the image of a hooligan who, out of boredom, frightens passersby. He asks for a cigarette and then "takes away the sides of an old man," enjoying the effect he produces.

However, upon closer examination of the text, we realize that this is not just a hooligan, but rather an image of a person in a state of existential rebellion. He has "forgotten about business and worries"; he does not belong to the world of everyday life with its conventions and rules. He seeks thrills, opportunities to go beyond the limits, to challenge society.

The hero deliberately chooses an aggressive manner of behavior to provoke a reaction, to feel alive. He is not afraid of being called a "bandit" and a "hooligan" because this only confirms his "otherness."

Interestingly, the hero behaves differently towards women. He does not show aggression but rather tries to attract attention, to intrigue. Perhaps this manifests his subconscious desire to find a kindred spirit, someone who understands and accepts his rebellious nature.

The ending of the song is ambiguous. On the one hand, the hero seems to regret his actions ("it would be better if I didn't meet women"). On the other hand, it is impossible to say for sure whether he will abandon his way of life. After all, it is in it that he finds what he lacks in everyday life – emotions, adrenaline, a sense of freedom.