The meaning of the lyrics of the song "It's really unfair, isn't it?" (Pravda ved, obidno) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

It's really a shame, if you ask me, to be caught like this -

A friend sold you out, the bastard, spilled his guts about everything:

About an old fight, long ago - Sasha snitched about it all -

And two in blue, two in plain clothes, a black raven...

Farewell, Tanya, or maybe - goodbye!

Farewell, Tanya, if you can - don't be angry!

But it's still a shame, for no reason at all

To be thrown out of life for a whole quarter of a century!

At the trial, the judge said: "Twenty-five! See you soon!"

I would have torn his throat out for such words before!

But now - I endure the insult, I don't show it -

If I ever meet Sasha - oh, how I'll disfigure him!

Farewell, Tanya, or maybe - goodbye!

Farewell, Tanya, if you can - don't be angry!

But it's still a shame, for no reason at all

To be thrown out of life for a whole quarter of a century!

Правда ведь, обидно, если завязал, —

А товарищ продал, падла, и за все сказал:

За давнишнее, за драку — все сказал Сашок, —

И двое в синем, двое в штатском, черный воронок…

До свиданья, Таня, а, может быть — прощай!

До свиданья, Таня, если можешь — не серчай!

Но все-таки обидно, чтоб за просто так

Выкинуть из жизни напрочь цельный четвертак!

На суде судья сказал: «Двадцать пять! До встречи!»

Раньше б горло я порвал за такие речи!

А теперь — терплю обиду, не показываю виду, —

Если встречу я Сашка — ох как изувечу!

До свиданья, Таня, а, может быть — прощай!

До свиданья, Таня, если можешь — не серчай!

Но все-таки обидно, чтоб за просто так

Выкинуть из жизни напрочь цельный четвертак!

The song "It's really a shame, isn't it?" by Vladimir Vysotsky tells a story of betrayal and its devastating consequences. The lyrical hero finds himself betrayed by a friend and sentenced to prison. The lyrics are imbued with bitterness, resentment, and a thirst for revenge.

The very first lines set the tone for the whole piece: "It's really a shame, isn't it, if you've quit, —/ And your buddy sold you out, the bastard, and told them everything". The hero speaks of a friend's betrayal, who "ratted" him out, revealing his past misdeeds ("something old, about a fight"). As a result, the hero is arrested ("two in blue, two in plain clothes, a black van").

The address to Tanya, filled with bitterness ("Goodbye, Tanya, or maybe – farewell!"), emphasizes the hero's personal drama. He says goodbye to his beloved, perhaps forever, and asks her not to hold a grudge.

The phrase "To throw a whole quarter out of your life just like that!" has a double meaning. "Quarter" is a slang term for a 25-year prison sentence in Russian. At the same time, it is a metaphor for a period of life that the hero loses because of betrayal.

The judge's words, "Twenty-five! See you later!", sound mocking, emphasizing the injustice of the sentence. The hero is depressed ("I endure the offense, I don't show it"), but the thirst for revenge is strong ("If I meet that Sasha – oh, how I'll mutilate him!").

The repetition of the lines about saying goodbye to Tanya and the lost "quarter" at the end of the song enhances the emotional impact on the listener. We see that the betrayal of a friend and the unjust punishment have left a deep mark on the hero's soul, destroying his life and love.