The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Strange Tale" (Strannaya skazka) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

In Thrice-Nine Kingdom,

(Thrice nine makes twenty-seven)

All was based on cunning tricks,

Without a system, heaven sent.

Instead of waging wars himself,

The king drank deeply, by himself,

With his queen, he had a strife,

Left his daughter, an old maid's life,

And the prince turned to a thief.

In Thrice-Ten Kingdom's grace,

(Thrice ten makes thirty, is that the case?)

In good neighborly embrace,

Lived another king of the place.

Peace and quiet, life serene,

Though the king, a brute, had been,

He expelled ministers with might,

Hanged the whole opposition tight,

And from boredom, he grew lean.

In Thrice-Eleven's royal dome,

(Meaning, in the realm of Thirty-Three)

The Tsar relied on medicine at home:

Blisters plagued him, don't you see.

He was a warmonger, a vandal bold,

His two neighbors, he would scold,

Sent them every single week,

An insulting note, unique,

To a scandal, he would hold.

In Thirty-Three, the Tsar declared his need:

"Not enough land, I must concede!"

On neighbors' lands, he set his greed,

And the kings were filled with dread indeed.

"Restrain him, crush him!", they all cried,

But in Twenty-Seven, no force could be spied,

In the Thirtieth, commanders brave,

Lay drowned within a watery grave,

And vassals were ready to collide.

В Тридевятом государстве

(Трижды девять - двадцать семь)

Все держалось на коварстве -

Без проблем и без систем.

Нет того чтоб сам - воевать, -

Стал король втихаря попивать,

Расплевался с королевой,

Дочь оставил старой девой, -

А наследник пошел воровать.

В Тридесятом королевстве

(Трижды десять - тридцать, что ль?)

В добром дружеском соседстве

Жил еще один король.

Тишь да гладь, да спокойствие там, -

Хоть король был отъявленный хам,

Он прогнал министров с кресел,

Оппозицию повесил -

И скучал от тоски по делам.

В Триодиннадцатом царстве,

(То бишь - в царстве Тридцать три)

Царь держался на лекарстве:

Воспалились пузыри.

Был он - милитарист и вандал, -

Двух соседей зазря оскорблял -

Слал им каждую субботу

Оскорбительную ноту, -

Шел на международный скандал.

В Тридцать третьем царь сказился:

Не хватает, мол, земли, -

На соседей покусился -

И взбесились короли:

"Обуздать его, смять!" - только глядь -

Нечем в Двадцать седьмом воевать,

А в Тридцатом - полководцы

Все утоплены в колодце,

И вассалы восстать норовят...

Vladimir Vysotsky's satirical "Strange Tale" ridicules the vices of power and the absurdity of political situations. The author utilizes fairy tale motifs to create a grotesque allegory of the real world.

Each of the three kingdoms represents a specific type of dysfunctional state, headed by an incompetent ruler:

The Twenty-Seventh Kingdom: Chaos and arbitrariness reign ("everything was based on deceit"), the king is an alcoholic who neglects his duties.

The Thirtieth Kingdom: An atmosphere of stagnation ("peace and quiet"), a despotic king who has destroyed the opposition and suffers from idleness.

The Thirty-Third Kingdom: An aggressive militarist provoking international conflicts.

The ending of the tale emphasizes the failure of all three regimes in the face of an external threat. The Thirty-Third King, driven by lust for power, attacks his neighbors. However, none of the kingdoms is ready for war: one has no army, another has repressed its military leaders, and the third is torn apart by internal contradictions.

Thus, "Strange Tale" is a sharp satirical statement about the depravity of power, the irresponsibility of rulers, and the illusion of imaginary well-being.