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Ural biker blues

I was plodding down the road one autumn day,
My feet were killing me, I just conquered a steep climb,
It was a nasty November day,
When I heard a sound,
Akin the one of a thunder.
 
I looked behind, and I saw a cloud of dust,
And through it came three wheels, devouring miles,
I looked behind, wandering
whether it would stop for me or not,
I was so tired of flagging the ride down for the last hundred thousands years.
 
I lifted my hand, thumb up, in desperation, and you stopped,
You asked me: “Where to, honey?
If to the north - I can give you a ride”.
I picked up my guitar, smiled, and replied that I was going the same way.
 
And you smiled too, said that you were called Valentina,
That you just installed studded tires,
And asked me if I could sing something for you?
I took my Gibson1 out of it’s case, took a drag on a cigarette, and commenced.
 
I sang to her about “a Jew”, about “here is the thing, brother, it’s love”,
I sang “Hoochie Coochie Man” for her,
And then once more about “a Jew”, and then “of love”,
I then started singing about “a tea”, but she interrupted me:
“Listen, buddy, wait up”.
 
The motor stalled, and I climbed out of the sidecar,
Silence fell, everything around was like a fairytale.
The fields, the forests, the sky and the creek, and you got out a flask,
Unscrewed the cap and said: “Here, buddy, drink up..”
 
And while I was getting wasted, you were fixing the motor,
It refused to get started, it decided to take us hostage,
There was pure alcohol in the flask, and I got so drunk that I nearly fell down,
And you said:
“Sorry, brother, but it’s not a Harley2, it’s an Ural”3
 
And I cried out: “Valentina, I don’t give a damn about Harley Davidson,
Of course, no question, we are not gonna compare,
But if you want, I can play some blues for you,
Just don’t pay attention if I made any mistakes for some reason,
So here is “Ural biker blues”.
 
I was playing for two hours straight, and you were fixing the clutch,
And lo and behold, a miracle happened,
And I quickly got into a sidecar, and we sped away,
And did it so fast that you had to warn me: “Honey, hold on!”
 
Speed on, speed on, Valentina, speed on.
You’ve got one heck of a bike, speed on.
See, Valya, I’m not scared at all,
And we will be free, so long as my “Ural biker blues” plays on.
 

• 1. American guitar manufecturer
• 2. Harley-Davidson -American company primarily known by the eponymous motorcycle brand
• 3.
  IMZ-Ural (Irbitskiy Mototsikletniy Zavod, lit. 'Irbit Motorcycle Factory') is a Russian maker of heavy sidecar motorcycles.

I Ain't Like That

I light a candle to see who's footsteps are outside my window.
I'm not joking, maybe it is my enemies out at midnight. 1
Maybe we should check outside the door, see what's around : 2
Maybe it's a monster, or just maybe, it's you.
 
Do you want me to bring a humble cat,
To sit upon your bare feet. 3
No thanks, I somewhat lie,
I can barely keep still. 4
How about I bring you a loyal dog,
To bring you peace and joy? 5
You know I ain't like that!
 
The radiance of two-thousand lightbulbs boils the blood. 6
But if there is something here, it'd be your love.
Screaming sobers the brain, whispers only make you drowsy. 7
For every small sign, there are hundreds of big-names on it.
 
Do you want me to bring a humble cat,
To sit upon your bare feet.
No thanks, I somewhat lie,
I can barely keep still.
How about I bring you a loyal dog,
To bring you peace and joy?
You know I ain't like that!
 
The footsteps outside my window has stopped, so you can blow the candle out now.
If it was just the two of us here, life would be so much easier.
But simply is not, so drop everything and be here with me.
For every little step I take, there are hundreds of deep holes.
 
Do you want me to bring a humble cat,
To sit upon your bare feet.
No thanks, I somewhat lie,
I can barely keep still.
How about I bring you a loyal dog,
To bring you peace and joy?
You know I ain't like that!
 

• 1. I could've done this line a little bit better
• 2. Yeah, I extrapolated and mutilated this line and odds are there might've been a better way around it.
• 3. Don't offer your bare feet to a cat, especially Silenced. And if the cat is on your bare feet, you either made a blood sacrifice or are the cat's obedient slave. Either way, you're going to lose toes in the long run.
• 4. Yeah, you're a cat person if you cannot sit still. Running from those damn fur gremlins is an Olympic sport
• 5. See? Chizh and Co get it! Dogs bring you joy while cats, 80% of the time all of the time are fur gremlins that bring you suffering and depression. But they're adorable so you got that.
• 6. This is a pun of sorts, and it keeps to the lines meaning. Don't lynch me
• 7. Yes, screaming is quite sobering.

Hoochie-Coochie Man

This morning I decided that,
I'll definitely get drunk,
By day's end, I'll be broke,
Today is beer and blues,
Oh, I am a hoochie-coochie,
Oh, I am a hoochie-coochie man
Roll out my fields, mom
I'm absolutely exhausted!
 
I'll make a call,
And you'll say : 'Okay!'
I'll count the cash,
I borrowed from friends,
O-o-oh, I am a hoochie-coochie,
O-o-oh, I am a hoochie-coochie man.
Roll out my body, mom,
I'm absolutely parched!
 
But where's the guitar, the harmonica
Hold on, no ned to rush.
While I start to pour,
Get your buddies ready,
O-o-oh, I am a hoochie-coochie
O-o-oh, I am a hoochie-coochie man
Roll out my heart, mom,
And everything you wish for will come true!
 
I don't care if I'm unshaven 1
And if there's mud stuck to my soles,
We'll get drunk tonight,
The perfect blues,
Oh, I won't be a hoochie-coochie,
Oh, I won't be a hoochie-coochie man
Roll out my fields, mom,
Roll out my dreams, mom,
Until I come out completely.
 

• 1. Same

Shared with you

Versions: #2
Shared with you is one passport for the cops to deal with
A 'Romantic' brand player, plus tape of 'Aerosmith'1.
Shared with you - the same sweater, for the cold of the night
Couple cans of the rations, one pound [of] saltines to bite.
 
Shared with you is the seashore, shared with you is one grove.
Shared with you is the ocean, shared with you the same cross.
Shared with you - a new crescent and a bottle of wine,
Shared with you - 'parrabellum',2 - for the front line.
 
Shared with you - single cigarette, that's not enough.
Shared with you - one umbrella and the same true love.
Shared with you - bottom dollar for the return ride tolls.
Shared with you - the same sorrow, shared with you the same cross.
 

• 1. 'The Beatles' in the original.
• 2. Luger pistol. Author uses a word play with a nod the the Luger's Latin slogan: Si vis pacem, para bellum ('If you seek peace, prepare for war')

© Uncommon
Critique is always welcomed (proof-read or not, negative too).

Crossroads

You left early this morning, a lil’ after six
You left early this morning, to somewhere a lil’ after six
Dressed quietly, watching the clock
Scribbling “I’m sorry” on a pack of L&Ms 1
 
A few strands of hair lay on the pillow
A few strands of blond hair lay on the pillow
And almost mechanically, what you said, bassist
I begin to wrap the hair around my finger, wondering whose name is last in the alphabet
 
Whose life is a boogie-woogie, and whose life is complete nonsense
Whose life is a boogie-woogie, well, at least my life is nonsense
Half-drunk beer, empty mosquitoes
Overlooking sleep, didn't see the hit
 
I was looking for you here and there, and I thought I was going crazy
I was looking for you here and there, and I thought I was going crazy
Oh guitar and strings, the holy alliance
When love throws down, the blues begins
When love throws down, the blues begins
When love throws down, the blues stays
 
To me, music is a form of speech, and just like speech, music should be heard to all regardless of barriers in place. So by translating you're letting other people open up to a world that is alien to them, a world where many who listen to the Russian, German and French music I listen to, is not strange or weird because they do not understand what the singer is singing. By having translations music can share cultural and political ideas, or really just ideas, around without barrier, and allow for discussion over meaning and purpose instead of trivial pursuit.

A Bullet Whistled By Me

A bullet whistled by me,
Hit me in the chest -
On a dashing steed I escaped to steppe.
But the Commissar reached me with his sword -
I lost my control and fell down from horse.
 
[Chorus:]
Hey, hoy! My dashing sable steed!
Hey, my shot-gun from steel!
Hey, my friend heavy mist!
Hey, hoy! And cossack squadron chief!
And cossack squadron chief!
 
On a single leg I came back from war,
Tied horse to a fence, sat with wife to score.
An hour hasn't passed -
Commissar came by,
He untied the horse, and he took my wife.
 
[Chorus] x2
 
Crucifix from wall I wore under shirt,
Set the hut ablaze, dug shot-gun from dirt.
Living under brutes1
Means to sell your cross!
Many folks like me sought avenging loss.
 
[Chorus]
 

• 1. here: under Soviet regime.

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A Song About Love

Versions: #2
Why don’t I write a song about love
Why don’t I invent a new style?
Lovely melody and lyrics on the stave
For the royalties’ sake – worth my while
 
My song will be heard by a thousand eyes
My picture will be wanted by a thousand hands
My sunshine will say to me – that’s about us
The poetry will be mocked by my friends
 
I will become a brand new Super Star
Lots of money, the toys, fancy car…
You will smile to me happily: “There you are!”
I will hug you and nod: “Good so far…”
 
Should I write a new love song – for the fans?
But a string came off broken on guitar
And we ran out of paper and there’s none the pens
Well then maybe next time,
And now it’s time for bed.