Comments on: Russian Agit-Pop video via WFMU (is there any better blog going?)

By: benoit

benoit — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:36:29 +0000

mikhail> could you give us the russian lyrics in phonetic (latin letters)please? ’cause i don’t hear realy good as i don’t understand anything in russian… ^^

By: Prokofy Neva

Prokofy Neva — Sat, 19 May 2007 09:33:20 +0000

I’d have to agree that their point is that these latter-day socialist leaders like Chavez or Lukashenka of Belarus, who’s a tyrant, are sell-outs at heart, with Snickers bars in the left hand and Marx as their PR manager.

The oil wells make me think of how dependent Europe is now on Russia, getting about a quarter of its gas, and even more of its oil from Russia, and dependent upon it.

By: jimgroom

jimgroom — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:04:08 +0000

That’s a sound reading, kpunk. Seems like they are focusing on these figures, and the bizarre assortment of objects, guns, flowers, oil, cigars, etc. associated with makes that reading even more convincing. Also, as a sidenote, you’re site is very cool!

By: kpunk

kpunk — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:47:20 +0000

this is a great song/video. thanks for posting the translation. my read on the imagery and lyrics is that it is a critique of “fake” socialist leaders who have been seduced by the fruits of capitalism and militarism. but that is just my interpretation. i’d love to read more about the band if anybody can provide any information.

By: jimgroom

jimgroom — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 04:21:23 +0000

Very cool, Mikhail. So given the jist of political figures that accompany these lyrics, is the song attacking the current state of radical politicians like Castro, Chavez, etc. ? Are they, given the lyrics and images, selling out to the God of Capital in their own ways -with Marx as their PR manager? I’m interested to think what a band from Belarus has to say about the current state of the political world. Interesting that the concentration of images deals with the current state leaders that are in some ways at odds with the US. While, at the same time the “global” cities like Moscow, NYC, Tokyo, and London are highlighted repeatedly. I wonder how folks are reading this music video now that the lyrics are in.

By: Mikhail

Mikhail — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 03:40:02 +0000

Here’s the last part:

My face is Madonna, inside rotten pears
All kneel! Orchestra: flourish.
Capital.

By: Mikhail

Mikhail — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 03:33:25 +0000

No problem. Here’s a quick and dirty:

I eat for dinner gold nuggets
and for diamond dessert
cream of oil

My name is Beelzebub
master of the stratosphere
I am unbelievably “cool”
Respect me without bounds

Right hand “Snickers,” left hand “Mars”
My PR manager is Karl Marx
Capital

I eat cities, wash them down with seas
My beard obscures the sky
Thunder, lightning, fog and rains
Ministers and leaders lick my boots

That’s the bulk of it. I couldn’t make out some of the words of the last part of the the very last refrain which begins with “my face is Madonna . . .” — I’ll try to post the rest later.