VLADIMIR VYSOTSKY (1938-1980)
I continue to introduce the songs by Vladimir Vysotsky to the Western audience. Two previous magazine’s issues showcased Vysotsky’s criminal songs. This time I am going to display sports in his songs.
Everyone knows a famous “Boxer” song by Simon and Garfunkel. Great song about a poor boy and the peripeteias of his penurious life. Listening to this song one can’t remain untouched by this narration. With this said, I am still curious what relation does this song have to the world of boxing as the title promises. A boxer appears in the last stanza. All we know about him is that he remembers all his fights and his ties to the poor boy, the song protagonist, are not explained.
Vladimi Vysotsky also wrote a song entitled “About a sentimental boxer”. However, it is totally different from the “Boxer” by the renowned American duet. “A sentimental boxer” is one of the songs from the sports cycle – Vysotsky wrote about twenty sports songs, each one about a different kind of sport. Listening to every single sport song, you feel that you are now at the stadium stands watching the sporting event (or watching it on the TV screen). Each song is a detailed description of a game or competition. Vysotsky’s imagery is just incredible. His, for example, football songs are not about this game in general but there is a separate song about a goalkeeper, a separate song about a right inside (mind you, not left!), a separate song about Brazilian football stars. From these songs you may learn that the England national champion team captain Bobby Moore had some problems with the police in South America and a great Brazilian striker Tostao had some serious problems with his left eye. In one football song Vysotsky explains the difference between an outdated “W” playing scheme and a modern “4-2-4” one. The track and field songs are specifically divided into a song about long jump, high jump, marathon, hammer throwing. His chess songs (about the world title match versus Bobby Fisher) may be even used as a chess manual for the beginners.
Let’s get back to the “Sentimental boxer”. It is nothing else but a radio reportage about what is happening in the boxing ring, the reporter being one of the boxers himself. The song is stuffed with the boxing terminology and the exact situations taking place during the fight. When I sent my translation of this song to an American artist Dan Bern (whose rendition of this song is presented here) he exclaimed: “ Wow, it’s practically the exact description of what happened in the historic fight between Mohammad Ali and Floyd Patterson back in 1965!” Needless to say, that Vysotsky, living in the USSR those days, didn’t have the slightest idea about what occurred on the 22nd November, 1965 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Just his fantastic imagination and the reality paradoxically coincided!
The most peculiar feature of the Vysotsky sports songs is that all of them are a mix with good laughter. It may be a mild, kind humor (as in his football series) or a bitter political satire (as in “About a hammer thrower” or “The marathon”), but these songs are always funny. Hope you will also laugh now listening to Dan Bern’s performing my translation of the “Sentimental boxer”.
A SONG ABOUT A SENTIMENTAL BOXER
A hook, a swing, a heavy straight—I’m cracking like a nut ...
My vis-a-vis, a welterweight, Hits hard an upper-cut.
He corners me, he hits me more, I hardly hold on ...
Another hook — I’m on the floor, And I am almost gone.
My rival was thinking while mincing my face: “Boy, life is so cool and I am the ace!”
The ref yells “Nine!” — I’m half alive, But I get up again ...
I dodge, I leap, I block, I dive And even points I gain!
It’s not that for the final phase My vigor I reserve.
I’ve never hit somebody’s face—ust haven’t got the nerve!
My rival was thinking while mincing my face: “Boy, life is so cool and I am the ace!”
The crowd roars :”Don’t yield an inch! Knock out this timid dope!”
My rival gets into a clinch And I cling to a rope!
He works non-stop, he’s real tough, He saves no jabs, no whacks;
I whispered then: “You’ve toiled enough, You’re tired, man, relax!”
But he went on thinking still mincing my face: “Boy, life is so cool and I am the ace!”
He keeps on punching with a snort, The curtain soon must fall ...
Don’t call this murder — it’s the sport Of manliness and all ...
He tried too hard and in the end, Exhausted, down he broke ...
The referee raised up my hand Which had produced no stroke!
He was now lying and thought :”Life is cool,But one is quite smart and another — a fool!”
Translated by George Tokarev
© GEORGE TOKAREV 2001
READ MORE
Audio Video
Sports In Music