Not only is music the international language, it’s also a great way to learn a foreign language! Listening to music in Russian can help improve your listening, your vocabulary and even your grammar – the lyrics will get stuck in your head in the correct cases and conjugations.
In this post, we’ll look at three popular Russian artists who all have concerts in Saint Petersburg this month (Градусы, Ленинград and Баста). Get a taste of their music, read some of their lyrics in Russian with their translation, and find out where to buy tickets if you want to see them live.
Popular Russian Music
Not only is music the international language, it’s also a great way to learn a foreign language! Listening to music in Russian can help improve your listening, your vocabulary and even your grammar – the lyrics will get stuck in your head in the correct cases and conjugations.
In this post, we’ll look at three popular Russian artists who all have concerts in Saint Petersburg this month (Градусы, Ленинград and Баста). Get a taste of their music, read some of their lyrics in Russian with their translation, and find out where to buy tickets if you want to see them live.
Useful vocabulary for music
(музыкальная) группа – band
куплет – verse
припев – chorus
текст песни – lyrics (literally “text of song”)
Группа Градусы
Formed in 2008, Graducy is a popular band from Stavropol. Their style can be described as a mix of pop-rock, disco, and R&B.
Live in Saint Petersburg: November 11, from RUB 1200
In this song, a man lists the things he likes about his girlfriend.
Голая (“Naked”)
Нравится мне, когда ты голая по квартире ходишь, и несомненно заводишь.
Нравится мне, когда ты громко хохочешь, не важно днем или ночью – это нравится мне.
Нравится мне, когда мы смотрим с тобою фильмы, хоть они и дебильны и даже во сне.
Нравится мне, что ты с меня одеяло стянула, и меня даже продуло
I like it when you walk around the around the apartment naked, you turn me on!
I like it when you laugh loudly, it doesn’t matter if it’s night or day, I like it.
I like it when we watch films together even if they’re bad and we fall asleep
I like that you pulled the covers off me even though I caught a cold
Режиссёр (“Director”)
Я в этом фильме главный актёр, я – сценарист в нём, я – режиссёр.
Враг мой бойся меня, друг мой не отрекайся от меня
Нелюбимая, прости меня, любимая – люби меня.
I’m the main character in this film, I’m the screenwriter, I’m the director.
My enemy – fear me. My friend – don’t renounce me. My unloved one – forgive me. My loved one – love me.
Ленинград
The controversial but popular band Leningrad, known for its vulgar and provocative lyrics, is celebrating 20 years as a band. The band is currently composed of 14 members. Male and female vocals, guitar, bass, drums, trumpet, tuba, accordion, keyboard, and saxophone all contribute to their complex sound. Several of Leningrad’s songs were also in the soundtrack of the movie Everything is Illuminated (starring Elijah Wood).
Live in Saint Petersburg: November 23 and 24, from 1500
The song is about a man who can’t remember where he lives, and claims his address is www.leningrad@sbp.ru
www
Когда переехал не помню
Наверное был я бухой
Мой адрес не дом и не улица
Мой адрес сегодня такой
WWW Ленинград
Spb точка ру
WWW Ленинград
Spb точка ру
When I moved, I don’t remember / Probably I was drunk. / My address isn’t (a number of) a building or (a name of) a street / Today my address is this: www.leningrad@sbp.ru , www.leningrad@sbp.ru
This song is about a couple arguing over vacationing in the dacha (country house), since it is more difficult for Russians to get visas to travel abroad.
СИЗОнная
А на нашей с тобой даче,
Возле пальм у реки,
Мужики там чисто “мачо”,
Уже жарят шашлыки.
Я не хочу на дачу,
На дачу не хочу,
Щас я вообще заплачу,
И сильно закричу,
Так не хочу на дачу,
На дачу не хочу!
And in our dacha (country house), near the bath, beside the river,
Men there are purely macho, they’re already barbecuing kebabs
I don’t want to go to the dacha, to the dacha I don’t want to go!
Now I will cry and scream loudly
So I don’t want to go to the dacha, to the dacha I don’t want to go!
Баста
Basta, from Rostov-on-Don, is one of the most famous Russian rappers.
Live in Saint Petersburg: November 25, from RUB 2000
Сансары (“Samsara”)
Когда меня не станет – я буду петь голосами
Моих детей и голосами их детей.
Нас просто меняют местами,
Таков закон сансары, круговорот людей. (О-о-ой, мама…)
When I’m no longer here, I will sing with the voices
of my children and the voices of their children
We’ll simply change places,
That’s the law of the samsara, the cycle of people(/life). Ohhh Mama.
This song was written for Saint Petersburg.
Камменные цветы (“Stone Flowers”)
Мой маленький Северный Рай,
Каменные цветы.
Падают все мосты над небом,
И на небо падаем мы.
Питер For-Life!
Saint P.!
My little Northern Paradise,
Stone flowers
All the bridges fall over the sky
and we fall into the sky
Piter for life!
Saint P!
If you’re interested in buying tickets for these or other concerts in Saint Petersburg, check out kassir.ru or alloshow.ru.