Thread: Is it possible to translate a song here?

The heading says that songs can be translated here. I hope so. I tried a general song translation site and it's been going on 3 weeks with no reply.

My new neighbor is Russian and he's not very friendly. That's o.k. cause we're just neighbors. But he lives across the hall and plays this one song over and over again. I hear it all the time but I have no idea what it means. I'm interested. Shazam told me it is Девочка-пай by Mikhail Krug. Could someone please translate this song for me?

I don't know your rules for copyright so I didn't post the lyrics. They are easily found anyway. If it would help you after all, I can post them too.

I don't know a word of Russian!

First of all Mikhail Krug belongs to so called genre of 'блатные песни' = 'songs of/for criminal underground'. You need no to belong to criminal to listen them, but they are not appropriate for central TV often, for example. This one is some kind of neutral.
'Девочка-пай' (devochka-pai) is reverse of 'Пай-девочка' which is 'good girl' in sense of child obeing parents, living good and right life of innocence and so on.
This song is about relations between criminal guy with 'good girl'.
I have no time to do complete translation, so there is translation of refrain. I divide text by rhythm.

Как (pause) было тепло // It was so warm
Что нас с тобой // so you and me
вместе свело // came together

Девочка-пай // good girl
рядом жиган // with rogue
и хулиган // and hooligan

В нашей Твери // Our Tver (city) don't know // keep in mind - 'our' means 'criminal Tver'
нету таких // such a girls
Даже среди // Even amongst
шкур центровых // the chicks/bitches from central district

Девочка-пай // Good girl
ты не грусти // don't be sad
и не скучай // and don't be bored // in russian can be perceived as 'don't miss me' because of context

Hey Alex80,

Thank you for offering that bit of translation. It gives me more of an idea of the song that keeps playing across the hall! If that kind of music is not suitable for central tv (etc) how does one get into it? Is it just like some people like genres of gangsta rap or something? Just wondering!

My neighbor must be in a break-up then or have questionable taste in music. :P

In Russia there is joke 'every taxi/bus driver listens "criminal songs (блатные песни)"'. It is based on reality though. Usually this kind of songs has simple and soft rhythm which makes it possible to listen them infinite time. Like 'ambient' music. But also they have some 'hard' text inside. Something about son in prison remembering mother, betrayal of best friend of thief, offensive cops, tattoo of christian church on the chest and so on.
'Gangsta rap' concept is near and far at the same time. To say the truth this one song of Krug is one of the best and well-known songs of this genre. You may end up with liking it one day. Most of others are worse. Typical man in Russia really do think about this genre as 'bad taste'.

> he's not very friendly

Also, note, that russians do not smile automatically in public. It's absolutely normal to keep grim face in Russia in public. Moreover - causeless smile looks suspicious and strange in genreal. So, don't make opinion because of facial expression only.

Aahhh, I made full translation:

В тебе было столько желания, и месяц над нами светил,
You was full of desire and moon sickle was shining above us
Когда по маляве, придя на свидание, я розы тебе подарил.
when I gave you roses during our (first) date
Какой ты казалась серьезной, качала в ответ головой.
You was looking serious and beck your head in response,
Когда я сказал, что отнял эти розы
when I told you that I took away this roses by force
В киоске на Первой Ямской.
in the shop on the First Yamskaja street.

refrain

Панты просадил я чуть позже, в делах узелки затянул.
I made mistake a little later, decided to quit criminal life
А наш участковый, ментовская рожа,
But our sheriff, god damned cop,
Домой к тебе вдруг заглянул.
Made visit to your home,
О как портретист на Трехсвятской
He made picture of us (in imagination)
Двоих нас с тобой рисовал.
Like painter on the Trehsvatskaja street
Давил, что ты станешь подстилкой кабацкой,
He insisted that you will become bar prostitute
И с чаем пол торта сожрал.
And ate half of the cake with tea

refrain

А все шебутная мамаша, как будто тряся потроха,
Your spoffy mother was like she was shaking offals,
Тебя провожала по улице нашей,
while she followed you at our street
Папаша привел женишка.
Your father brought fiance (for you)
Но как-то под вечер в подъезде
But one evening at the porch
К нему подкатил я слегка.
I made a little visit to him
Он нес тебе розы, а я ему свесил
He carried roses for you, but I give him
От всей души, с левой, крюка.
a great punch by left hand

refrain

Note, there is lot of criminal slang here, but I cannot do adequate translation not knowing english one.

Hey Alex80,

Thank you so much for taking the time to make a translation of the song!

Thank you as well for explaining the genre too. It seems as though this is the preferred genre of my neighbor since Shazam says he listened to a song by Ivan Kuchin. When I googled it, it showed an album of a man behind jail bars. And then, some group called Butyrka, which I know is the name of a prison. Since you say the saying is that cab and bus drivers like these songs, it is just part of some working class people? As you say, based on reality.

By the way, I am not being nosy about my neighbor by Shazaming his song but they are just that loud. (During the day, so it is not against the law, really.) You can't help but hear them!

It is interesting to know that the average man in Russia thinks these songs are in bad taste though. Thanks again.

Yes, these are all 'criminal songs'. Somehow this genre also is labeled with term 'chanson (шансон)' in Russia, but this has nothing in common with frensh music (original term). I do not know why.
As I told before you do not need to be criminal guy to listen to these songs, but in common likers of this genre tend to be more rude and redneck guys. And maybe criminal of course.