SAMPLES: "Heavenbound"

"Heavenbound (The Ballad of the Gallows Field)" ("Баллада О Лобном Месте," "Разбойничья," "Сколь веревочка не вейся..," 1975) is one of my all-time favorite songs. Written for the movie "How Czar Peter Arranged His Arab's Marriage," it was never included on the soundtrack. The tale of a luckless fellow, driven by poverty to crime, then persecuted and hanged, is incredible in its power and imagery.

I began translating it back in 1994 and worked on it for 13 years. I consider it to be my finest accomplishment, perhaps not even by the end result (other songs flow smoother), but by the magnitude of the task itself. I have taken some serious liberties with it, starting from the title. The word "heavenbound" is my own invention for this song. It's not part of the original, but I want to emphasize the point of hope: a man finding better luck in the afterlife. Vysotsky's lyrics are very deeply Russian, full of folk expressions and proverbs. To adequately preserve the mood, I turned to the English "gallows" tradition, most notably "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" by Oscar Wilde.

As far as music goes, this is also my most experimental track, the farthest one from the original. In fact, the only thing left from Vysotsky here is the vocal melody and the omnipresent Am harmony. Both existing orchestral versions of the original did not satisfy me, because I wanted to come up with something completely original and different. All music is written by Polina and myself. We tried merging different genres here: hard rock, folk, goth, classical, and even dance. The first verse is very claustrophobic, talking about the man's unlucky past. His misfortunes are further emphasized in the second ("jumpy" guitars and almost dance-y beats) and the third verse (swaying orchestrations, ending in the axe's hiss). Then the song makes an abrupt cutback to the acoustics, but of a special kind: the guitar sounds deliberately out of tune, giving it a crazy, shaky, almost "leper-like" feel of a man losing his mind. This is the end: the fellow is to be hung at dawn! Then the orchestra returns, signifying the man's ascension to heaven.

My love for heavy metal served me well in this song: the "execution" songs by Iron Maiden, Morgana Lefay, and Tarot put me in the proper mood. Thanks to Marian McLellan for reviewing the translation. Notable quote from my wife: "This song really made it all worth it."

Heavenbound (The Ballad of the Gallows Field) mp3

Music & lyrics: Vladimir Vysotsky

Translation: Vadim Astrakhan

Arrangements & Production: Polina Goudieva & Vadim Astrakhan

Mix: Eric Kvortek

Vocals & acoustic guitar: Vadim Astrakhan

Keyboards: Polina Goudieva

HEAVENBOUND (BALLAD OF THE GALLOWS FIELD)

Also inspired by "The Ballad Of Reading Gaol" by Oscar Wilde, "The Last Rites" by Morgana Lefay and "Painless" by Tarot


Once upon a time in a cold, dark land, since the day when he was born,
All his life a poor, poor lad walked barefoot on the thorns, the thorns.
Life of endless scorn he lived, more than he could bear.
As for the grief that he received – nothing can compare!
Drink the poison till you drown!  Good thing you won't have to leave no tip!
The rope's twisting, twisting down:  it will tie into a whip!

Loser walks around the world, his misfortune calling.
Life, it seems to pass him by, between his fingers rolling.
As for those walking ice so thin, their road is seasoned!
They are dragged by wicked winds to the chains and prisons!
And no mercy here is shown!  Tortures ripping off your flesh, your flesh!
The rope's twisting, twisting down:  it will tie into a lash!

Ah, through this strange land I stride...  Entering, abandon hope!
Gallows Field is this land's pride and the soapy rope.
And the Satan, Devil-in-Chief, laughs at people swinging!
Mother, why this endless grief?  No life for the living!
But don't you cry and don't howl!  They won't pardon you for tears, no way.
The rope's twisting, twisting down:  they will cut it off one day!

Thinking bitter thoughts tonight… gallows waiting for me!
Cannot even have last rites:  hanging starts too early.
Missed the prayer?  No regret, no regret!  What am I delaying?
And the rope that I get has no knots, they're saying!
So rest, ye, heaven-bound!  Until dawn you're free to snooze!
The rope's twisting, twisting down:  it will tie into a noose!