This song actually taxes my Engrish. I am looking at it, and scratching my head, as I have no idea even how to start translating it. I’ve fed this text to Babelfish, but systran choked on it too. I guess it does not only tax me….

Россия (Небо на Земле)
Rossija (Sky on Earth) (mp3)

Там, где тьма стоит до света,
Где небритые умы
В смысл неверья, от завета
Чтут наказы из тюрьмы.

На спине таскают время,
Да ссыпают на весы.
Чистят мраморное темя,
Кормят Спасские часы.

Днем кряхтят под образами,
Воют в небо по ночам.
Не в свои садятся сани,
А потом всё по врачам

Сколько буйных с плеч срубили,
Не пришили ни одну.
Тянут песнь как деды жили,
Сами мрачно да по дну.

Берегут до первой смерти,
Отпевают до второй.
Всех святых распяли черти
Бог – он видно выходной.

Все не в масть, да все досада,
Света тьма, а света нет
Завели хмыри в засаду
Да пытают столько лет.

Днем со свечками искали
Выход в мир, где все не так
Дырок много, все слыхали
А не выскачить никак.

Там где тьма стоит у света
Там где свет всегда у тьмы
От завета до Советов
Бродят странные умы

Волосатыми глазами
Шьют дела, куют детей
Запрягают летом сани
И похожи на людей

Эй прокашли вша живая
Спой негромко под луной
Как я на груди сарая,
Спал счастливый и хмельной.

Снились времена другие
Мир без дури и войны.
Девы стройные, нагие
Парни – трезвые умы.

Что принес благие вести
Пьяный ангел на крыле.
Все мы на перине с песней
Строим небо на земле

Update: Do read comments, as my sister beautifully translated this to English.

Vennaskond. People who are interested in what “anarchist resistance” sounds like in Estonian should click on “SISENE” on the index page to actually load the site, and then on “MP3″ to get to the list of mp3s.

I wonder if it would sound any better sped up 200%.

Off to chase these with Ramones’ “I don’t want to grow up”

Once I’ve expressed my surprise at lack of drive in this particular sample of Estonian punk-rock, I were pointed at J.M.K.E.’s album “Sputniks PECTOPAH”, issued in 1995.

So, without any further ado, J.M.K.E. “Sputniks in PECTOPAH”.

Song links should work, they did for me.

Update: J.M.K.E. site. Sputniks in PECTOPAH.

Here is an example from “Abracadabra” by Steve Miller Band:

[...]
I feel the magic in your caress
I feel magic when I touch your dress
Silk and satin, leather and lace
Black panties with a ninja’s face

I see magic in your eyes
I hear the magic in your sighs
Just when I think I’m gonna get away
I hear those words that you always say

Abra abra cadabra
I want to reach out and grab ya
Abra abra cadabra
Abracadabra

Every time you call my name
I heat up like a burnin’ flame
Burnin’ flame full of desire
Kiss me baby, let the fire get higher
[...]

MP3 will be available until it is no-longer available.

Black panties with a ninja’s face. I like.

As an aside…. Can’t get enough ninjas? Look no further! Clicking on the “Shirts and Clothing” and then on “Intimates” on the sidebar provides some entertainment.

Then there is the infamous hooligan of the 70s, Tom Jones, with “Sex Bomb”:

[...]
I’m gonna fire, shoot me right
I’m gonna like the way you fight
And I love the way you fight, baby

Now you found the secret code I use to wash away my lonely blues
So I can’t deny or lie cause you’re the only one to make me fly
You know what you are you are a…

Sex bomb sex bomb you’re a sex bomb Uh, huh
You can give it to me when I need to come along give it to me
Sex bomb sex bomb you’re my sex bomb
And baby you can turn me on
You know what you’re doing to me don’t you, I know you do

Now Don’t get me wrong ain’t gonna do you no harm
This bomb’s made for lovin’ and you can shoot it far
I’m your main target come and help me ignite Ow
Love struck holding you tight Hold me tight darlin’

Make me explode although you know the route to go to sex me slow Slow baby
And yes I must react to claims of those who say that you are not all that Huh, Huh, Huh

Sex bomb sex bomb you’re my sex bomb
[...]

MP3 will be available until it is no-longer available.

Of course Tom Jones also sang “Delilah”, which is a murder ballad worthy of Nick Cave and Bad Seeds

So, I guess an obligatory opinion… I don’t care. I listen to these songs, I recognize the sexual undertones, but are these songs any worse then Boney M’s Daddy Cool? I mean, from a point of view of a bible thumper, isn’t that song advocating incest? Does that mean that everyone should stop listening to it?

There are two problems with this thinking that I see. For starters, “who died and made you judge” problem – in other words, how can anyone decide for anyone else? It might work in certain percentage of the cases, but isn’t a function of a parent to teach by example, and teach children enough morality to form their own opinions that would be “apropriate”?

Second problem is the divide between obscenity and the art. Is “Sex Bomb” art? What about Nick Cave’s “Stagger Lee“?

P.S. (and wild wild tangent that explains how I got familiar with Nick Cave’s songs) Many years ago, William Lee Irwin 3rd, back then at Purdue finishing a math degree , would drop by #unix on efnet (or on Unixnet, it has been a few years) in the wee hours in the morning, drunk, and quote verses out of “Stagger Lee” with every “Lee” replaced with “wli”. Then again, this was normal for #unix.

*** wli is wli@holomorphy.com (William Lee Irwin III)
*** on channels: #chess #prolog @#barbie_doll_torture @#unix @#haskell
+@#fp @#compsci @#math @#scheme @#mathdepravity
*** on irc via server irc.idle.net ([216.34.2.113] Phoenix Rising)

Those were the times.

*** stany has changed the topic on channel #unix to <wli> 3 cigarettes
+from now, I suppose I have to put pants on
> Good old vintage wli.
<wli> stany: heh
<wli> stany: Things aren't that different today. =)

I miss wli.

Song is “Война” (Vojna) by Виктор Цой, гр Кино (Viktor Tsoj, gr. Kino).

Покажи мне людей уверенных в завтрашнем дне.
Нарисуй мне портреты погибших на этом пути.
Покажи мне того кто выжил один из полка.
И кто-то должен стать дверю, а кто-то замком, а кто-то ключом от замка.

Земля. Небо.
Между землёй и небом – война.
И где-бы ты не был, что-б ты не делал,
Между землёй и небом – война.

Где-то есть люди для кого есть день и есть ночь
Где-то есть люди у которых есть сын и есть дочь
Где-то есть люди для которых теорема верна.
Но кто-то станет стеной, а кто-то плечом, под которым дрогнет стена.

Земля. Небо.
Между землёй и небом – война.
И где-бы ты не был, что-б ты не делал,
Между землёй и небом – война.

Между землёй и небом – война.
Между землёй и небом – война.

And here is the translation:

Show (point out) me people sure of tomorrow.
Draw me portrets of those who died on this way.
Show me him, who was the lone survivor from a platoon.
And someone has to become a door, someone a lock, and someone a key from a lock.

Earth. Sky.
Between earth and sky there is war.
And wherever you are, whatever you do,
Between earth and sky there is war.

Somewhere there are people for whom there is day and there’s night.
Somewhere there are people who have a son and a daughter.
Somewhere there are people for whom theorem is correct.
But someone will become a wall, and someone will become a shoulder, under which the wall will tremble.

Earth. Sky.
Between earth and sky there is war.
And wherever you are, whatever you do,
Between earth and sky there is war.

Between earth and sky there is war.
Between earth and sky there is war.

I am not certain how long mp3 will last.