Speaking In Tongues
Scribbling In Voices

COLIBRI

Translated by Max Nemtsov

HE AlN'T NEED NO AMERICAN WIFE

WHAT THE TROPICAL BIRD SINGS ABOUT

HE AlN'T NEED NO AMERICAN WIFE

Words & music: N.Pivovarova

He ain't need no American wife

He wants his gofer to be always around

Or at least to serve as his personal bag-carrier

For it's extremely unbecoming for his position

To carry his umbrella by himself

And he wants his girl to sit at his feet with serene resignation

And to be generous with love and caress

And he doesn't want anyone to want anything from him

He ain't need no American wife

He doesn't love you, he loves her -- the one who serves and cooks

Or just sits there and keeps silent, thinking her thoughts

And God forbid to squeak a word against him

But anyway, he doesn't love a full moon

He can't stand anyone crying

He thinks himself lucky when he's left alone

He doesn't want to, he can't be any different

He ain't need no American wife

And if you don't want to get in return

His look of reproach and of tired hate

And if you want to break free from slavery

You've got to understand that you can only leave him 'cause

He ain't need no American wife

WHAT THE TROPICAL BIRD SINGS ABOUT

Words & music: N.Pivovarova

What does the tropical bird sing about

Perhaps about a night flight

And how hot is the day but the night opens up wide

And she sings why she doesn't make a nest

What the tropical bird sings about...

What does the tropical bird sing about?

How sick she is of colors of the day

How the night is thirsty and the day is blinding with its fire

And how sleepless she is at night -- but why?

What the tropical bird sings about...

PARIS

Words & music: N.Pivovarova

What can I tell you, my friend, about Paris?

Paris, oh Paris!

It's so beautiful here that you can't eat, you can't sleep

Paris, oh Paris!

Here you will be charmed and dazzled by emerald eyes

Golden cupolas and extremely slender legs

And here at some country villa

You'll be given the English Channel as a souvenir by William

And then, in a big shiny car you will be escorted back to Paris

Oh Paris!

And in the suburbs there's the wonder town of Versailles

Paris, oh Paris!

It is all polished silver and sparkling crystal

Paris, oh Paris!

And there in the green shadows of parks

You'll be laughing together with Mark

And if it rains, and if it's hot -- you'll keep silent about that

And once you will be singing "chez Bobur"

Oh what a funny procedure

And if you're not a fool you'll get paid for it

And then you'll hurry to the disco -- Paris, oh Paris!

And swirling lights will dance all around you

Paris, oh Paris!

And Louie will drive you crazy with his music

Paris, oh Paris!

And in the restaurant "Perestroyka" we can sing in Russian

And then the night Paris will take you and your new friends again

And in some music bar

The black guy will fascinate you with his guitar

And you'll run all the way after him again to Paris

Oh Paris!

THE DOWNFALL

Words & music: Ye.Yudanova

This is the downfall, this is the failure, and yet

Sing me your song and maybe it helps me

Wait, wait a little, it's just that you're tired

Close your eyes for a minute, and when you open them there

Will be spring, it will be spring again

I remember that after cold winters there always comes spring

But I'm wrong again, I'm always wrong and I know it

I might go insane but l'm not likely to be afraid of it

Year after year, the strength is ebbing and still no money

Year after year, the strength is ebbing -- but tomorrow there will be

Spring -- it will be spring again

I remember that after cold winters there always comes spring

It's just a disaster, you can't forget all the gloomy melodies

lt's just a disaster, but you and me -- we know the remedy

Year after year, the nights are longer, the days are shorter and darker

Year after year, the summer is gone, but there will be spring again

It will be spring again

I remember that after cold winters there always comes spring

Dazed with hurt, clinging to the very edge

I play with you and you sure play with me

I know that soon you'll forget me but I don't even care

I'm sleepless again

I remember that with every new love there spring flies to rescue

And the first star washed in showers

Will sing to us, will shine to us

April will warm its lost children

And I'll smile but don't believe me

This is the downfall, this is the failure, and yet

Sing me again and maybe your song will help me

It's pitch black over me and the dark clouds are ever threatening

The turns of the road are sharper, it's tougher and tougher

But tomorrow there will be spring -- it will be spring again

I remember that after cold winters there always comes spring

In the splashing sparkles of rain a new April is woven

From the threads of wonderful dreams and amazing songs

And nothing can compare to it

Let it be the savage but the last snowstorm's up ahead

We can't live without each other

My hope is spring

My hope, my hope eternal is spring

THE CITY

Words & music: Ye.Yudanova

This is the city of sick lights

Yellow whirlpool of eyes, clear and untrue

Every night I come and perish in your neon fever

I forgot how to sleep long ago

I don't remember where there's night, there's day, there's morning

There's only hungry gloaming, mad dance, sick lights dance

I won't recognize you again -- you won't notice me again

Wet city -- yellow crisscrossed evening

Dance of overturned lilies over the water

This is the city of the dangerous, the city of the lovers

The city of sick lights

And the electric world of homeless streets leads me away again

And the immured glitter of cold lights drinks me dry again

They dissolute my home, I don't even try to find my way back

There's only hungry evening and cheating wind that drives me crazy

I won't recognize you again -- you won't notice me again

Wet city -- you probably don't love me

Tormented by rains, oh my vagabond

Like me, like you, like you and me

MANNER OF BEHAVIOR

Words & music by Ye.Yudanova

Now the doorbell again -- like a bullet through the temple

You're just a split hair from life

Ocean of love is spilled in the world

Why does no one hurry to get up then?

I'll gather the shattered fragments of yesterday

They confuse everyone but me

And the tough lesson of yesterday's words

Couldn't eradicate my secret vice

You won't wake me up, my little alarm-clock, for my sleep is sweet

Again I dreamed of the one, ah who's in love with me

I'll paint my face, for a starter I'll make my mouth red

And in this new grey day I'm starting my crusade

But where the hole in the stocking is from?

I have to find me a quiet corner and stand there still

I'm going mad over a slow fire

You're tender both in May and in November

You confide only in the morning dawn

But you're always alone -- ah, bring the wine!

Only there's no wine -- and you're alone again

The visual is a real scorcher

From the thigh to the West -- full speed ahead

You're so simple that I'm bored with you

Oh, leave me -- but no, stay awhile

You've been captured long ago by a sort of the immaculate legs'

Silhouette, by outlandish grasses, by perfumed dreams

You're in the crossfire of eyes, you're trying to run away in vain

You're shy but I'll reply "no", "no, yes" or just "yes, oh yes" as usual!

There's a terrible draught from the window

Good morning -- you're alone again

Oh, I'll definitely go crazy

Open the window wide with your frail hand

How serene is the sky above

Fix your hair for the wind to caress your temple

Don't mind the prints of frequent losses round your eyes

Now the bell is ringing at your old door

Now the doorbell again...

VOICE

Words & music: I.Volkova

The voice scattering the shreds of melodies

Will shut up, it will come to itself -- and start all over again

I'm sleeping, and it drives me crazy

Impossible to wake up until I ask, until I find out

Who are you, oh Humming-Bird, you wonderful deceiver

ORLANDINE

Words & music: A.Khvostenko

Midnight, I went for a stroll

I was walking down the alley in the dark

Suddenly I saw a maiden who was standing in the shadows crying

I said, where have I seen you before

Pray tell me who did you wrong

Who had abandoned you?

You're Orlandine, you're my destiny

Trust me for I recognized you

Yes, that's me, she said

Yes, Orlandine is my name

You said that you'd seen me before

And you know that it's you who did me wrong

It's you who had abandoned me

But for you I'll forget my tears

I'll come with you if you call me

And I shall be yours

Oh, I said, how I wish to put my arms around you

To kiss the sleeve of your gown

So come fall into my open arms! --

And at that very moment

Stiff hair sprang from the maiden's clear brow

The eyes flashed red, she screamed like a bird

And her face turned wolfish

The monster grabbed me

And voluptuously cried

Its loathsome cry

You see, I'm not Orlandine

So, I'm Orlandine no more

I'm Lucifer!

You see, you're in my paws

You can smell my horrible sulfur stench

You can hear the roar of my flames...

It cried so and sank its tooth

Its ancient copper tooth into my forehead

Satan itself

DANCE WITH ME

Words & music: N.Pivovarova

Ball, Saturday Ball

Tonight again

Tonight we won't sleep at all

We'll dance tonight again

Take off your carnival mourning suit

Dance, dance with me

Let your eyes not be silent and your make-up somber

Dance, dance with me

Look, and look quick how active are shadows by the door

But for that black silhouette -- why there is no movement?

No one can tell

Wake, oh wake up

No one's asleep and you wake up

I want to know who could tell you that you can sleep

And if you don't want to tell me don't lie

We'll celebrate the sunrise together

And now you understand that there's no death

To be is much harder and you won't dare to leave now

You can go out only for a moment to have a smoke

FUJI IS STILL AWAKE

Words & music: N.Pivovarova

In the faraway wonderful country

There lives a lonely mountain

It looks at the skies till the morning

And it is quite happy

But Fuji is still awake

Fuji hasn't gone to bed yet

Fuji is still awake

But once upon a time it happened

The mountain made up its mind to take a nap forever

But a star fell from the skies

And tenderly rolled down its shoulder

And Fuji is already awake

Fuji hasn't gone to bed yet

Fuji is already awake

And for such a long long time

The neighbor mountains couldn't understand

Why it doesn't want to sleep

How can it burn with love

And Fuji is still awake

Fuji hasn't gone to bed yet

Fuji is still awake

I'M TIRED

Words and music: N.Pivovarova

I didn't let me sleep, I was afraid to miss the spring coming

And my dreams tried to put a spell on me and charm me into the land

Where the waves are splashing at the rock cliffs and flowers

Where our souls are filled with sweet perfume and green grass

Where no one ever tells you: I'm tired, I'm so tired

And somewhere in a big city the dreams have long come true

And you got in there by chance

But the look in your eyes is stone cold because of winter

And you forgot

That the waves are splashing at the rock cliffs and flowers

That our souls are filled with sweet perfume and green grass

That you never told anybody: I'm tired, I'm so tired

And it's sort of time to sleep but why do we again sit there sadly

This long long winter borrowed the pennies of our souls

And somewhere there are waves splashing at the rock cliffs and flowers

Some other souls are filled with sweet perfume and green grass

And you just sit there silently and only from time to time you say

I'm tired, I'm so tired

Winter, this winter still lingers on

THE STREETCAR

Words: A.Vasilyev

Music: N.Pivovarova

Let me into the streetcar

The train to the old age is catching up with me

Idle shouts of "Banzai" torment my wallet

I fell down yesterday and can't pick me up today

I'll buy myself all the tickets and the wine all the way down to hell

Don't be so quick to spend all your money

The first thing, buy yourself the book of departures and arrivals

Girls are looking at the paper streamers of your travel thoughts

Brightly and clearly -- Don't cool down your freshness

And cherish the tenderness of your lines -- this is the bird flight

Tomorrow the black rime of your cozy eyelashes

Will sweetly hide your brow into the ice

Let me into the streetcar

The ashes of the old age are crowning me

Hey, conductor, take care, I'll pay you though we're not acquainted

Be quick to close the doors -- here flutters the agitation

Of the force that climbs after me -- The moment ain't gonna be bored

Don't be upset, the spell will fade away

You'll greet the morning the last on the road

This is just your birthday that came out with you

To take a short walk in the evening

THE LOVE SERENADE

Words and music: N.Pivovarova

The loneliness ain't gonna stop me if I have my couple of horses

That dance their flaming dance as a reward for my lost powerlessness

They steal you and give you wings 'cause you've been faithful

l'll take my hot horses to the East, to the East

And let that road be not very long for the three of us

I'll give them water, I'll wash them with spring water

I'll caress them before they go to sleep

And I ain't gonna let anybody scare them

They're gonna fly to the horizon in the morning

Brushing clouds with their manes

Blinding the sun with their brightness

They're gonna be supernaturally beautiful

And you're gonna gasp with happiness

And the chaos is gonna bewitch you

And this will seem like the love bewinged

That draws the envy from the world

The blood retribution won't scare those three proud lovers

This moment is remembered by eternity

And love is gonna recreate it

I'll take my horses to the East, to the East...

Speaking In Tongues Scribbling In Voices

COLIBRI

HE AlN'T NEED NO AMERICAN WIFE

WHAT THE TROPICAL BIRD SINGS ABOUT

PARIS

THE DOWNFALL

THE CITY

MANNER OF BEHAVIOR

VOICE

ORLANDINE

DANCE WITH ME

FUJI IS STILL AWAKE

I'M TIRED

THE STREETCAR

THE LOVE SERENADE

Speaking In Tongues
Scribbling In Voices