Balāde par gulbi (English: Ballad about the Swan) is a song by Latvian Rock band Pērkons, written by Māris Melgalvis (lyrics) and Juris Kulakovs (music). Written while Latvia was still part of USSR, it is noted for its anti-soviet subtext – most of the song analyses the stupidity of killing a swan, but in the end resolves that the swan is so red that it should be killed (consider that in beginning of the 1980s soviet leaders were dying one after another and were usually mourned by broadcasting Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake), while the opening part of the song deals with a crow with no sense of humor sitting on a fresh grave and forcing her opinion on everyone.
Lyrics
Kārna vārna Uz slapa kapa Man savu patiesību ķērc Vai tiešām viņa neattapa ka viss tas - tikai joka pēc Ak vai cik stulbi Ir nosist gulbi Bet stulbāk vēl ja vēlāk žēl Tad ir tik velnišķīgi stulbi - ik rietā sarkans gulbis kvēl Tik stulbi kvēl Ka jāsit vēlTranslation:
A skinny crow On a wet grave Croaking her truth to me Didn't she really realize that it all is just for fun? Oh, how stupid It is to beat swan dead But it is even stupider If you feel sorry later It is so devilishly stupid - in each (sun)set a red swan glows So stupidly glows That (one) must beat againReferences
Balāde par gulbi Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA