Aquarium is one of the oldest Russian rock bands, founded in 1972 and led b… Read Full Bio ↴Aquarium is one of the oldest Russian rock bands, founded in 1972 and led by singer/songwriter Boris Grebenschikov. Grebenschikov's music defies a singular genre and often incorporates folk rock, acoustic and reggae elements. Despite starting out as an underground Soviet band, Aquarium became very influential in the Russian rock movement and gained mainstream popularity in the 1980s.

The band was formed in Leningrad, Soviet Union in 1972 by Борис Гребенщиков (Boris Grebenshchikov), then a student of Applied Mathematics at Leningrad State University, and Анатолий Гуницкий (Anatoly "George" Gunitsky), a playwright and absurdist poet. In Soviet era, independent music was banned, so early Aquarium's concert venues were private apartments. These concerts were a unique Soviet phenomenon, created by underground musicians. They were usually "unplugged", as noise would cause the neighbors to alert the authorities. The limited space fostered an atmosphere of intimacy between the group and its audience, listening with bated breath, with perhaps someone recording it on a simple tape recorder. This was similar to the concepts of the Russian bards (russian bard), however Aquarium were (admittedly) much more influenced by Western music, particularly by The Beatles, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, progressive rock acts Jethro Tull, King Crimson and Roxy Music and also reggae. Thus their compositions were considerably more complex and their lyrics covered a broader range of topics, showing Grebenshchikov's notable erudition in Celtic and Indian cultures, among other things.

Until 1987 Aquarium recorded all of their albums in a self-assembled underground studio (several members had engineering education) disguised as a "Young Technicians Club" (for the album Радио Африка (Radio Africa) (1983) a government-owned mobile studio was secretly used, after bribing a technician). Despite those hard conditions, the recording quality was rather high and Aquarium's albums between 1980 and 1987 are considered by most fans as their best.

The advent of Glasnost in 1985 brought many underground Russian rock musician to public recognition and Aquarium became one of the most popular Russian bands. They were allowed to play in large concert halls, appeared on the state-owned television and recorded soundtracks for several films, most notably ASSA. In 1987 they recorded their first album for the state-owned Melodiya record label. With official backing and legalized distribution the album was a huge hit in USSR, selling well over a million copies within a few months. This was, however, the last album recorded by this Aquarium line-up and the band broke up shortly afterward. Grebenshchikov released two albums in English and toured with several different backing bands. In 1991 after the break-up of Soviet Union he released Русский Альбом (The Russian Album) under the name BG-Band, a collection of melancholic folk songs influenced by his travels all over Russia and demonstrating a return to his Russian roots. Shortly afterwards BG-Band was renamed Aquarium although most of the musicians were different. This band continued to release more albums and touring extensively all over former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and also appearing before Russian immigrant communities in Germany, Israel and United States.

Although often criticized for departure from their original style and constant line-up changes which make Aquarium essentially a Grebenshchikov solo project, the group still enjoys huge success in Russia - their songs, old and new, get a lot of airplay, their albums sell well, and they tour constantly.

There is also a side project by Adam Young (Owl City) by the name Aquarium (which redirects to this page when scrobbled) from around 2003-5.
PureVolume account.
Genre: European Dance/Screamo
Three songs were released:
1. If the Trees Had Eyes They Would Be Glaring at You
2. M is for Motorcycle
3. I am Denmark

From Owl City Database: "Now Adam had a lot of “screaming” bands lol, but this one is by far the best. Aquarium is catchy and progressive. For example, “I am Denmark”, shows immense structure with a driving European dance undertone. By far one of Adam’s most original works."
Websites used for information: Adam Young's Music, Owl City Fandom, Owl-City Fandom, and Owl City Database.
All of the links in this section were saved in the Wayback Machine.

Сидя на красивом холме
Аквариум Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Сидя на красивом холме
Я часто вижу сны, и вот что кажется мне:
Что дело не в деньгах, и не в количестве женщин,
И не в старом фольклоре, и не в Новой Волне -

Но мы идем вслепую в странных местах,
И все, что есть у нас - это радость и страх,
Страх, что мы хуже, чем можем,

И радость того, что все в надежных руках;

И в каждом сне
Я никак не могу отказаться,

И куда-то бегу, но когда я проснусь,
Я надеюсь, ты будешь со мной...

Overall Meaning

In the song "Сидя на красивом холме" (Sitting on a Beautiful Hill), Аквариум (Aquarium) explores themes of dreams, desires, and the search for meaning in life. The lyrics suggest that true happiness and fulfillment cannot be found in material possessions, wealth, or superficial pursuits. The singer realizes that these external factors are not what truly matter in life.

The song reflects on the journey of life, emphasizing the uncertainty and unknown paths that we must navigate. The line "Но мы идем вслепую в странных местах" (But we blindly walk in strange places) highlights the sense of wandering without a clear direction or purpose. Despite this uncertainty, the singer finds comfort in both joy and fear. The fear arises from the realization that we may not live up to our full potential, while the joy comes from the belief that everything is in trustworthy hands.

In each dream, the singer desperately seeks something, but upon awakening, they hope that the person they long for will be with them. This may suggest a longing for companionship or a deeper connection in life.

Overall, "Сидя на красивом холме" reflects on the search for meaning, the understanding that material possessions and superficial pursuits do not bring true happiness, and the desire for a deeper connection with others.

Line by Line Meaning

Сидя на красивом холме
While sitting on a beautiful hill

Я часто вижу сны, и вот что кажется мне:
I often have dreams, and this is what seems to me:

Что дело не в деньгах, и не в количестве женщин,
That it's not about money, and not about the number of women,

И не в старом фольклоре, и не в Новой Волне -
And not in old folklore, and not in the New Wave -

Но мы идем вслепую в странных местах,
But we blindly go to strange places,

И все, что есть у нас - это радость и страх,
And all we have is joy and fear,

Страх, что мы хуже, чем можем,
Fear that we are worse than we can be,

И радость того, что все в надежных руках;
And the joy of knowing that everything is in reliable hands;

И в каждом сне
And in every dream

Я никак не могу отказаться,
I can't refuse

И куда-то бегу, но когда я проснусь,
And I run somewhere, but when I wake up,