Alisa (Алиса, Russian for Alice) is a Russian and Soviet hard rock band, on… Read Full Bio ↴Alisa (Алиса, Russian for Alice) is a Russian and Soviet hard rock band, one of the most influential in the Russian rock movement. Their lyrics, written by vocalist Konstantin Kinchev, are about social problems, rock lifestyle, Slavic culture and, recently, Christian faith. Alisa's music evolved from post punk in the 1980s to heavier metal sound of recent albums.

Alisa was founded in November 1983 by bassist Svetoslav Zadery. The name of the band is borrowed from Lewis Carroll's book "Alice in Wonderland". The band's lineup was finally completed in 1984, when new vocalist Kostya Kinchev (born Konstantin Panfilov) and guitarist Pyotr Samoylov joined Alisa. Their debut album "Energia" (Energy) was released by Melodia, the state publishing monopoly, and was sold in numbers of more than one million.

But the relations between the two leaders, Konstantin and Zadery, were poor, and finally Svetoslav left the band. This occurred just one hour before Alisa was to perform at a concert. Alisa had to ask Кино bassist Igor Tihomirov to replace him for one concert. Later Zadery created his own band 'Nate!' ('Take it!').

The growing popularity of the band created a fan community called the 'Army of Alisa', known for their rough behaviour at concerts. It led to animosity between the band and Soviet officials. In 1987 the newspaper Smena accused Kinchev of Nazi propaganda and worshipping Hitler. Alisa's leader Kinchev filed a suit for calumny and moral loss compensation. After the year-long court process the magazine published the refutation. Alisa's next album was titled Article 206 part 2, a chapter ('Hooliganism') of the USSR Procedural Code, alluding to this process.

There were new lineup changes in 1988, when guitarist Igor 'Chuma' Chumykin joined Alisa. This change was followed by the heavier sound of next albums Shabash and For those Who Fell From the Moon. Alisa toured through Europe and Israel together with Aria. The album Black Mark, 1994, was dedicated to the memory of Chuma, who committed suicide by jumping from the window.

In the new millennium, with albums such as Seychas Pozdnee Chem Ty Dumaesh (It is Later Than You Think, 2003) and Izgoy (Exile, 2005), the sound of Alisa was changed to a heavier one, including elements of nu-metal, industrial and heavy metal. Music critics credited Clawfinger as Kinchev's greatest new music influence. This gave Alisa a new fan base among Russian hard rock fans, and three songs from Izgoy continually reached the top of the NASHE radio chart.

Kinchev was baptised in 1990, and since then Christianity has been the main influence on his alignment and his lyrics. Although early Alisa lyrics were typical for Russian rock - the social protest and rock 'n' roll hype - since the late 1990's their main theme has been ideas of Christianity, Russian patriotism, and Slavic unity.

Konstantin is in good relations with the priests of the Russian Orthodox Church, especially Andrey Kuraev. Alisa has participated in many religion-supporting festivals, such as 'Musicians for the Christ Savior Cathedral'.

Ночные окна
АлисА Lyrics

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Уют квартир чужого дома.
Тепло дверей, запертых на ключ.
Сегодня я открыт, сегодня я иду на свет.
Сегодня я ищу ответ.
Огни транзитных остановок.
Печальный взгляд усталых городов.
Сегодня я пою, не открывая глаз.
Сегодня мне светло, как в первый раз.

Ночные окна мне освещают путь,
Молчание улиц мне не даёт уснуть,
Я вижу крыши сквозь линии фонарей.
Сегодня в небе только ночь, и я пою ей.
Какая странная дорога,
Смешная роль непрошеных гостей.
Сегодня мне легко разбрасывать слова.
Сегодня я пою не вам.
Ведь мне не пристало жить по солнцу
Пока темно, пока нет яркого огня.

Сегодня в небе ночь, сегодня в небе только ночь,
Сегодня ночь, ночь.

Overall Meaning

The song "Ночные окна" by Алиса speaks to the feeling of being alone and searching for answers in the midst of a big city. The first verse sets the scene of being in a stranger's home, feeling the warmth of locked doors, and deciding to face the world. The singer is in a reflective mood, seeking answers to unknown questions. The second verse describes the city at night, where the only lights come from the transit stops and the eyes of the worn-out buildings. The singer sings without opening their eyes, basking in the light that engulfs them. They find solace in the windows that guide their path and the silence of the streets, which prevents them from sleeping. They can see the roofs of buildings through the lines of streetlights, singing to the night sky, feeling that they don't belong to the daylight.

The song shares a sense of surreality and loneliness that is often felt by city dwellers. It highlights the awkwardness that can come with being an unwanted guest in someone else's home and the sense of belonging to the night. The song offers a glimpse into what it feels like to be human and seeking answers to potentially unanswerable questions.

Line by Line Meaning

Уют квартир чужого дома.
Comfort of someone else's home.

Тепло дверей, запертых на ключ.
Warmth of locked doors.

Сегодня я открыт, сегодня я иду на свет.
Today I am open, today I go towards the light.

Сегодня я ищу ответ.
Today I am searching for an answer.

Огни транзитных остановок.
Lights of transit stops.

Печальный взгляд усталых городов.
Sad gaze of tired cities.

Сегодня я пою, не открывая глаз.
Today I sing, without opening my eyes.

Сегодня мне светло, как в первый раз.
Today is bright for me, like the first time.

Ночные окна мне освещают путь,
Night windows light my path.

Молчание улиц мне не даёт уснуть,
Silence of the streets doesn't let me sleep.

Я вижу крыши сквозь линии фонарей.
I see roofs through the lines of streetlights.