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'.
Плохой рок-н-ролл
АлисА Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Я всегда был глуп.
Я не любил учиться
И не мог есть суп.
Учителей я не любил,
Я им грубил,
Я им хамил,
Hичего знать не хотел,
Сидел и пел: - Рок-н-ролл!
Я кончил школу еле-еле
В восемнадцать лет.
Потом был там,
Где сейчас меня нет.
Затем был стрит,
Там все были, как я,
Мы жили как одна семья,
И все вопили во всю глотку
День изо дня:
- Рок-н-ролл! Рок-н-ролл!
Мне говорили:
- Hу возьмись за ум!
- Какой ты плохой!
Я рад бы это сделать,
Hо не знал - какой рукой.
Со мной родители устали,
Им был нужен покой...
И я ушел, я жил, как ветер,
То с этой, то с той,
И каждой пел: - Рок-н-ролл!
Я буду делать только то, что я хочу -
Учи - не учи!
Мне - как об стенку горох -
Кричи - не кричи!
Я - оторванный ломоть,
Меня исправит лишь могила,
Так дай, пока не сдох,
Орать мне во всю силу:
- Рок-н-ролл! Рок-н-ролл!
В воронке ядерного взрыва
И просто в кино,
И сидя на крыше,
И стоя в метро,
И даже там, где нельзя,
Я буду петь:
- Рок-н-ролл!
The lyrics present the singer, who has always been foolish, disliked studying and couldn't even eat soup. He didn't like his teachers and was rude and impolite to them, preferring to simply sit and sing "rock-n-roll" instead of learning anything meaningful. He barely finished school at 18 and then spent his days on the streets, where everyone was just like him. They lived like one family, singing "rock-n-roll" all day, every day. Despite being told to improve himself and become a better person, the singer refused to change and instead embraced his identity as a rebel. He sings that he will only do what he wants, no matter the consequences, and that he will continue shouting "rock-n-roll" wherever he goes, even in the face of nuclear explosions or in places where he shouldn't.
The song is a reflection on the rebellious spirit of youth and the desire to defy societal expectations and norms. It highlights the idea that there are those who may not fit in with mainstream society, but instead choose to embrace their own identity and pursue their own passions. The lyrics also suggest that there may be consequences to living a life of rebellion, but for the singer, the love for "rock-n-roll" is worth any cost.
Line by Line Meaning
Сколько себя помню,
Ever since I can remember,
Я всегда был глуп.
I've always been foolish.
Я не любил учиться
I didn't like studying,
И не мог есть суп.
And I couldn't eat soup.
Учителей я не любил,
I didn't like teachers,
Я им грубил,
I was rude to them,
Я им хамил,
I insulted them,
Hичего знать не хотел,
I didn't want to know anything,
Сидел и пел: - Рок-н-ролл!
I sat and sang: - Rock and roll!
Я кончил школу еле-еле
I barely finished school,
В восемнадцать лет.
When I was eighteen.
Потом был там,
Then I was there,
Где сейчас меня нет.
Where I'm not anymore.
Затем был стрит,
Then there was the street,
Там все были, как я,
Where everyone else was like me,
Мы жили как одна семья,
We lived like one family,
И все вопили во всю глотку
And we all shouted at the top of our lungs
День изо дня:
Day in and day out:
- Рок-н-ролл! Рок-н-ролл!
- Rock and roll! Rock and roll!
Мне говорили:
They told me,
- Hу возьмись за ум!
- Come to your senses!
- Какой ты плохой!
- You're so bad!
Я рад бы это сделать,
I would be glad to do that,
Hо не знал - какой рукой.
But I didn't know how.
Со мной родители устали,
My parents got tired of me,
Им был нужен покой...
They needed peace...
И я ушел, я жил, как ветер,
And I left, I lived like the wind,
То с этой, то с той,
Now with this one, now with that one,
И каждой пел: - Рок-н-ролл!
And I sang 'Rock and roll' to each one.
Я буду делать только то, что я хочу -
I will only do what I want -
Учи - не учи!
Study or not!
Мне - как об стенку горох -
It's like talking to a wall,
Кричи - не кричи!
Scream or not!
Я - оторванный ломоть,
I'm a disconnected piece,
Меня исправит лишь могила,
Only the grave will fix me,
Так дай, пока не сдох,
So let me, until I die,
Орать мне во всю силу:
Shout at the top of my lungs:
- Рок-н-ролл! Рок-н-ролл!
- Rock and roll! Rock and roll!
В воронке ядерного взрыва
In a nuclear explosion,
И просто в кино,
And just at the cinema,
И сидя на крыше,
And sitting on the roof,
И стоя в метро,
And standing in the metro,
И даже там, где нельзя,
And even where it's not allowed,
Я буду петь:
I will sing:
- Рок-н-ролл!
- Rock and roll!
Contributed by Jasmine W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Чужой
on С ним
грандиозно!