The band was created in Omsk, Siberia, by a young Soviet poet and musician, Yegor (Igor) Letov, in December of 1984, who was inspired mostly by 60's American garage rock and Russian Futurist poetry in his vision of music, lyrics and lifestyle. It was shortly disbanded by KGB in late 1985, after one of band member's mother wrote a complaint that her son is involved in anti-Soviet organisation. Letov was sentenced to compulsory treatment in psychiatric hospital, his friend and fellow band member Konstantin Ryabinov (Kuzya UO or Kuzma) was sent to army, and other people linked with band were warned to break any relationship with Letov. After his release from mental hospital, Letov started recorded his early albums alone (until 1988, when Kuzya UO returned from army) in his home, playing all instruments. His home also was recording spot for all GrOb and his side-project albums: such a DIY-position was one of Letov's main principles. Early GrOb's music (1984-88) is lo-fi straightforward punk/post-punk with some noise rock, garage rock and reggae elements. Later, band's sound developed more in the vein of noise rock, industrial and experimental rock in 1989, and to psychedelic rock and shoegaze in 90s and 00s. GrOb were the ones to fill this vacant niche of counterculture punk bands, and now maintains a huge army of fans, admirers, and followers. It inspired hundreds of subsequent Soviet and then Russian punk bands.
Up to the collapse of the USSR, GrOb was often viewed as an anti-Soviet band. In his deeply symbolic and irrational, "stream-of-consciousness"-lyrics, Letov often spoke against militarism, dictatorship and faceless, conformistic society (although he himself claimed that all "politics" in his songs aren't about concrete regimes and governments, but are the symbols of "eternal, metaphysical totalitarianism"). That was the reason the band was censored and prohibited. Letov and his bandmates spent early years in hiding, recording songs in the kitchens and cellars of their friends' flats. Despite heavy censorship, the band played on several rock festivals (notably its premiere in Novosibirsk in July 1987, where it was considered a sensation, and after which Letov traveled country with Yanka Dyagileva by hitchhiking for half year because of KGB's persecution, which was officially stopped only in December).
Contrary to popular image of an anti-communist, Letov himself claimed to be a "true communist" and has not abolished this claim until the most recent switch in his beliefs. Being the most prominent figure of the Siberian rock, Letov has always been a source of many contradictions. At times he expressed opinions exactly opposite to his earlier sayings - thus, he, along with writer Eduard Limonov, philosopher Alexander Dugin, and composer Sergey Kuryokhin (Сергей Курёхин) appeared aligned with the nationalistic leftist movement called NBP (National Bolshevik Party, rus. НБП, Национал Большевистская Партия) despite his formerly strong opposition to despotism and nationalism. Later, though, he dissapointed in politics and left the movement, saying, that his activity in NBP was mostly sort of conceptualism, a provocation. Letov's contemporary alignment is that of a "World Christian" and "still an anarchist".
GrOb's sound mainly consists of either distorted and lo-fi electric or acoustic guitars, simple bass lines, primitive but memorable tunes, rudimentry percussion and Letov's deeply impassioned voice. During the late 80's they also started occasionally implementing harsh industrial sounds in the background of the music. In the mid-90's in the albums "Солнцеворот" and "Невыносимая Лёгкость Бытия" sound became less noisy and lo-fi but more monolithic, comprising many overlapping guitars and voices, which create shoegazy "wall of sound", long guitar and electronic organ solos, and even some art rock elements, although the basis of sound still was in post-punk and psychedelic rock.
In its last years the band was still very active with full-length albums released in 2004 (Долгая Счастливая Жизнь, "A Long and Happy Life"), 2005 (Реанимация, "Life Support") and 2007 (Зачем Снятся Сны, "What Are Dreams For").
The story of this contradictory but great and original band ended on 19th of February 2008 with Egor Letov's death in sleep at his home in Omsk.
"G.O. is not music, it's more like, you know, conceptual act in the vein of childish naive art. Four chords and maximum approximation to very childish images, something like dadaism".
- Egor Letov, band leader.
Государство
Гражданская оборона Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Сладкий пряник засох давно
Сапогом моего народа
Старшина тормозит говно
Запрятанный за углом
Убитый помойным ведром
Добровольно закрытый в подвал
Я убил в себе государство
Убил в себе государство
Бессловесные в мире брани
Зрячие в мире пустых глазниц
Балансирующие на грани
Меж параллелью густых ресниц
Забытые за углом
Немые помойным ведром
Задроченные в подвал
Заранее обречённые на полнейший провал
Мы убили в себе государство
Убили в себе государство
Ржавый бункер — твоя свобода
Заколочена дверь крестом
Полну яму врагов народа
Я укрою сухим листом
Повязанный за углом
Убитый помойным ведром
Добровольно забытый в подвал
Заранее обречённый на полнейший провал
Убей в себе государство
Убей в себе государство
Убей в себе государство
Убей.
The lyrics of Гражданская Оборона's song Государство (State) explore the themes of oppression and disillusionment with authoritarian rule. The singer describes a rusty bunker, which serves as their freedom. The sweet cake, a metaphor for false promises of the ruling regime, has long since dried out. The senior officer, representing the oppressive state, delays progress and holds back the people.
The second verse describes a world of senseless war and empty eyes, where people teeter on the brink of despair. They are forgotten, mute, and destined for failure. The singer declares that they have killed the state within themselves, expressing their rejection of the oppressive system. The chorus repeats the phrase “убил в себе государство” (I killed the state within me), emphasizing the singer's sense of personal disillusionment and powerlessness.
The final verse is a call to action, urging listeners to kill the state within themselves. The bunker has become the listener's freedom, and they will protect their people from the state's enemies with a dry leaf.
Line by Line Meaning
Ржавый бункер — моя свобода
The rusty bunker is my freedom
Сладкий пряник засох давно
The sweet cake has been dry for a long time
Сапогом моего народа
By the boot of my people
Старшина тормозит говно
The sergeant is holding back the shit
Запрятанный за углом
Hidden around the corner
Убитый помойным ведром
Killed with a bucket of garbage
Добровольно закрытый в подвал
Voluntarily locked in the basement
Заранее обречённый на полный провал
Doomed to a complete failure beforehand
Я убил в себе государство
I've killed the state within me
Бессловесные в мире брани
Speechless in the world of warfare
Зрячие в мире пустых глазниц
Seeing in the world of empty eye sockets
Балансирующие на грани
Balancing on the edge
Меж параллелью густых ресниц
Between the parallel of thick eyelashes
Забытые за углом
Forgotten around the corner
Немые помойным ведром
Mute with a bucket of garbage
Задроченные в подвал
Masturbating in the basement
Заранее обречённые на полнейший провал
Doomed to utter failure beforehand
Мы убили в себе государство
We have killed the state within us
Ржавый бункер — твоя свобода
The rusty bunker is your freedom
Заколочена дверь крестом
The door is nailed shut with a cross
Полну яму врагов народа
I'll fill the pit with enemies of the people
Я укрою сухим листом
I'll cover them with a dry leaf
Повязанный за углом
Tied up behind the corner
Убитый помойным ведром
Killed with a bucket of garbage
Добровольно забытый в подвал
Voluntarily forgotten in the basement
Заранее обречённый на полнейший провал
Doomed to utter failure beforehand
Убей в себе государство
Kill the state within yourself
Убей в себе государство
Kill the state within yourself
Убей в себе государство
Kill the state within yourself
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TunTeb
[Куплет 1]
Ржавый бункер — моя свобода
Сладкий пряник засох давно
Сапогом моего народа
Старшина тормозит говно
[Предприпев]
Запрятанный за углом
Убитый помойным ведром
Добровольно ушедший в подвал
Заранее обреченный на полнейший провал
[Припев]
Я убил в себе государство
Убил в себе государство
[Куплет 2]
Бессловесные в мире брани
Зрячие в мире пустых глазниц
Балансирующие на грани
Меж параллелей густых ресниц
[Предприпев]
Забытые за углом
Немые помойным ведром
Задроченные в подвал
Заранее обречённые на полный провал
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[Припев]
Мы убили в себе государство
Убили в себе государство
[Куплет 3]
Ржавый бункер — твоя свобода
Заколочена дверь крестом
Полну яму врагов народа
Я укрою сухим листом
[Предприпев]
Запрятанный за углом
Убитый помойным ведром
Добровольно зарытый в подвал
Заранее обреченный на полнейший провал
[Припев]
Убей в себе государство!
Убей в себе государство!
Убей в себе государство!
Убей в себе государство!
Убей…
petit poney
Сразу тёплые воспоминания, как я бродила в прошлом году по дворам и слушала песни Летова:)
q w
Ахах мило)
придурок
Я так тоже
Адвенчер Ке-Лошок
Наверное одна из лучших версий данной песни, сколько не слушал, именно эта запись как-то правильно что-ли раскрывает текст.
Doomed Wizard
Сыграл на дне школы! Теперь вот с Летовым увиделся
До Ширак
Timur Potseluev Дно школы. Школа — дно!
Doomed Wizard
@До Ширак у нас просто паводок в поселке городского типа, поэтому играть пришлось на дне, затопило капец...
14wh1tep0wer88
Ты в тайге?
Пролджэ Йцукен
@Doomed Wizard, как там у Бога?
Petr Salov
Как все же винил отличается! Потрясающе!