Unusual arrangements, self-invented musical instruments and esoteric lyrics make the band a completely unique occurrence in the Russian rock music genre. Lyrics contain themes such as Ancient Egypt, vampires and mysticism. Shklyarsky is the band's main singer-songwriter, composing both music and lyrics. Also his own paintings were used as few albums' cover art.
Пикник's logo is a made up kanji-like symbol (which makes more sense for Russian speakers as Chinese/Japanese as well as Ancient Egyptian characters are all called "hieroglyphs" in Russian language).
Official website: http://www.piknik.info
Ихтиандр
Пикник Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Лишь движением руки
Разрывает ихтиандр
На блестящие куски
А понять его не может
Все в уме перемешав
Просто он с тобой не хочет
И зажмурившись слезает
Мокрый бархат темноты
Просто он уже не хочет
Видеть то, что видишь ты
И не важно, был ли, не был
Он уже коснулся дна
Ждет его иное небо
И иная глубина
И иная глубина...
Океан его лелеет
И качает на руках
И тогда уже не смеют
Тронуть горести и страх
А очнется и заноет
Снова сердце от тоски
Вот и рвет и рвет скафандры
На блестящие куски
The lyrics of Пикник's song Ихтиандр depict a person who is struggling to connect with someone else. The use of the metaphorical image of a diving suit or "ихтиандр" highlights the emotional distance between the two individuals, as the singer tries to break down the suit with just the movement of their hand. However, despite this effort, they cannot seem to understand each other as their thoughts and emotions become jumbled. The singer realizes that they don't want to continue to breathe the same air as this person and decides to retreat into the darkness to avoid seeing what the other person sees. The final stanza speaks of the ocean holding this person in its arms, and how the singer realizes they cannot touch the other person's grief and fear. The song ends with the diving suit breaking into pieces, leaving nothing but a sense of melancholy in the air.
Overall, the song Ихтиандр is a poignant exploration of the struggle to connect with others despite best efforts. Despite trying to tear down this protective layer, sometimes it's just not possible to understand another person, leading to a sense of loneliness and retreat.
Line by Line Meaning
Как постылые скафандры
Just like stale space suits
Лишь движением руки
One can tear apart the diving suit
Разрывает ихтиандр
Splitting the diving suit
На блестящие куски
Into shiny pieces
А понять его не может
But no one can understand him
Все в уме перемешав
Mixed up in their minds
Просто он с тобой не хочет
He just doesn't want to be with you
Одним воздухом дышать
Breathe the same air as you
И зажмурившись слезает
And he closes his eyes and descends
Мокрый бархат темноты
Into the wet velvet darkness
Просто он уже не хочет
He just doesn't want anymore
Видеть то, что видишь ты
To see what you see
И не важно, был ли, не был
And it doesn't matter if he was or not
Он уже коснулся дна
He has already touched the bottom
Ждет его иное небо
He awaits another sky
И иная глубина
And a different depth
Океан его лелеет
The ocean caresses him
И качает на руках
And carries him in its arms
И тогда уже не смеют
And then no one dares
Тронуть горести и страх
Touch his grief and fear
А очнется и заноет
But he wakes up and sings
Снова сердце от тоски
Again, his heart is filled with longing
Вот и рвет и рвет скафандры
And tears apart the diving suit
На блестящие куски
Into shiny pieces
Contributed by Daniel B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.