Started as a mere musical joke for friends, the trio became popular on the clubbing stage in St.Petersburg (2002) and Moscow (2003). Their program combines cover versions of Tom Waits’ songs, author’s compositions, American Gothic, own life experiences, stories told by friends and urban mythology. The Billy’s Band musicians call their style Funeral Dixieland with an Infinite Happy End. ... See their official website: http://www.billysband.ru/
Tackling anything by Tom Waits is like wrestling an alligator: do it well and you`ve got a new pair of shoes:, screw up and you`re dead, Jack. Describing themselves as a Dixiland funeral with an infinite happy end, Billy`s band is on the fringe in its St.Petersburg home and will be on the fringe of the fringe here. Bandleader, Billy Novik heard Waits` “Early Years, vol.1”, and that is all she wrote. Novik barks gruff and hip (in Russian and English) just like Waits – or perhaps Cookie Monster on a vodka bender. A great deal of the band`s repertoire is Waits` stuff, and when the band ventures out on its own, the genius, the oddity, and the antiquated charm still shines, just like those alligator shoes I was talking about.
Billy's Band, the Tom Waits-inspired outfit from St. Petersburg, Russia, was held up at the Canadian border Friday while on its way to the Rochester International Jazz Festival. But fest co-producer John Nugent, who has a lot of experience in dealing with passport issues and paper problems, managed to talk the guys into the country in time for their shows at Max of Eastman Place. Safely onstage, they stole the night with their blend of beat-poet ballads, off-kilter rhythms and comedic timing. CDs were snapped up by consumers hungry for the band's brand of compelling weirdness. All of the English-language ones were gone by the second show, but I bought two, anyway: Anybody out there speak Russian?
The word on the street, which I picked up rather late, was that the guys from St. Petersburg, Russia were tearing down the house over at Max. Having had plenty of straight-ahead jazz from the Hammers, I left early to see what the fuss was about. And now, after the fact, I'm kicking myself that I didn't heed the advice sooner.
Billy's Band is like a combined Dixieland and polka band that plays almost jazzy. When you hear a big smash, it's one of the dudes crashing cymbals over his head to a crazy march. The lead singer/bassist (yeah, it's a bassist heading the ship) Billy Novik has a voice that can only be compared to Louis Armstrong. It's gritty and feels like it comes straight out of his gut. But he's a funny little white guy with a funny hat and even funnier stories about being told the difference between a bass and a coffin ("the dead guy's inside of the coffin").
They were wearing worn-down trench coats and no shirts, letting their bellies show for everyone. You might call them strange, but just call them special. They were that kind of underground street band that's got oodles of talent, but you don't want them to be too big because that dark atmosphere really suits their style. The crowd went wild for these guys, bringing them out for an encore and standing ovation. might pick up a CD tomorrow -- they were that good.
If Thursday night is the unofficial start of the weekend, Friday is the real thing. Go out, enjoy the late-night stuff. If any of Billy's Band gets up there, I'm gonna be lovin' it.
Время которое нужно убить
Billy's Band Lyrics
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Вот запах с печальным названием вчера
Пустая рюмка на фортепьяно
И где-то в области сердца дыра
Что мне осталось - немного печали
Ночи, которые нужно забыть
Деньги, которые можно потратить
И время, которое нужно убить
А ей билет на скорый поезд
Солнце, воздух и цветы
Тебе битвы с алкоголем
И дурацкие мечты
Катастрофа личных жизней
Роза в мусорном ведре
Льда кусок в стакане рома
Сигарета в тишине
Желтые листья прилипли к асфальту
Бреду я, лужи не обходя
Ноги в ботинках чавкают Вальку
Я вспоминаю тебя
Серое небо, ты так часто рыдаешь
Ведь солнце с другой стороны у тебя
Солнце с одной, а с другой у тебя я
Значит ты все-таки любишь меня
А ей билет на скорый поезд
Солнце, воздух и цветы
А тебе битвы с алкоголем
И дурацкие мечты
Катастрофа личных жизней
Роза в мусорном ведре
Льда кусок в стакане рома
Сигарета в тишине
Очки конденсируют капли тумана
И сердце набито тоской
Я буду спокоен, как рубль в кармане
Довольствуясь пустотой
Что мне осталось - немного печали
Ночи, которые нужно забыть
Деньги, которые можно потратить
И время, которое нужно убить
Ей билет на скорый поезд
Солнце, воздух и мечты
А тебе битвы с алкоголем
И дурацкие цветы
Катастрофа личных жизней
Мусор в розовом ведре
Льда кусок в стакане рома
Сигарета в тишине
The lyrics to Billy's Band's song "Время которое нужно убить" (Time to Kill) convey a sense of melancholy, regret, and longing for lost love. The opening lines "Вот пепел, который мы сделали вместе / Вот запах с печальным названием вчера" (Here is the ash we made together / Here is the scent with a sad name of yesterday) evoke a bittersweet nostalgia for a past relationship. The emptiness and void left behind are expressed through the imagery of an empty glass on a piano and a hole somewhere in the heart.
The song then contrasts the journeys of two individuals: "А ей билет на скорый поезд / Солнце, воздух и цветы" (And she has a ticket for a fast train / Sun, air, and flowers) and "А тебе битвы с алкоголем / И дурацкие мечты" (And you have battles with alcohol / And foolish dreams). These contrasting paths symbolize the divergent ways in which people cope with loss and disappointment.
The lyrics also touch upon the personal catastrophes that can occur in life, represented by a rose in a trash bin, a piece of ice in a glass of rum, and a cigarette in silence. The singer, walking through puddles and reminiscing, mentions the gray sky and the frequent tears, implying that the sun, though present in the other person's life, is missing from their own. Yet in the final verse, there is a glimmer of hope as the singer realizes that the other person still loves them.
Overall, the song expresses a mix of resignation, longing, and acceptance of the transient nature of time. It encapsulates the emotions and experiences of individuals struggling through personal battles and seeking meaning in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Вот пепел, который мы сделали вместе
Here is the ashes that we made together
Вот запах с печальным названием вчера
Here is the scent with a sad name of yesterday
Пустая рюмка на фортепьяно
An empty glass on the piano
И где-то в области сердца дыра
And somewhere in the region of the heart, there's a hole
Что мне осталось - немного печали
What is left for me - a little bit of sadness
Ночи, которые нужно забыть
Nights that need to be forgotten
Деньги, которые можно потратить
Money that can be spent
И время, которое нужно убить
And time that needs to be killed
А ей билет на скорый поезд
And she has a ticket for a fast train
Солнце, воздух и цветы
Sun, air, and flowers
Тебе битвы с алкоголем
For you, battles with alcohol
И дурацкие мечты
And silly dreams
Катастрофа личных жизней
The catastrophe of personal lives
Роза в мусорном ведре
A rose in the trash can
Льда кусок в стакане рома
A piece of ice in a glass of rum
Сигарета в тишине
A cigarette in silence
Желтые листья прилипли к асфальту
Yellow leaves stuck to the asphalt
Бреду я, лужи не обходя
I walk, not avoiding puddles
Ноги в ботинках чавкают Вальку
My feet in boots squelch 'Wal'ka'
Я вспоминаю тебя
I remember you
Серое небо, ты так часто рыдаешь
Gray sky, you often cry
Ведь солнце с другой стороны у тебя
Because the sun is on the other side for you
Солнце с одной, а с другой у тебя я
Sun on one side, and on the other side, it's me
Значит ты все-таки любишь меня
So you still love me after all
Очки конденсируют капли тумана
Glasses condense drops of fog
И сердце набито тоской
And the heart is filled with sadness
Я буду спокоен, как рубль в кармане
I will be calm like a ruble in a pocket
Довольствуясь пустотой
Content with emptiness
Что мне осталось - немного печали
What is left for me - a little bit of sadness
Ночи, которые нужно забыть
Nights that need to be forgotten
Деньги, которые можно потратить
Money that can be spent
И время, которое нужно убить
And time that needs to be killed
Ей билет на скорый поезд
She has a ticket for a fast train
Солнце, воздух и мечты
Sun, air, and dreams
А тебе битвы с алкоголем
But for you, battles with alcohol
И дурацкие цветы
And silly flowers
Катастрофа личных жизней
The catastrophe of personal lives
Мусор в розовом ведре
Trash in a pink bucket
Льда кусок в стакане рома
A piece of ice in a glass of rum
Сигарета в тишине
A cigarette in silence
Lyrics © Iricom US Ltd
Written by: Новик Вадим Валерьевич
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind