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.
Коктейль
Billy's Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Купалось в моем недопитом вине,
Что кончился день нерешенный,
И что эта ночь приготовила мне.
И вот я сижу на траве под своим окном
И грею свое одиночество в рукаве.
Начну, пожалуй, а то не успею потом,
Коктейль из лунного света и вина
Или под водку грустный мотив.
Знаю где-то ты одна
Глотаешь свой лунный аперитив.
Случайные люди обходят меня стороной,
А я никуда не иду, все равно не встать.
И вроде бы мертвый, но и чуть-чуть живой,
И взял бы еще, да некуда больше брать.
А ночью такой, одинаковый белый свет,
И небо над ним раскинулось звездным шатром,
А я вот так вот один не сидел много лет
С луною в стакане и бесплатным дождем.
Коктейль из лунного света и вина
Или под водку грустный мотив.
Я знаю где-то ты одна
Глотаешь свой лунный аперитив.
Пусть завтрашний день принесет еще больше забот,
Проблемы свои я умею еще решать.
Я так свободен сейчас и так одинок,
И пьян абсолютно, таким я хотел стать, когда пил
Коктейль из лунного света и вина
Или под водку грустный мотив.
Наверное где-то ты одна
Глотаешь свой лунный аперитив.
Из лунного света и вина...
Я знаю, где-то ты одна...
The lyrics to Billy's Band's song "Коктейль" ("Cocktail") describe a lonely and melancholic night spent drinking alone. The singer watches the tired sun bathe in their unfinished wine and thinks about the unresolved problems of the day and what the night might bring. Sitting on the grass under their window, they warm themselves with the sleeve of their coat and decide they should start reaching out before they're overwhelmed by the need to be with their loved one.
The chorus refers to a "cocktail of moonlight and wine" or a "sad motif under vodka." The singer imagines their loved one somewhere, drinking their own "moon apéritif," and later notes that they're probably still drinking while they're sitting there, too. The night feels long and empty, the singer stationary while people pass them by. They feel barely alive, but slightly so, and would have another drink if there were anything left to drink. The night is white, and the stars have spread over it. It has been a long time since the singer was alone like this with the moon in their cup and the rain for free.
Line by Line Meaning
Сидел и смотрел, как усталое солнце
I was sitting and watching as the tired sun
Купалось в моем недопитом вине,
Washed itself in my unfinished wine,
Что кончился день нерешенный,
That an indecisive day has ended,
И что эта ночь приготовила мне.
And that this night has prepared something for me.
И вот я сижу на траве под своим окном
And now I'm sitting on the grass under my window
И грею свое одиночество в рукаве.
Warming my loneliness in my sleeve.
Начну, пожалуй, а то не успею потом,
I'll start, perhaps, or else I won't have time later,
Когда как всегда до слез захочу к тебе.
When, as always, I'll want to cry for you.
Коктейль из лунного света и вина
A cocktail of moonlight and wine
Или под водку грустный мотив.
Or a sad tune under vodka.
Знаю где-то ты одна
I know somewhere you're alone
Глотаешь свой лунный аперитив.
Swallowing your moonlit aperitif.
Случайные люди обходят меня стороной,
Random people pass me by,
А я никуда не иду, все равно не встать.
And I'm going nowhere, unable to stand up.
И вроде бы мертвый, но и чуть-чуть живой,
And it seems like I'm dead, but I'm still a bit alive,
И взял бы еще, да некуда больше брать.
And I would take more, but there's nowhere else to get it.
А ночью такой, одинаковый белый свет,
And at night, such a uniform white light,
И небо над ним раскинулось звездным шатром,
And the sky above it spread out like a starry tent,
А я вот так вот один не сидел много лет
And here I am, sitting alone like this, for many years now
С луною в стакане и бесплатным дождем.
With moonshine in a glass and free rain.
Пусть завтрашний день принесет еще больше забот,
Let tomorrow bring even more worries,
Проблемы свои я умею еще решать.
I can still solve my problems.
Я так свободен сейчас и так одинок,
I'm so free right now and so lonely,
И пьян абсолютно, таким я хотел стать, когда пил
And completely drunk, the way I wanted to be when I was drinking
Наверное где-то ты одна
Probably somewhere you're alone
Глотаешь свой лунный аперитив.
Swallowing your moonlit aperitif.
Из лунного света и вина...
From moonlight and wine...
Я знаю, где-то ты одна...
I know somewhere you're alone...
Contributed by Skyler K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.