Billy’s Band is a Russian blues and jazz fusion trio. Not to be confused wi… Read Full Bio ↴Billy’s Band is a Russian blues and jazz fusion trio. Not to be confused with the New York City group Bill's Band.

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.

Немного смерти немного любви
Billy's Band Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Спят игрушки, книжки спят
Окурки во всех кружках и бутылках храпят
Выдохлось пиво, портвейн помутнел
И хлеб, оставшись на столе, уже зачерствел

И Солнце уже встало, друзья разошлись
Приятная усталость, и мы снова одни
И то, что нам осталось, посмотри

Немного смерти и немного любви
Немного смерти и немного любви

Еды больше нету, и выпивки нет
Я пойду пожарю зачерствевший хлеб
Воды студёной из-под крана вдоволь попью
И разбужу тебя, чтобы сказать, что люблю

Что Солнце уже встало, друзья разошлись
Приятная усталость, и мы снова одни
И то, что нам осталось, посмотри
Немного смерти и немного любви
Немного смерти и немного любви, йе

Ведь солнце уже встало, друзья разошлись
Приятная усталость, и мы снова одни
И то, что нам осталось, посмотри
Немного смерти и немного любви
Немного смерти и немного любви

О, как тяжело, и надо идти
За огненной водой, тут как ни крути
Но фокус: рюмочка, две, три... Посмотри
Теперь нет смерти, а есть много любви

Совсем нет смерти, а есть много любви
Смотри, нет смерти, а есть много любви, йе-йе-йе

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Billy's Band's song "Немного смерти немного любви" (A bit of death, a bit of love) paint a picture of a night that has come to an end. The toys and books are asleep, while the ashtrays are full, and the beer and port wine have been consumed. The bread has gone stale and everything on the table is in disarray. The sun has risen, the friends have left, and the singer and his loved one are left alone with only a bit of death and a bit of love. They are sated with a pleasant fatigue, and the remaining moments of the night are spent embracing and acknowledging their love for each other and the impermanence of everything.

In the second verse, the singer chooses to make the most of the morning by toasting the stale bread and drinking cold tap water. He then wakes up his loved one to tell them that he loves them. The night may be over, but the love they share is still present, even in the light of day. The singer declares that death is not what remains, but rather it's love that endures even after the night has passed.

The lyrics of the song are simple and poetic, giving readers a contemplative glimpse into a moment of sweetness and love that lingers even in the wake of an ending night.

Line by Line Meaning

Спят игрушки, книжки спят
Toys and books are sleeping

Окурки во всех кружках и бутылках храпят
Ashes in all mugs and bottles are snoring

Выдохлось пиво, портвейн помутнел
Beer has been consumed, port wine has become cloudy

И хлеб, оставшись на столе, уже зачерствел
And the bread left on the table has already become stale

И Солнце уже встало, друзья разошлись
And the sun has already risen, friends have gone their separate ways

Приятная усталость, и мы снова одни
Pleasant fatigue, and we are alone again

И то, что нам осталось, посмотри
Look at what we're left with

Немного смерти и немного любви
A little bit of death and a little bit of love

Еды больше нету, и выпивки нет
There is no more food, and no more drinks

Я пойду пожарю зачерствевший хлеб
I will go and cook the stale bread

Воды студёной из-под крана вдоволь попью
I will drink enough cold water from the tap

И разбужу тебя, чтобы сказать, что люблю
And I will wake you up to tell you that I love you

О, как тяжело, и надо идти
Oh, how heavy it is, and we need to go

За огненной водой, тут как ни крути
For some fiery water, no matter how hard it is

Но фокус: рюмочка, две, три... Посмотри
But here's the trick: a glass, two, three... Look

Теперь нет смерти, а есть много любви
Now there is no death, there is a lot of love

Совсем нет смерти, а есть много любви
There is absolutely no death, only a lot of love

Смотри, нет смерти, а есть много любви
Look, there is no death, only a lot of love

Contributed by Emily G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

@AvtoradioMoscow

Где Спит Твоё Сердце 😴https://youtu.be/7vAbsjrrgxk
Оторвёмся По-питерски 👍🏻https://youtu.be/_da567GXrCE
Давай-ка, Выпей Вина 🥂https://youtu.be/jbR4lN2DafY
Счастье Есть 👉🏻https://youtu.be/wRe2rIW9HiI