Rasputin
Boney M. 2000 Lyrics

There lived a certain man in Russia long ago
Once upon a time, in ancient Russia there was a specific man worthy of mention

He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow
This person was physically large and mighty with his eyes holding a bright fire

Most people looked at him with terror and with fear
Many people felt scared or threatened while looking at him

But to Moscow chicks he was such a lovely dear
Despite the fear others felt, he had a charming effect on the ladies of Moscow

He could preach the bible like a preacher
This man had the capability to give religious sermons with a level of mastery

Full of ecstasy and fire
His sermons were filled with enthusiasm and passion

But he also was the kind of teacher
He was also an instructor in his own way

Women would desire
Many women desired him, for various reasons

Ra ra Rasputin
Here, the emphasis is on the man himself, the subject of this song

Lover of the Russian queen
Rasputin was known, at least in some quarters, to be a paramour of the Russian queen

There was a cat that really was gone
This line has no clear meaning but could be interpreted as a phrase with no specific meaning, or maybe as a potential nod to the way some Russian words sound like cats meowing

Russia's greatest love machine
In the eyes of some, Rasputin was the ultimate example of a skilled seducer

It was a shame how he carried on
Some may have seen his exploits as shameful

He ruled the Russian land and never mind the czar
Rasputin was not a political leader but managed to exert his influence nonetheless

But the cassock he danced really wunderbar
Despite his religious garb, he was an impressive dancer

In all affairs of state he was the man to please
In important decisions in Russia at the time, Rasputin often had the final say

But he was real great when he had a girl to squeeze
When he was able to be with a woman, he was at his happiest

For the queen he was no wheeler dealer
Despite rumors, he was not someone who would take advantage of powerful people for personal gain

Though she'd heard the things he'd done
Despite being aware of his reputation and what he had done, she still believed in him

She believed he was a holy healer
She believed that he had spiritual powers capable of helping others

Who would heal her son
She specifically thought he could aid her own son

But when his drinking and lusting and his hunger
However, as he became more indulgent and his desires grew stronger

For power became known to more and more people,
This behavior of his began to become more visible to others

The demands to do something about this outrageous
People began to feel that he was behaving in an outrageous manner

Man became louder and louder.
Their calls for action grew more and more intense

"This man's just got to go!" declared his enemies
Those against him felt the only solution was getting rid of him altogether

But the ladies begged "don't you try to do it, please"
However, the women around him - despite some being hurt by him - didn't want to see him harmed

No doubt this Rasputin had lots of hidden charms
It seems he had a certain je ne sais quoi that was difficult to resist

Though he was a brute they just fell into his arms
Despite knowing he could be violent or harsh, people couldn't help but feel drawn to him

Then one night some men of higher standing
One night, people of a more elevated class took action against him

Set a trap, they're not to blame
They engineered a situation to try to catch him in the act

"Come to visit us" they kept demanding
Luring him with an invitation

And he really came
He fell right into their trap

They put some poison into his wine
When they had him, they poisoned him

He drank it all and he said "I feel fine"
Even as he drank the potentially fatal dose of poison, he felt no effects

They didn't quit, they wanted his head
His enemies still wanted him gone, even if the poison didn't do the trick

And so they shot him till he was dead
In the end, they took more direct action, using guns to finish him off

Oh, those Russians
A closing note on the unpredictability of Russians and their actions