After being evacuated to Western Ukraine in 1986 following the Chernobyl disaster, Hütz became enamored of the mystical, outsider qualities of gypsy music. Living as a refugee in Poland, Hungary, Austria, and Italy before moving to the United States in 1993, he experienced life as an outsider himself.
After arriving in New York, he teamed up with guitarist Vlad Solofar and squeezebox player Sasha Kazatchkoff. American Eliot Fergusen added a strong rock sound on the drums and the band was also augmented by Sergei Riabtsev on fiddle, a former theater director from Moscow whose past experience would prove helpful in the future in crafting Gogol Bordello's bizarre stage shows (like one which tells the story of super-powered immigrant Ukrainian vampires).
The group's early gigs involved playing straight gypsy music at Russian weddings, but their music soon evolved into the hyper-kinetic explosions that earned them a solid following amongst New York's downtown hipsters. The band issued a single in 1999 entitled Gogol Bordello, quickly followed by their debut full-length, Voi-La Intruder, which was produced by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' drummer Jim Sclavunos. Solofar and Kazatchkoff were replaced by accordionist Yuri Lemeshev, who hails from the Russian island of Sakhalin, and two Israelis, guitarist Oren Kaplan and saxophonist Ori Kaplan, who despite their similar names were not related.
Hütz helped bolster the band's popularity by becoming somewhat of a celebrity in the downtown scene, in part fueled by his Thursday night DJ gigs at Bulgarian club/restaurant/bar Mehanata, where he played Ukrainian, Gypsy, raï and flamenco music for a crowd of artists, models, Ukrainians, Russians, Gypsies, and Bulgarians with tendencies toward exuberant dancing and smashing plates. In the spring of 2002, Gogol Bordello embarked on a European tour and performed as part of the Whitney Biennial, bringing their music to a whole new audience.
In 2007, the band released their fourth studio album, Super Taranta!.
The members of Gogol Bordello have also made appearances in film. In 2006, their song "Start Wearing Purple" was featured in the film Everything Is Illuminated (starring Elijah Wood and Eugene Hütz), bringing their music to an even broader audience throughout the US.
Gogol Bordello all appeared in Madonna's first short film as director, Filth and Wisdom. Eugene Hütz is to play one of the lead roles. The band have contributed three original songs to the soundtrack.
Their music was also featured in the film Wristcutters: A Love Story and the character of Eugene was based on and partially written by Eugene Hütz.
Copycat
Gogol Bordello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Special way of mind border-lining crime
Pioneer is first and gives the most
Ain't no need for further props.
Pioneer gets down in the motherfuckin' mud
Makes a goldmine out of dump
But you know who gets even bigger cut?
Copy-copy-copy-copy-copycat!
Digging like an ostrich in the motherfucking mud
Just the please the Copycat!
Now Copycat is Copycat and as we learn
It's whole discipline of its own:
Same walk, same talk, but just no heart
That's trade mark of the Copycat.
These days Copycat always gets paid
We call America for Amerigo Vispucci
But Columbus gets all the Kuchi-Kuchi
Kuchi-Kuchi-Kuchi-Copycat... Cut!
The song "Copycat" by Gogol Bordello is a scathing criticism of the notion of being a copycat. The lyrics contrast the pioneer mentality with the copycat mentality. The pioneer is someone who blazes their path, who does things first and does them with the most dedication. They are willing to get down and dirty, as illustrated in the line "Pioneer gets down in the motherfuckin' mud, makes a goldmine out of dump." The copycat, on the other hand, is someone who lacks originality, and has no heart. They are simply imitating others, without bringing anything new to the table. The repetition of the word "Copycat" in the chorus reinforces how monotonous and uninspired they are.
The song is full of references to American history and culture, such as Amerigo Vispucci (the Italian explorer who gave his name to America) and Christopher Columbus. The Columbus reference is particularly biting - he gets all the "Kuchi-Kuchi," a slang term for sex, while Vispucci (who was not even the first European to set foot in America) is forgotten. This comparison is meant to highlight the fact that the copycat often gets unfair advantages over the true pioneers.
Overall, "Copycat" is a commentary on the nature of creativity and originality. The song argues that it is better to be a pioneer, to take risks and forge your path, than to be a copycat who follows the herd without doing anything new or meaningful.
Line by Line Meaning
Pioneer is Pioneer, it's a way of life
Being a pioneer is more than a title, it's a whole way of living.
Special way of mind border-lining crime
They have a unique mindset that pushes boundaries and tests limits.
Pioneer is first and gives the most
They are the first to step forward and always give more than what's expected.
Ain't no need for further props.
They don't need any additional recognition or praise.
Pioneer gets down in the motherfuckin' mud
They are not afraid to get their hands dirty and do the hard work.
Makes a goldmine out of dump
They turn something worthless into something valuable.
But you know who gets even bigger cut?
Despite all their hard work, there's always someone else who benefits more from their efforts.
Copy-copy-copy-copy-copycat!
They are mocking the copycat for their lack of originality.
Digging like an ostrich in the mother****** mud
They are saying the copycat is blindly following and flailing around in the same struggles that the pioneer overcame.
Just to please the Copycat!
The copycat is only doing it to gain the approval of the pioneer.
Now Copycat is Copycat and as we learn
They are emphasizing the fact that the copycat is just a copycat and nothing more.
It's whole discipline of its own:
Copying has become a whole discipline with its own set of rules.
Same walk, same talk, but just no heart
The copycat has the same skills and style, but lacks the passion and originality behind it.
That's trade mark of the Copycat.
The copycat's lack of heart is their defining characteristic.
These days Copycat always gets paid
Copycats are now being rewarded and recognized for stealing someone else's work.
We call America for Amerigo Vispucci
We should give credit to those who truly deserve it, like Amerigo Vispucci for discovering America.
But Columbus gets all the Kuchi-Kuchi
Instead, Columbus gets all the credit and rewards for something he was not the first to do.
Kuchi-Kuchi-Kuchi-Copycat... Cut!
They end the song with a jab at copycats, as if they are cutting the cord between the pioneers and the copycats.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Eliot Ferguson, Eugene Hutz, Oren Kaplan, Rea Mochiach, Sergey Ryabstev, Yuri Lemeshev
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind