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.
It Is the Way You Name Your Ship
Gogol Bordello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's time for a change
But how
And where do you start?
When bitching
And moaning
And frowning
And loathing
And throwing
Has torn you apart
It has torn you apart
From deep within
Left no vigorous cell
Even in Eden you seek knothole to hell
Oh hey (Hey)
Ho (Ho)
Captain Crooked Grin
Tell me where you trying to go
You taught your parrot to stutter
Now you repeat his old chatter
But it is the way you name your ship
That's the way it's going to row
Oh
It's the way you name your ship
That's the way it's going to row
Now in the beginning there was a word
In the end there is no end
People don't live or die
People just fade in and out of the fog
We come to comprehend
And now all alone with your crooked grin
How you plan staying afloat
Even the boatsman grab Bible
And split from the boat
Oh hey (Hey)
Ho (Ho)
Captain Crooked Grin
Tell us where you trying to go
You taught your parrot to stutter
Now you believe his old chatter
But it is the way you name your ship
That's the way it's going to row
It's the way you name your ship
That's the way it's going to row
Row
You taught your parrot to stutter
Now you're slave to his chatter
But it is the way you name your ship
That's the way it's going to row
Oh
It's the way you name your ship
That's the way it's going to row
Oh
It's the way you name your ship
That's exactly how it's going to row
"It Is the Way You Name Your Ship" is a song by the gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello, from their fifth studio album, "Super Taranta!" released in 2007. The song talks about the power of naming and how the way we name things has an impact on how they turn out to be. It also talks about the need for change and the difficulty of figuring out where and how to start.
The first few lines set the tone for the song, implying that there is a need for change, but it’s not clear how and where to start. The following lines talk about the emotional toll of complaining, frowning and loathing, which can make us feel torn apart from deep within. The line, "Even in Eden, you seek knothole to hell" suggests that even in the most idyllic of situations, we still look for ways to make ourselves miserable, and this could be attributed to the names we give things.
The chorus encourages us to be intentional with the names we give our “ships,” which could be a metaphor for our goals, aspirations or even ourselves. It implies that the name we give our ship (whatever it may be) determines the direction it takes. The line, "Even the boatsman grab Bible and split from the boat" says that even those that are supposed to have experience and knowledge can still abandon their purpose because of the way something is named.
Combining punk and Gypsy music, this song is reflective of Gogol Bordello's roots and their affinity for storytelling in their music. The band hails from the Lower East Side of New York City, which is known for its diverse cultural heritage.
Line by Line Meaning
You know
You are aware that change is needed.
It's time for a change
A change must happen.
But how
It is unclear how to begin.
And where do you start?
The starting point is unknown.
When bitching
When complaining.
And moaning
And expressing negativity.
And frowning
And wearing a displeased expression.
And groaning
And making sounds of discomfort.
And loathing
And hating.
And throwing
And throwing a tantrum.
Has torn you apart
These actions have caused you distress.
From deep within
From the depths of your being.
Left no vigorous cell
Nothing is left of your vitality.
Even in Eden you seek knothole to hell
Even in paradise, you search for negativity.
Oh hey (Hey)
An exclamation to bring attention.
Ho (Ho)
A cheer or exclamation of excitement.
Captain Crooked Grin
The leader with a deceptive smile.
Tell me where you trying to go
What is the end goal or destination?
You taught your parrot to stutter
You have trained yourself to repeat negative patterns.
Now you repeat his old chatter
You continue to repeat these negative patterns.
That's the way it's going to row
This repetitive behavior will continue to have a negative impact.
Oh
An exclamation to bring attention.
Now in the beginning there was a word
Everything began with language.
In the end there is no end
There is no real conclusion to life.
People don't live or die
Life and death are not the only things that define people.
People just fade in and out of the fog
People come and go and are sometimes unclear or uncertain.
We come to comprehend
We eventually understand this reality.
How you plan staying afloat
How do you plan on persevering?
Even the boatsman grab Bible
Even experienced individuals seek guidance to survive.
And split from the boat
And abandon their vessel when necessary.
Tell us where you trying to go
What is the end goal or destination?
Now you believe his old chatter
You have become a slave to negative patterns.
It's the way you name your ship
Your perspective and approach to life determines its outcome.
That's exactly how it's going to row
Your actions will guide the course of your life.
Row
A command to move forward and take action.
Now you're slave to his chatter
You have become a prisoner to negative patterns.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Eugene Hutz, Michael Ward, Oliver Francis Charles, Pedro Erazo-Segovia, Sergey Ryabstev, Thomas Gobena, Yuri Lemeshev
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind