Combining elements of punk, gypsy music, and Brechtian cabaret, Gogol Borde… Read Full Bio ↴Combining elements of punk, gypsy music, and Brechtian cabaret, Gogol Bordello tells the story of New York's immigrant diaspora through debauchery, humor, and surreal costumes. Leader and singer Eugene Hütz's taste in music was spun out of black-market tapes of the The Birthday Party and Einstürzende Neubauten in his native Ukraine.

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.

Never Young Again
Gogol Bordello Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I broke out of the cage
And learned how to make marching drums from fish can
And I knew I'll run away
And so without further delay
I said "Two tears in a bucket, motherfuck it!"
And it seems like I ran and ran
Through the garbage and quicksand
And after getting checked for fleas
And barricades of embassies
I would never, never, never, wanna be young again

So?
But sudden wind it stole my hat
And I went on chasing it
Before I was just another burned out carnie
Every freak on every day
Lives a life one certain way
And that way is ain't no nothin' but a birthright

But since the early age
I broke out of the cage
And learned how to make marching drums from fish can
And I knew I'll run away
And so without further delay
I said "Two tears in a bucket, motherfuck it!"

And it seems like I ran and ran
Through the garbage and quicksand
And after getting checked for fleas
And barricades of embassies
I would never, never, never wanna be young again

What?
And it seems like I ran and ran
Through the garbage and quicksand
And after getting checked for fleas

And barricades of embassies
I would never, never, never wanna be young again

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Gogol Bordello's song I Would Never Wanna Be Young Again delve into the struggles and disillusionment of youth, and the eventual rebellion and freedom that comes with breaking out of societal molds. The singer talks about feeling lost and overwhelmed by the expectations put upon them by society, represented by the "desperate and confused emotion of the youth." They were brought to "crisis land" where they were checked for fleas and faced barricades of embassies. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for the daunting and exhausting process of growing up, and how society and people force limitations on those who are young and inexperienced.

However, the singer is able to break free from the cage of societal expectations, using their love for music as a means to do so. They learn to make marching drums from fish cans, a symbol of their resourcefulness and creativity. The repeated refrain of "two tears in a bucket, motherfuck it" can be interpreted as a declaration of rebellion and a refusal to conform to society's limitations. The singer eventually runs away and goes through obstacles like garbage and quicksand before realizing they would never want to be young again.

Overall, the song explores themes of rebellion, self-discovery, and the limitations that society puts upon us. The singer's love for music and willingness to defy expectations serves as a testament to the power of individuality and creativity.

Line by Line Meaning

By the desperate 'n' confused Emotion of the youth I was brought to crisis land Where after getting checked for fleas And barricades of embassies I was sculpted to be overworked and silent
At a young age, I was exposed to intense emotions and confusion, which led me to a place where I was constantly facing crises. I was checked for fleas and faced barricades of embassies, which made me feel overworked and silent.

But since the early age I broke out of the cage And learned how to make marching drums from fish can And I knew I'll run away And so without further delay I said "Two tears in a bucket, motherfuck it!" And it seems like I ran and ran Through the garbage and quicksand And after getting checked for fleas And barricades of embassies I would never, never, never, wanna be young again
Despite my challenging upbringing, I managed to break free early on and learned how to make marching drums out of fish cans. I knew I was going to run away and didn't waste any time doing so. I said, 'Two tears in a bucket, motherfuck it!' and it felt like I ran endlessly through difficult terrain while being checked for fleas and facing embassy barricades. I would never want to relive my youth again.

But sudden wind it stole my hat And I went on chasing it Before I was just another burned out carnie Every freak on every day Lives a life one certain way And that way is ain't no nothin' but a birthright
During one of my adventures, the wind suddenly stole my hat and I went chasing after it. Before I left, I was just another burned out carnie, but now I realized that every freak lives their life in a certain way and that this way is a birthright- something that they were born with and destined to have.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ELIOT FERGUSON, EUGENE HUTZ, OREN KAPLAN, YURI LEMESHEV, REA MOCHIACH, SERGEY RYABSTEV

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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