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.
Shy Kind of Guy
Gogol Bordello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A man came up to me and said:
You know the older you will get
The more perverted you will get
Hey, I'd like to see you try it
Oh what you gonna do about it?
Optzay, be a bad priest?
Be bad transvestattn? (Da yuta nigh!)
Or be a good zoldatten?! (Ozay Optzay!)
Yeah, give it a try, (By by by by)
But me I'm jasto Bordello kind of guy!..
Mama, of course all hopes are so fragile...
Papa, I can't believe what it costs?..
Sily, Sily oni menja pokidajut
So I did what I did and its worth what its worth what it's worth
Ah ha hey!
When the Trickster starts a-walking
He sends the whole world asque
Just when you think that it's all through
Its just a birth of something new
And when the Trickster starts a-pokin
Who does he need to ask permission
Before he goes in third position
I guess he's justo Bordello kind of guy!...
Mama, of course all hopes are so fragile...
Papa, I can't believe what it costs?..
Sily oni menja pokidajut
So I did what I did and its worth what its worth what it's worth
Ah ha hey!
So I walked out out of a bar
And drove like crazy for half mile
I was thirteen beers drunk
On Houston I jumped in some trunk...
We ventured on New York Throughway
Where myself I heard I say:
Shall I be classic self crasher?
Or be a good flasher?!
Hey, I'd like to see you try it
Oh what you gonna do about it?
Heeeeeeey, be a bad priest?
Ili primernij ononist?!
Da yuta nigh!
Ozay Optzay!
By by by by!
I guess I'm justo Bordello kind of guy!
Bordello kind of guy!
Bordello kind of guy!
Bordello kind of guy!
The song "Bordello Kind of Guy" by Gogol Bordello is an upbeat and energetic track that features lead singer Eugene Hütz's unique vocal style and a mix of various musical genres, including punk rock, Gypsy music, and folk. The lyrics of the song tell a story about a man who walks into a bar and is confronted by another patron who tells him that the older he gets, the more perverted he will become. The man responds by challenging the other patron to try and make him do something perverted, but ultimately states that he is just a "Bordello kind of guy" and will not be swayed.
The lyrics of the song can be interpreted in different ways, but they seem to suggest that the singer is comfortable with his own identity and way of life, despite societal expectations or pressure to conform. He embraces his own quirks and enjoys life as it comes, without feeling the need to apologize for his actions or justify them to others. The song is characterized by an irreverent and playful tone, with tongue-in-cheek references to different types of behavior that could be seen as taboo or scandalous.
Line by Line Meaning
As I walked into the bar
I entered a bar
A man came up to me and said:
Someone approached and spoke to me
You know the older you will get
As you age
The more perverted you will get
Your sexual preferences may become more unconventional
Hey, I'd like to see you try it
I challenge you to try that for yourself
Oh what you gonna do about it?
What actions will you take in response?
Optzay, be a bad priest?
Perhaps become an immoral priest?
Ili primernij ononist?!
Or a decent scoundrel?
Be bad transvestattn? (Da yuta nigh!)
Maybe act as a deviant cross-dresser? (No way!)
Or be a good zoldatten?! (Ozay Optzay!)
Or a virtuous soldier? (Maybe yes, maybe no!)
Yeah, give it a try, (By by by by)
Attempt it if you dare
But me I'm jasto Bordello kind of guy!..
But I am simply a person who is well-suited for life in a brothel!
Mama, of course all hopes are so fragile...
Mother, it is true that our dreams and aspirations are delicate and easily damaged
Papa, I can't believe what it costs?..
Father, I can hardly comprehend how much it truly takes
Sily, Sily oni menja pokidajut
External forces and influences often abandon me
So I did what I did and its worth what its worth what it's worth
So I acted as I saw fit, and its value is what it is
When the Trickster starts a-walking
When chaos and mischief are afoot
He sends the whole world asque
Everything is thrown into disarray
Just when you think that it's all through
Just when it appears to be over
Its just a birth of something new
A new beginning is underway
And when the Trickster starts a-pokin
When mischief is in progress
Who does he need to ask permission
Who should he seek approval from?
Before he goes in third position
Before he attempts something unconventional
I guess he's justo Bordello kind of guy!...
I suppose he is simply someone who fits in well in a brothel!
So I walked out out of a bar
I departed from the bar
And drove like crazy for half mile
I drove recklessly for a short distance
I was thirteen beers drunk
I had consumed thirteen beers and was intoxicated
On Houston I jumped in some trunk...
I entered a car on Houston Street
We ventured on New York Throughway
We traveled on the New York Thruway
Where myself I heard I say:
There, I heard myself say:
Shall I be classic self crasher?
Should I intentionally harm myself?
Or be a good flasher?!
Or should I expose myself in a harmless way?
Bordello kind of guy!
I simply belong in a brothel!
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Eliot Ferguson, Eugene Hutz, Oren Kaplan, Sergey Ryabstev, Yuri Lemeshev
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind