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.
Suddenly...
Gogol Bordello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A hand reached out and ordered me to duck
Took me to a Sturm and Drang banquet
Where Rismsky and Korsakov they met
On the Sturm and Drang banquet
Where Kunitzky popal pod zapret
A stambuljanskij k Rudiku v Kismet
Miss Carpaty, miss Carpaty
Sojuzivka is the best
But I still miss Carpaty
The lyrics to Gogol Bordello's song Suddenly showcase the surreal experience of the singer who is suddenly taken to a Sturm and Drang banquet by an unknown hand that orders him to duck. The banquet is attended by famous composer duo Rismsky and Korsakov, and the vibe is chaotic and intense. The references to Kunitzky popal pod zapret, stambuljanskij k Rudiku v Kismet add to the disorienting atmosphere of the place. Amidst all these, the singer still yearns for the Carpaty, a mountain range stretching across Central and Eastern Europe that is known for its scenic beauty and cultural significance. He acknowledges that Sojuzivka, a Ukrainian American cultural center, is great, but there is something about Carpaty that he misses.
The lyrics are characteristic of Gogol Bordello's unique style which draws from Gypsy, punk, and folk influences and is known for its energetic, eclectic, and often politically charged themes. The band's lead singer Eugene Hutz himself hails from Ukraine and the reference to Kunitzky, stambuljanskij k Rudiku v Kismet can be seen as a nod to his roots. The mention of Rismsky and Korsakov is also significant as they were renowned composers from Russia who contributed immensely to classical music.
Line by Line Meaning
Suddenly door opened just a crack
The door opened just a little, catching me off guard
A hand reached out and ordered me to duck
Someone's hand extended towards me and urged me to lower myself
Took me to a Sturm and Drang banquet
I was taken to a banquet with intense and dramatic displays
Where Rismsky and Korsakov they met
At the banquet, Rimsy and Korsakov were in attendance
On the Sturm and Drang banquet
The banquet was full of passion, intensity and upheaval
Where Kunitzky popal pod zapret
Kunitzky was caught in a trap or under lock and key
A stambuljanskij k Rudiku v Kismet
Stambuljanskij went to Rudiku in Kismet
Still I miss Carpaty
I still have longing for Carpaty
Miss Carpaty, miss Carpaty
I have a strong desire or sentiment for Carpaty
Sojuzivka is the best
Sojuzivka is an excellent place
But I still miss Carpaty
Even though Sojuzivka is wonderful, I still feel a strong affection for Carpaty
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Eliot Ferguson, Eugene Hutz, Oren Kaplan, Sergey Ryabstev, Thomas Gobena, Yuri Lemeshev
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
V K
Я теж сумую за Карпатами!!!Gogol Bordello - ви неймовірно круті!!! Хоч такі далекі (географічно), але так емоційно близькі!!!!
Charlie Teljeur
It kicks in it 2:49 and I feel so much power I feel like my chest will burst.
Zamza Gregor
Найкращий трек GB!
Юрій Бербенюк
📌Шшшшеееедевр!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Russell Solomon
Is this song about the Zakarpattia region of Ukraine? I know there is a photo floating around the net of Eugene Hütz standing in front of a road sign with the names of villages "Chop" and "Mukachevo" in Cyrillic. I looked up the cities and Wikipedia sez they are in the region of Zakarpattia in Ukraine which sounds a lot like "Carpaty". Maybe Carpaty is the gypsy named for Zakarpattia?
Olha Shpakovska
Carpaty is Ukrainian name for Carpathian mountains, Zakarpattia literally translates as the place behind the Carpathian mountains
Piroska Racz
That's right...my name is Piroska Racz I'm the Roma/Gypsy singer/dancer here in the middle of the song. I was in Gogol Bordello from 2000-2002. I'm also in two videos NOT A CRIME and AMERICAN WEDDING
minombre_xxj3445
@Piroska Racz really?? what does the lyric means?? My favourite gogol song 😍
Piroska Racz
@minombre_xxj3445 hutz sings in Ukrainian and Russian ....i sing in Romani/Gypsy language....... The rose is red not yellow ...lookie there how the old guy so crazy
minombre_xxj3445
@Piroska Racz the romani verse i love 💕💕 beautiful voice and song. Thank you very much