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.
Zina-Marina
Gogol Bordello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not as condition inside you and me
I did not invent it, I'm just in charge of it
Simple businessman with simple practical plan
So do you wanna be a model, yeah?
All you got to do is show up, wow
We'll be leaving soon for the breaking ground
There forever be cruelty
There forever be wretched of earth
Crawlin' up round driven by last semen drop
Factory that makes you, they say, it never stops
Factory that makes them, I know, it never stops
So do you wanna be a model, yeah?
All you got to do is show up, wow
We'll be leaving soon for the breaking ground
For there will forever be slavery
There forever be cruelty
In this game they'll always be on the top
And it's up for you to learn or not
Eh, padavai-ka djadka lodku, babenok zagruzgai-ka
Oi, davai davai, trimai denga denga
Oh, da kino-cameru da zgurnalistik nu ka dai-ka
Eh, po chernu morju, da na Dubai, Dubai
The lyrics of Gogol Bordello's song Zina-Marina are introspective, philosophical and brutally honest. The lyrics describe evil as an entity that exists outside of us, rather than a condition that lies within us. The singer of the song, a simple businessman with a practical plan, is not responsible for the existence of evil, but he is in charge of it. The lyrics seem to suggest that while we may not be able to eradicate evil from the world, we can learn to recognize it and work towards limiting its effects.
The song addresses the issue of slavery, cruelty, and the exploitation of the poor and the uneducated who are used to manufacture products for the wealthy. The lyrics portray the factory as an unending cycle of exploitation where people are used to create products that enrich others at the expense of their own well-being. The chorus of the song, "Do you want to be a model?" is a call to the audience to reject the idea that success is defined by materialism and consumerism.
The repetitive refrain of the song, "There forever be slavery, there forever be cruelty," highlights the idea that these issues are inherent to society and that they can never go away completely. The concluding lines of the song, "In this game they'll always be on the top, and it's up for you to learn or not," suggest that we must make a conscious effort to educate ourselves and tackle these issues if we wish to achieve a just and equitable society.
Line by Line Meaning
It is easier to see, evil as entity
It is easier to view evil as a separate entity rather than a condition that exists within every person.
Not as condition inside you and me
Evil is not simply a condition that exists within individuals, but something separate from them.
I did not invent it, I'm just in charge of it
The singer did not create evil, but he is responsible for it in some way.
Simple businessman with simple practical plan
The singer sees himself as a straightforward, practical businessman with a clear objective.
So do you wanna be a model, yeah?
Do you want to be a role model?
All you got to do is show up, wow
All you have to do is be present.
We'll be leaving soon for the breaking ground
The singer and others will soon be leaving to embark on a new venture.
For there will forever be slavery
There will always be slavery.
There forever be cruelty
There will always be cruelty.
There forever be wretched of earth
There will always be people who are suffering on Earth.
Crawlin' up round driven by last semen drop
People are driven to reproduce and have children even in difficult circumstances.
Factory that makes you, they say, it never stops
Society and institutions like factories continue to influence and shape individuals.
Factory that makes them, I know, it never stops
The same is true for those in power.
In this game they'll always be on the top
Those in power will always have the upper hand in this game.
And it's up for you to learn or not
It is up to individuals to decide whether or not to learn from their experiences and situations.
Eh, padavai-ka djadka lodku, babenok zagruzgai-ka
Let's go, load up the boat, girl.
Oi, davai davai, trimai denga denga
Hey, come on, keep the money coming.
Oh, da kino-cameru da zgurnalistik nu ka dai-ka
Oh, and give me a camera and some journalist friends.
Eh, po chernu morju, da na Dubai, Dubai
Let's sail across the Black Sea, on to Dubai, Dubai.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Eliot Ferguson, Eugene Hutz, Oren Kaplan, Sergey Ryabstev, Thomas Gobena, Yuri Lemeshev
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Andromeda Mae
It is easier to see, evil as entity
Not as condition inside you and me
I did not invent it, I'm just in charge of it
Simple businessman with simple practical plan
So do you wanna be a model, yeah?
All you got to do is show up, wow
We'll be leaving soon for the breaking ground
For there will forever be slavery
There forever be cruelty
There forever be wretched of earth
Crawlin' up round driven by last semen drop
Factory that makes you, they say, it never stops
Factory that makes them, I know, it never stops
So do you wanna be a model, yeah?
All you got to do is show up, wow
We'll be leaving soon for the breaking ground
For there will forever be slavery
There forever be cruelty
In this game they'll always be on the top
And it's up for you to learn or not
Eh, padavai-ka djadka lodku, babenok zagruzgai-ka
Oi, davai davai, trimai denga denga
Oh, da kino-cameru da zgurnalistik nu ka dai-ka
Eh, po chernu morju, da na Dubai, D
Andromeda Mae
It is easier to see, evil as entity
Not as condition inside you and me
I did not invent it, I'm just in charge of it
Simple businessman with simple practical plan
So do you wanna be a model, yeah?
All you got to do is show up, wow
We'll be leaving soon for the breaking ground
For there will forever be slavery
There forever be cruelty
There forever be wretched of earth
Crawlin' up round driven by last semen drop
Factory that makes you, they say, it never stops
Factory that makes them, I know, it never stops
So do you wanna be a model, yeah?
All you got to do is show up, wow
We'll be leaving soon for the breaking ground
For there will forever be slavery
There forever be cruelty
In this game they'll always be on the top
And it's up for you to learn or not
Eh, padavai-ka djadka lodku, babenok zagruzgai-ka
Oi, davai davai, trimai denga denga
Oh, da kino-cameru da zgurnalistik nu ka dai-ka
Eh, po chernu morju, da na Dubai, D
Hako Calamity
Can't give a thumbs down on anything while listening to this song.
KruemelchenCooky
yeah they are so great :-) I saw them live in June on Southside Festival
pntm
The entire album is just amazing. I never heard anything like it, but I love it.
AMIR Ha
I wished they include Sax in their songs again...
Hannah89
Ahhh I saw them at Leeds 10, didn't have my fire bucket with me though! Plenty of vodka though, who cares that it was about 11am
роман рыжков
Спасибо тёзке за шикарную песню...поржала . Женя , Екатеринбург .
Luís Eduardo Penteado Nogueira
I would really love to see them live, but i don't think they are coming to Brazil !
Roger Torras
acollonant, preciosa, espatarrant
bloodaGe Ron
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas ... Ron is now billioner as well Master of Puppets + ty all for suport +