In 1987 guitarist Alexey Belov, vocalist Nikolay Noskov, bassist Alexander "Big Sasha" Minkov
, guitarist Jan Janenkov, and drummer Alexander Lvov (formerly from Aria) came together to form Gorky Park. Stas Namin, a famous 70's soviet musician and a leader of Tsvety, became band's manager. Since Gorbachev has lifted the censorship, many of underground rock bands, including Gorky Park, became able to recieve more widespread popularity. Later that year the band left Russia for USA in search of a record deal.
In the U.S. the band soon made some connections in the record business. One of the first people to take notice was famous guitarist Frank Zappa. Also Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora helped them to secure a deal with Mercury Records.
The band released a self-titled debut album in 1989, featuring initials GP stilized as Hammer & sickle on the cover. With a fall of the Iron Curtain and growing interest to soviets in western countries, Gorky Park soon became widely known. The band seemed to be a kind of symbol of American-Russian friendship. The band's first video, "Bang," received MTV rotation. Their next two singles, "Try to Find Me" and a collaboration with Bon Jovi, "Peace in Our Time," received rotation on mainstream radio stations.
Gorky Park participated on that year's Moscow Music Peace Festival alongside Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne, and the Scorpions. The band continued into 1990 touring with Bon Jovi and performing at the Goodwill Games opening ceremony. Gorky Park live shows often featured the band dressed in traditional russian style, waving soviet and american flags. In 1991 the band recieved scandinavian Grammy award as the best new international act.
As perestroika era came to its end, the group's fame in America subsided rather quickly. Nikolai Noskov left the band in 1990 but GP remained active and kept releasing albums in the '90s. 1993's Moscow Calling sold 500,000 copies outside the US. Their next album, Stare, came out in 1996, released only in Russia, followed up by promotional tour of the former USSR states. In 1998 the band released Protivofazza. In 1999 Alexander Minkov left the band and started his solo career under the scenic name Alexander Marshall. Gorky Park was never officially claimed to disband, but actually inactive since 2001.
Back Down To The Ground
Gorky Park Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The words I can't explain
I keep feeling in my guts
The things I can't restrain
I got visits in my dreams
From the folks I've never seen
Spiral tobogganing down
Just spell me out my sin
Back down to the ground
Lay (hold) my body
Back down to the ground
You can find me
I'll try one more round
I can make it
Back down to the ground
When I'm walking down the block
It's like a picture by Dali
Someone painted all of this
Is just like someone painted me
Someone drawing all my life
And all the colors fading grey
I keep hearing in my brain
Commands I can't obey
I'm falling down
The lyrics to Gorky Park's "Back Down to the Ground" describe feelings of confusion, uncertainty, and a sense of being lost. The singer is plagued by "words" and "things" that they cannot explain or control. These feelings seem to follow the singer even into their dreams, where they encounter unknown individuals; the sense of spiraling out of control adds to the overall feeling of chaos. The chorus repeats the phrase "back down to the ground," suggesting a desire to escape from these overwhelming feelings and a return to a state of stability, perhaps even of simplicity. The second verse goes on to describe the world as a surreal landscape, and the singer feels as if they are a part of the same dream-like environment, with their life painted by someone else and all the colors fading away. The commands in their brain further suggest a lack of control over their life and actions, leading to the sense of falling down.
The song can be interpreted in a few different ways. It could be seen as a commentary on the chaos of life and the struggle to maintain control amidst it all. Alternatively, it could be interpreted as a reflection on mental health issues and the feeling of being overwhelmed and out of control. The repeated desire to return "back down to the ground" could also be related to a desire to escape from these feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
I keep hearing in my head
I am haunted by the words that I cannot fully comprehend.
The words I can't explain
The phrases in my mind are too complex for me to articulate with clarity.
I keep feeling in my guts
I have inexplicable emotions that weigh heavily on me like a physical burden.
The things I can't restrain
I am unable to contain what I feel, like a pot boiling over.
I got visits in my dreams
There are characters that appear in my subconscious that I’ve never met before.
From the folks I've never seen
These visitors to my psyche are unknown and strange to me.
Spiral tobogganing down
I am spiraling out of control, caught in a downward slide towards my ultimate fate.
Just spell me out my sin
I need someone to help me reveal the darkness that consumes me and the crimes I've committed.
I'm falling down, I'm falling down
I am collapsing inward, sinking into the muck and the mire of my own being.
Back down to the ground
I will return to my natural state, where I will rest in peace.
Lay (hold) my body
Place me gently into the ground and let me sleep eternally.
You can find me
My physical form will become one with the earth, but I am never truly gone.
I'll try one more round
I will return, reborn into a new form with a chance to try again.
I can make it
I am determined to overcome my past failures and mistakes.
When I'm walking down the block
As I traverse the streets, my surroundings seem surreal and dreamlike.
It's like a picture by Dali
The world around me is distorted and twisted, as if painted by a surrealist artist.
Someone painted all of this
It is as if a higher power is directing the absurdity of my life.
Is just like someone painted me
I am not in control of my own life or destiny.
Someone drawing all my life
A force beyond my understanding is charting the course of my existence.
And all the colors fading grey
The vibrancy of my life is fading, eroding into a monotonous and bleak existence.
I keep hearing in my brain
I am bombarded by commands and directives that I cannot ignore.
Commands I can't obey
These instructions are onerous, impossible to fulfill.
I'm falling down
I am overwhelmed by the weight of my own existence, my own being, my own lived experiences.
Contributed by Riley R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.