It features an alternate reality theme, where a second nuclear disaster occurs at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the near future and causes strange changes in the area around it. The game has a non-linear storyline and features gameplay elements such as trading and two-way communication with NPCs. The game includes elements of role-playing and business simulation games.
The background and some terminology of the game ("The Zone", "Stalker") is borrowed from the popular science fiction novella Roadside Picnic by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky and the 1979 Andrei Tarkovsky film Stalker that was loosely based on it, as well as Stalker, the film's subsequent novelization by the original authors.
The fan made album Hello Fellow STALKER: Guitar Noises from STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl can be downloaded HERE
Main Theme
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No sabía que quería
No sabía que tenía
Ahora tengo 24
quiero un piso con dos gatos
Bomba de Hiroshima te quiero encima de mí
Aunque pase el tiempo lo quiero todo por mí
te veo junto al mar
No soy igual que en bachillerato
juego a la play pero solo a ratos
Tell me baby what you want
No sabía que quería
No sabía que tenía
Ahora tengo 24
quiero un piso con dos gatos
Tell me baby what you want
No sabía que quería
No sabía que tenía
Ahora tengo 24
quiero un piso con dos gatos
Ya termino la universidad
quiero un curro que me deje tras nochar y más
A tu lado, A tu lado
Yo tu Tatsuro y tú Mariya
me encanta como hablas y me maquillas
Quiero ir en tren a Tokyo,
cantar en karaoke con mis socios
Es por la pasta no por las ganas
así que me conformo con Valdelagrana
Tell me baby what you want
No sabía que quería
No sabía que tenía
Ahora tengo 24
quiero un piso con dos gatos
The lyrics of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl's Main Theme are a mix of different thoughts and desires of a person who has just turned 24. The opening lines express the singer's confusion about what they want and what they have. They sing about wanting a simple life, a place to call their own, and two cats to keep them company. However, they also express a desire for intimacy, referencing the atomic bomb and wanting someone on top of them.
As the song progresses, the singer talks about their current situation. They see themselves as different from their high school self, and while they occasionally play video games, it's not a significant part of their life. They've recently finished university and want a job that allows them to work nights and more. They then direct their attention to a specific person, possibly their significant other, who they compare to the pair of characters from the Japanese drama "Long Vacation" - Tatsuro and Mariya. They mention wanting to travel to Tokyo and sing karaoke with their friends but only for the money, not the experience. Despite it all, they ultimately want a stable life with two cats by their side.
The song's lyrics give a glimpse into the whims and desires of a person in their mid-20s, and how they perceive their current situation. It speaks to common desires for stability, companionship, and adventure while acknowledging that these things often come with a price. The references to Japanese media suggest the singer's interest in Japanese culture, which is relevant as the game and song are developed by a Ukrainian studio.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me baby what you want
Asking someone about their desires and wishes
No sabía que quería
Not knowing what one wanted
No sabía que tenía
Not realizing what one possessed
Ahora tengo 24
Being at the age of 24
quiero un piso con dos gatos
Desiring to own an apartment with two cats
Bomba de Hiroshima te quiero encima de mí
Expressing a desire for intimacy with someone
Aunque pase el tiempo lo quiero todo por mí
Desiring everything for oneself, despite the passage of time
Y ahora, te veo junto al mar
Observing someone near the ocean
No soy igual que en bachillerato
Not being the same as in high school
juego a la play pero solo a ratos
Playing video games only occasionally
Ya termino la universidad
Finishing university studies
quiero un curro que me deje tras nochar y más
Desiring a job that allows working late and more
A tu lado, A tu lado
Being next to someone
Yo tu Tatsuro y tú Mariya
Referring to oneself and another person using different names
me encanta como hablas y me maquillas
Appreciating someone's way of speaking and applying makeup
Quiero ir en tren a Tokyo,
Desiring to travel by train to Tokyo
cantar en karaoke con mis socios
Singing karaoke with friends
Es por la pasta no por las ganas
Being motivated by money rather than enthusiasm
así que me conformo con Valdelagrana
Being content with what one has, in this case, a place called Valdelagrana
Tell me baby what you want
Repeating the question about someone's wants and desires
No sabía que quería
Repeating the statement about not knowing what one wants
No sabía que tenía
Repeating the statement about not realizing what one possessed
Ahora tengo 24
Repeating the fact of being at the age of 24
quiero un piso con dos gatos
Repeating the desire to own an apartment with two cats
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jordi Arroyo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DannyEastes
The theme is so bleak and depressing, really captures that sense of loneliness.
Until you hear it after dying for the 300th time, it then sounds like a sarcastic sad violin mocking you
@randomfaca
That's why you spam that quickload hotkey brother :))
@kacperw587
"Lost to the zone"
@AurelionSass
Such is life in the Zone.
@3DRiley_
@@kacperw587 "You can't change the current reality and the Zone kick you out"
@eatsleepgame3467
One of the most haunting, atmospheric, theme music from a PC game ever. And may the zone take me if i'm lying.
@The_D_ray
Check Penumbra Overture's Menu Theme comrade.
@Sisyphus---
Six years ago...
@Umarudon
did the zone take you comrade? Are you okay? It's been 6 years since you wrote your comment...
@4incignificance4
Thanks for GSC! Best Ukraine game company!.... About that, I am from Ukraine too... 💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙!!!!!