I was taught from childhood that profanity and vulgarity are unworthy forms of language, and I don’t use them in everyday speech. However, over the years, I’ve come to understand that sometimes it’s precisely hardcore swearing that adds meanings and shades to language that sound different in literary language.
So, I’ve become a bit more relaxed about them when they’re appropriate.
And there’s the song Backup (Подмога) performed by Boris Grebenshchikov. Originally, this song was by another band, called HZ for short, and in common language… well, Russians can guess.
I’ve heard it in the original version, but in Grebenshchikov’s rendition, it sounds much more soulful, and the profane and vulgar phrases here come across in a completely different way. As Pushnoy once said in one of his songs, “a song is nothing; the performance is everything.”
The video sequence from the film Battery Number One layered over it adds a unique color.
By the way, I couldn’t find whether this song by BG is included in any of his albums.
