Today we will watch a video and listen to a good old Russian romance: By Long Road (Dorogoy Dlinnoyu/Дорогой длинною) [composed before 1917]! We think many of our readers know and love an English version of this song, known as “Those Were the Days” and written in 1968.
For our readers who wants to know more:
This Romance was written by Boris Fomin (1900-1948) with words by the poet Konstantin Podrevskii the official year of birth is 1924 but specialists still argue about it: Because there are two versions of this romance and first version of it was sung by incredible Alexander Vertinsy even before Russian Revolution [25 October 1917]. All who has heard this romance by Vertinsky admit that it was genial!
For our Russian speaker readers here is a very good article about this romance in Russian.
And for all our readers we publish the original Russian text and its English interpretation:
Слова К.Подревского
Ехали на тройке с бубенцами, Припев: Да, выходит, пели мы задаром, В даль родную новыми путями |
English text by Gene Raskin
Once upon a time there was a tavern, Refrain: Then the busy years when rushing by us. Just tonight I stood before the tavern, Through the door there came familiar laughter. |
and we think it is great that both Russian and English speakers can enjoy such a wonderful song!
Svet and Kyle
comments always welcome.
The melody is indeed Russian but ‘Those were the days’ is not a translation from the Russian song Dorogoy Dlinnoyu which means along a long road. An American Gene Raskin, wrote the lyrics for the song ‘Those were the days’ using the music from Fomins Dorogoy Dlinnoyu. The song in Russian Дорогой длинною, was written by Boris Fomin in the early 1900's with words by the poet Konstantin Podrevskii. Raskins lyrics are not a literal translation from Podrevskiis
Pat
Hi Pat,
Thank you for stopping by and your comment. Nobody told that Raskin made literal translation of the song. American composer and poet Gene Raskin adopted Russian song to English language and ascribed this song to himself.
Regards,
Svetlana
Manca Izmajlova, Nikolay Baskov, Pesnyary Ensemble and many other singers has been covered the song Дорогой длинною in several diffrent languages (in Brazil, there's a Brazilian-Portuguese version of it, although this song is either in Russian or Portuguese or else the other language, whatever French, Italian or Spanish), Please post the HD new Manca Izmajlova version of the romance named Дорогой длинною. The song is also an article you will see on Wikipedia (in English): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorogoi_dlinnoyu
Good news, folks: Vitas covered recently the song “Those Were the Days”. Vote for the song on the site: http://www.vitas.com.ru/radio and choose the Vitas’ version of Дорогой длинною. I hope you’ll like the Vitas’ version of the song.
Here’s the Portuguese text of Дорогой длинною (recently covered by Vitas):
Hoje ainda recordo aqueles dias
que eu trazia o céu no coração.
Se era primavera não me lembro
só recordo o amor que nos uniu.
O tempo que passou
não conseguiu matar
o amor que eu
insisto em recordar
Eu sei que não morreu
o que você e eu
em um sonho bom
deixamos florescer!
Tanto amor perdido no momento
que o meu coração compreendeu
Que o adeus chegou como um lamento
de repente o céu escureceu
O tempo que passou
não conseguiu matar
o amor que eu
insisto em recordar
Eu sei que não morreu
o que você e eu
em um sonho bom
deixamos florescer!
Hoje, que o inverno está comigo
triste inverno da recordação
Deixo esta saudade no abrigo
que fiz dentro do meu coração.
O tempo que passou
não conseguiu matar…
Recently Vitas covered “Those Were the Days”, thus bein the Vitas’ definitive version. You can hear the Vitas’ version thru the site: http://www.vitas.com.ru/radio/
Today I listened the Vitas’ recent version of Дорогой длинною (Those Were the Days) and I loved the Vitas version and I hope you’ll like Vitas singing “Those were the days”.
“Dorogoi Dlinnoyu (Those were the Days)” sung by Vitas (by You Tube): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GJYsxZesek
Please post Vitas’ version of the song!
Pingback: Russian Video: Sing Guitar! « Russian Video From Russia