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Lyrics, chords, midi, video analysis
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Music
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Russian text by G. Krzhizhanovsky
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Recommended pattern:

(in the key of Am)
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Am
Hostile whirlwinds blow over us,
E7 Am E7
Dark forces oppress us viciously,
Am
We entered into a fatal battle with our enemies,
E7 Am G
Unknown fates still await us.
C G
But we will rise proudly and boldly
_ _ C E7
Banner of the struggle for the workers' cause,
Am
Banner of the great struggle of all nations
E7 Am G
For a better world, for holy freedom.

C G
Chorus: To the bloody battle, holy and right,
_ _ C E7

_ _ Am
_ _ To the bloody battle, holy and right,
_ _ E7 Am E Am
_ _ March, march forward, working people!

The worker is dying of hunger these days.
Will we, brothers, remain silent longer?
Our companions' young eyes
Can the sight of a scaffold be scary?

In the great battle they will not perish without a trace
Those who died with honor in the name of ideas,
Their names with our victory song
They will become sacred to millions of people.

We hate the tyrants of the crown,
We honor the chains of the suffering people.
Thrones drenched in people's blood
We will stain our enemies with the blood.

Whirlwinds are hostile

Hostile whirlwinds blow over us,
Dark forces oppress us viciously,
We entered into a fatal battle with our enemies,
Unknown fates still await us.
But we will rise proudly and boldly
Banner of the struggle for the workers' cause,
Banner of the great struggle of all nations
For a better world, for holy freedom.

Chorus (2 times):

For a bloody battle,
Holy and righteous
March, march forward,
Working people!

The worker is dying of hunger these days.
Will we, brothers, remain silent longer?
Our companions' young eyes
Can the sight of a scaffold be scary?
In the great battle they will not perish without a trace
Those who died with honor in the name of ideas,
Their names with our victory song
They will become sacred to millions of people.

Translation of the lyrics of the song Varshavyanka - Hostile whirlwinds

Vortices hostile blow over us,
Dark forces have viciously oppressed,
In the fateful battle we entered with enemies,
We still await an unknown fate.
But we will proudly and boldly raise
The banner of struggle for the working file,
The banner of the great struggle of all peoples
For a better world, for Holy free.

Chorus (2 times):

To battle bloody,
Holy and right
March, March forward
The working class people!

Dies in our days with hunger work.
Will, brethren, we be silent any longer?
Our young companions eyes
Can the type of scaffold to be scary.
In the great battle don"t vanish without a trace
Fallen with honor in the name of ideas,
Their names with our victorious song
Become sacred to the zillion people.

We are hateful tyrants of the crown,
The chain of people-we honor the sufferer.
Blood-drenched folk thrones
We are the blood of our enemies will Abarim.
The revenge is merciless to all the foe,
All parasites of the working masses,
Revenge and death to all kings-plutocrats,
A close victory is a solemn hour!

3. VARSHAWIANKA (folk music, words by Vaclav Święcitsky, Russian text by Gleb Krzhizhanovsky)
Hostile whirlwinds blow over us,
Dark forces oppress us viciously,
We entered into a fatal battle with our enemies,
Unknown fates still await us.
But we will rise proudly and boldly
Banner of the struggle for the workers' cause,
Banner of the great struggle of all nations
For a better world, for holy freedom.

For a bloody battle,
Holy and righteous
March, march forward,
Working people!

The worker is dying of hunger these days.
Will we, brothers, remain silent longer?
Our companions' young eyes
Can the sight of a scaffold be scary?
In the great battle they will not perish without a trace
Those who died with honor in the name of ideas,
Their names with our victory song
They will become sacred to millions of people.

For a bloody battle,
Holy and righteous
March, march forward,
Working people!

The song is a Russian translation of “Warsawianka” by Wacław Święcicki (Polish: Wac;aw ;wi;cicki, 1848-1900), known in Poland as “Warsawianka 1905”.
Święcicki wrote the text while serving a sentence in the Warsaw Citadel for socialist activities in 1879. Upon Święcicki’s return from Siberian exile, the text was published in the illegal Polish magazine “Proletariat” (1883). The name "Warszawianka" was assigned to it after the May Day demonstration of 1905.
The tune draws partly from the "March of the Zouave", which became a popular march of the 1863 rebellion. The author of the music of the March of the Zouave is unknown; sometimes it is assumed that he was Stanislav Moniuszko.
The author of the Russian text is traditionally considered to be Gleb Maximilianovich Krzhizhanovsky (1872-1959), and the time of its creation is Krzhizhanovsky’s stay in Butyrka prison (1897). The text was published starting in 1900. The song became widespread during the 1905 revolution.

Executor:
1917: T. Voronov, acc. orchestra. New York, Columbia E2773;
1925: 1st instrumental ensemble “Jazz Band” led by A.K. Lvova-Velyaminov. Musicpred 0x220 (music only);
1929: Vocal Ensemble of the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR directed by N.N. Soboleva. Musrest 3243;
1961: Red Banner Ensemble directed by V. A. Alexandrov, LP “Songs of our Motherland Part 1” Melodiya D-4746;
2001: Russian choir, CD “Songs of Russian Revolutions”.
Listen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIBtxQEJ1ik

4. WHAT I HAVE TO SAY (To their blessed memory) (words and music by Alexander Vertinsky)



They were sent to eternal rest.

Cautious spectators silently wrapped themselves in fur coats,
And some woman with a distorted face
Kissed a dead man on his blue lips
And she threw her wedding ring at the priest.

They showered them with Christmas trees and covered them with mud.
And they went home to talk quietly,
That it's time to put an end to the disgrace,
That soon we will begin to starve.

And no one thought to just kneel
And tell these boys that in a mediocre country
Even bright feats are only steps
Into the endless abysses towards the inaccessible spring!

I don't know why and who needs this,
Who sent them to death with an unshaking hand,
Only so merciless, so evil and unnecessary
They were sent to eternal rest.
© Songs and romances by A. Vertinsky. Songwriter. Comp. and processing of V. Model. L., "Soviet composer", Leningrad branch, 1991.

Romance by Alexander Vertinsky, written at the end of 1917. At the end of 1917, the text and sheet music versions of the song were published by the Moscow publishing house Progressive News. The lyrics stated that the song was dedicated to “Their blessed memory.”
The romance is dedicated to the cadets who died in Moscow during the October armed uprising of 1917 and were buried at the Moscow Fraternal Cemetery. Vertinsky himself wrote about this in his memoirs: “Soon after the October events, I wrote the song “What I Must Say.” It was written under the impression of the death of the Moscow cadets, whose funeral I attended.”
For performing the romance, Vertinsky was summoned to the Cheka. In the second half of November he leaves Moscow and goes on tour to the south. In Odessa, the White Guard general Yakov Slashchev met with him. He told Vertinsky how popular his song had become: “But with your song... my boys went to die! And it is still unknown whether this was necessary...”
On November 14, 1920, Vertinsky left Russia along with the units of General Wrangel. He returned to his homeland only in 1943.
In the 1930s, Alexander Vertinsky recorded the song in Germany on a Parlafon record.

Listen to "What I Have to Say":
1931: Alexander Vertinsky. Germany, Parlophon 79152;
1993: Boris Grebenshchikov and the Aquarium group, LP&CD “Library of Babylon. History of the Aquarium - Volume 4" SoLyd Records;
2006: Valery Obodzinsky, CD “Songs of A. N. Vertinsky” Bomba Music BoMB 033-226.
Alexander Vertinsky:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SuBwCqoB5g

Words: G. Krzhizhanovsky
1905

Hostile whirlwinds blow over us,
Dark forces oppress us viciously.
We entered into a fatal battle with our enemies,
Unknown fates still await us.

But we will rise proudly and boldly
Banner of the struggle for the workers' cause,
Banner of the great struggle of all nations
For a better world, for holy freedom.

For a bloody battle,
holy and right
March, march forward,
working people.

The worker is dying of hunger these days,
Will we, brothers, remain silent longer?
Our companions' young eyes
Can the sight of a scaffold be scary?

In the great battle they will not perish without a trace
Those who died with honor in the name of ideas.
Their names with our victory song
They will become sacred to millions of people.

For a bloody battle,
holy and right
March, march forward,
working people.

We hate the tyrants of the crown,
We honor the chains of the suffering people.
Thrones drenched in people's blood
We will stain our enemies with blood!

For a bloody battle,
holy and right
March, march forward,
working people.

Translation

Words: G. Krzyzanowski
1905

Vortices hostile blow over us,
Dark forces have viciously oppressed.
In the fateful battle we entered with enemies,
We still await an unknown fate.

But we will proudly and boldly raise
The banner of struggle for the working file,
The banner of the great struggle of all peoples
For a better world, for Holy free.

To battle bloody,
the Holy and right
March, March forward
the working class people.

Dies in our days with hunger work,
Will, brethren, we be silent any longer?
Our young companions eyes
Can the type of scaffold to be scary.

In the great battle don"t vanish without a trace
Fallen with honor in the name of ideas.
Their names with our victorious song
Become sacred to the zillion people.

To battle bloody,
the Holy and right
March, March forward
the working class people.

We are hateful tyrants of the crown,
The chain of people-we honor the sufferer.
Blood-drenched folk thrones
Blood of our enemies we will Abarim!

Death to all merciless foe!
All parasites of the working masses!
Revenge and death to all kings-plutocrats!
A close victory is a solemn hour.

To battle bloody,
the Holy and right
March, March forward
the working class people.