Manizha says that “Russian Woman” covers the journey of the Russian woman over the past few hundred years. Women in Russia have gone through a lot and that’s all visible through the song’s lyrics.
“The song is about the transformation of the identity of women in the last few centuries in Russia. She walked the unbelievable road from the
izba [a traditional Slavic countryside dwelling] to the right to vote and be voted on (as one of the first in the world), from the factory halls to the voyages into space. She was never afraid to stand against stereotypes and take the responsibility herself.”
The song starts with a woman standing in a field. Until 1861, all Russian women worked as “serfs”, a form of slavery, on fields owned by the Russian Emperor. In fact, most women still worked in the fields until the industrial revolution properly came to Russia in the 1920s. They often suffered from hunger and illnesses due to poor working conditions.
In Russian, the word for “field” and “battlefield” are synonymous. War has also played a huge role in the life of the Russian women of the 20th century. During both WWI and WWII, many families broke apart due to the husband or father dying on the front. Often, Russian women only knew their husband or father had died when the ship or train carrying their regiment came back without them.
Some Russian Eurovision fans have also interpreted the line “We are waiting for a ship” to be a cross-reference to the classic Russian fairytale
Scarlet Sails. In that story, a young woman waits for a ship with a prince to pick her up. In the song, Manizha sings about waiting for a ship and then standing up and leaving. In Russian, this can also mean “to get out of your bed” after a night’s sleep, realising dreams are fiction.
A newer generation of Russian women also has to deal with new problems, which Manizha discusses quite extensively in the song. In a male-centric society, Russian women still face daily discrimination about the way they dress and for their personal life choices. One of the biggest societal expectations in modern-day Russia is the ideal of a woman being extremely thin, married young, not too sexy, but not too boring either.
“Russian Woman” sees Manizha questioning society’s expectations towards women: “You’re already past 30/ Hello? Where are the children?”, “You are nice-looking overall/ But you should lose some weight”.
Logically, a lot of women do not want others to decide their life. Manizha sings for them too. In the short time between the second verse and the bridge, she speaks against those who want to dictate her life: “Now, you should bear in mind/ I don’t blame you/ But I love myself damn hard”.
In the bridge, using singing from Russian folk styles, Manizha comes back to the story of the destruction of war as well as other conflicts with men in Russia. But she tells Russian women that they are powerful, whether they work on the field, in the factories or in the offices. She sings that a broken family won’t break them and that they are strong enough to break any wall. There’s also references to the family: “Son without father, daughter without father, but a broken family, does not break me”
Russian Woman lyrics – Manizha (Russia ESC 2021)
Lyrics and music: Manizha, Ori Kaplan, and Ori Avni
Russian text | English translation |
Поле поле поле
Я ж мала
Поле поле поле
Так мала
Как пройти по полю из огня
Как пройти по полю если ты одна?
А-а-а?
Ждать ли чьей-то ручечки, ручки?
А-а-а?
Кто подаст мне ручку девочки?
Из покон веков
С ночи до утра
С ночи-ночи
Ждем мы корабля
Ждем мы корабля
Очень очень
С ночи до утра
Ждем мы корабля
Ждем бы корабля
А что ждать?
Встала и пошла.
Every Russian Woman
Needs to know
You’re strong enough, you’re gonna break the wall
Шо там хорохорится?
Ой, красавица?
Ждешь своего юнца?
Ой, красавица
Тебе уж за 30
Ало? Где же дети?
Ты в целом красива
Но вот бы похудеть бы
Надень подлиннее
Надень покороче
Росла без отца
Делай то, что не хочешь
Ты точно не хочешь?
Не хочешь?
А надо.
Послушайте, правда.
Мы с вами не стадо
Вороны пщ-щ-щ пыщ-щ-щ
Отвалите
Теперь зарубите себе на носу
Я вас не виню
А себя я чертовски люблю
Борются, борются
Все по кругу борются
Да не молятся
Сын без отца
Дочь без отца
Но сломанной Family
Не сломать меня
You gonna
You gonna break the wall
Every Russian Woman
Needs to know
You’re strong enough, you’re gonna break the wall
Every Russian Woman
Needs to know
You’re strong enough, you’re gonna break the wall
Hey, Russian woman
Don’t be afraid, girl
You’re strong enough
You’re strong enough
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be afraid
Борются, борются
Все по кругу борются
Да не молятся
Сын без отца
Дочь без отца
Но сломанной Family
Не сломать меня | Field, field, field
I’m so small
Field, field, field
I’m too small
How to cross a field though the fire?
How to cross the field if you’re alone?
Heeeey?
Should I wait for somebody’s little hand?
Whaaat?
Who will give me their helpful hand, girls?
For ages now
From night till dawn
From the deepest of the night
We are waiting for a ship
We are waiting for a ship
Very very much
From night till dawn
We are waiting for a ship
We are waiting for a ship
Very very much
But what’s the wait?
Stand up, go ahead!
Aha, aha!
Every Russian woman
Needs to know
You’re strong enough to bounce against the wall
What’s the showing off for?
Oh, what a beauty you are!
Are you waiting for your young fella?
Oh, what a beauty you are!
You’re over 30 already!
Hello? Where are your kids?
You are quite fine overall
But losing weight would do you good
Wear it a bit longer
Wear it a bit shorter
Grew up without a father?
Do what you don’t want to!
Are you sure you don’t want it?
Don’t want it?
You should!
Listen up, really!
We ain’t a herd
Hey, crows, shoo!
Leave me alone
Now learn it by heart:
I don’t blame you
But damn do I love myself
They fight, always fight
Everyone around is fighting
But they never pray
Son without a father
Daughter with no father
But this broken family
Can’t break me
Every Russian Woman
Needs to know
You’re strong enough, you’re gonna break the wall
Every Russian Woman
Needs to know
You’re strong enough, you’re gonna break the wall
Hey, Russian woman
Don’t be afraid, girl
You’re strong enough
You’re strong enough
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be afraid
They fight, always fight
Everyone around is fighting
But they never pray
Son without a father
Daughter with no father
But this broken family
Can’t break me |