Dubinushka (’Little Club’) - Russian Working Song

Support the channel on Patreon: This is a 1925 recording of ’Dubinushka’ or ’Little Club’ by Feodor Chaliapin. This labor song has long been popular in Russia, having been sung by serfs and revolutionaries alike. The ’Little Club’ is a reference to the clubs used by foremen to keep serf and workers in check. The rhythm of the song is meant to imitate the pace of hard labor. Lyrics (English): I have heard many songs all around the land They have told me of blithe and of woe But my memory holds just one song of them all That’s the song of the body of workers. Refrain: Hey, Dubina, the green one! Hey, you, help us do the labor hard, the labor hard! We pull it, and pull it, And move it! Canny Englishmen did tons of gadgets invent As to do all the labors routinely. Russian men strive with hands till they’re tired to death Then they sing their hearts with “Dubina“! Oh, new times, come to us! When the workers wake up, When they straighten the backs from the labor. When they crush all who suck their strength, their blood Crush with their beloved Dubina! Lyrics (Russian Cyrillic): Много песен слыхал я в родной стороне Mnogo pesen slykhal ia v rodnoj storone В них про радость, про горе мне пели, V nikh pro radost, pro gore mne peli, Но из песен одна в память врезалась мне No iz pesen odna v pamiat vrezalas mne Это песня рабочей артели. Ehto pesnia rabochej arteli. Эх, дубинушка, ухнем! Ehkh, dubinushka, ukhnem! Эх, зеленая сама пойдет! Ehkh, zelenaia, sama pojdet, sama pojdet! Podernem, podernem, Подернем, подернем, Да ухнем! Da ukhnem! Anglichanin, khitrec, chtob rabote pomoch’, Izobryol za mashinoj mashinu. A rossijskij muzhik, kol’ rabotat’ nevmoch’, Tak zatyanet rodnuyu “Dubinu“. No nastanet pora, i prosnyotsya narod, Razognyot on moguchuyu spinu. I na bar, na boyar i na prochikh gospod On podnimet rodnuyu dubinu!