This Isn’t Love

Jun 28

Летний сад (the Summer Garden) in Petersburg — **Летний сад** (the Summer Garden) in Petersburg

Here’s a well-known love song from Viktor Tsoi and KINO, the title track from their classic album 1985 Это не любовь. The lyrics are simple enough, but for those new to Tsoi’s Petersburg, it’s worth pointing out what exactly a двор is. The historic center of Petersburg features rows of buildings with distinct, but uninterrupted, façades, punctured by archways (one or two per building) that lead to the двор — the inner courtyard from which most apartments are accessed via a number of stairwells (this is called a подъезд — though some in Petersburg use the term парадная). Anyway, in many large blocks of buildings, clustered together, the courtyards are connected with more archways, forming a kind of labyrinth. People who know the city well can often take shortcuts through all these дворы. In fact, in another song on this album, Tsoi sings of the дети проходных дворов (lit., children of the courtyards people walk through).

I’ve probably mentioned before that Tsoi’s lyrics are among the most straightforward in classic Russian rock; this, combined with the fact that still today Russians know almost all of his songs make his music a great way to learn Russian. If you memorize all his lyrics (I probably came close to that goal the first year I lived in Russia, back in 2000-2001), you’ll know a LOT of Russian!

This Isn’t Love

KINO (Viktor Tsoi)

You often walk past without seeing me
With someone else, and I stand there, unable to breathe.
I know you live in the neighboring courtyard.
You walk unhurriedly, unhurriedly…

Ooooh, but this isn’t love…
Ooooh, but this isn’t love…

In the evening I stand beneath your window
You water the flowers, water the flowers
And I stand there until dark, consumed by fire,
And it’s all because of you, only because of you…

Ooooh, but this isn’t love…
Ooooh, but this isn’t love…

Teach me everything you know;
I want to know it, and know how to do it.
Make all my dreams come true.
I can’t wait any longer; I could die…

Это не любовь

КИНО (Виктор Цой)

Ты часто проходишь мимо, не видя меня
С кем-то другим, я стою не дыша
Я знаю, что ты живёшь в соседнем дворе
Ты идёшь не спеша, не спеша...