☝️ Key Points
- The song tells the story of a lonely soldier guarding the banks of the Volga and feeling desperate and abandoned by everything
- The lyrics describe the soldier's emotional state, his feeling of abandonment and loneliness despite the surrounding nature
- He seeks comfort in the sky and asks if he has been forgotten, expressing his hope and despair
- The song expresses a deep longing for love and belonging, as well as the desire to end this inner emptiness through heavenly intervention
- 'The Volga Boatman's Song' is an expression of universal human emotions: loneliness, longing, hope, and the search for loving connection
Interpretation
The 'Wolgalied' by
Ivan Rebroff is a melancholic song that tells the story of the inner turmoil and loneliness of a soldier guarding the banks of the Volga River. The lyrics paint the picture of a lonely man standing watch in the darkness of the night, without the comfort of the moon or stars. He feels abandoned and misses the love he left behind or never had. The soldier feels so abandoned and desperate that he sheds a tear and his heart is consumed by loneliness. In his despair, he turns to the sky and asks, 'Have you forgotten about me up there?'. He longs for love and requests an angel to be sent to him to alleviate his loneliness. The song expresses the universal human experience of loneliness and longing for love and belonging, especially in times of isolation or suffering. It is an appeal to the divine and the desire for comfort and companionship in dark times.