Rasputin – English Lyrics

• By: Boney M.

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of 1970s Euro-disco with Boney M.'s iconic track, “Rasputin”! This song offers a fascinating, albeit sensationalized, journey into a pivotal moment of Russian history, telling the dramatic tale of Grigori Rasputin. Learning the lyrics of this global hit will not only introduce you to key vocabulary related to power, intrigue, and human nature but also immerse you in a unique blend of pop and folk influences, making it an incredibly engaging way to connect with a memorable piece of music and history.

[English]

There lived a certain man in Russia long ago

He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow

Most people looked at him with terror and with fear

But to Moscow chicks, he was such a lovely dear

He could preach the Bible like a preacher

Full of ecstasy and fire

But he also was the kind of teacher

Women would desire

Ra-Ra-Rasputin

Lover of the Russian queen

There was a cat that really was gone

Ra-Ra-Rasputin

Russia's greatest love machine

It was a shame how he carried on

But when his drinking and lusting

And his hunger for power became known to more and more people

The demands to do something about this outrageous man

Became louder and louder

"This man's just got to go", declared his enemies

But the ladies begged, "Don't you try to do it, please"

No doubt this Rasputin had lots of hidden charms

Though he was a brute, they just fell into his arms

Then one night, some men of higher standing

Set a trap, they're not to blame

"Come to visit us", they kept demanding

And he really came

Ra-Ra-Rasputin

Lover of the Russian queen

They put some poison into his wine

Ra-Ra-Rasputin

Russia's greatest love machine

He drank it all and said, "I feel fine"

Ra-Ra-Rasputin

Lover of the Russian queen

They didn't quit, they wanted his head

Ra-Ra-Rasputin

Russia's greatest love machine

And so they shot him 'til he was dead

Oh, those Russians

...

Key Grammar Structures

• There lived a certain man in Russia long ago

  ➔ Inversion (There + verb + subject) & Adverbial phrase of time

  ➔ The sentence starts with 'There' followed by the verb 'lived' before the subject 'a certain man'. 'Long ago' specifies the time.

• He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow

  ➔ Adjective phrases and Inversion

  ➔ The first part uses adjectives to describe 'He'. The second part inverts the subject and the object to give a more poetic expression, 'in his eyes a flaming glow'.

• Most people looked at him with terror and with fear

  ➔ Prepositional phrases and Parallel structure

  ➔ Uses prepositional phrases ('with terror', 'with fear') to describe how people looked at him. Parallel structure is seen in 'with terror and with fear'.

• But to Moscow chicks, he was such a lovely dear

  ➔ Adverbial Phrase of Purpose (implied), Exclamatory Sentence

  ➔ While not explicitly stated, the phrase implies that 'to Moscow chicks' is for them. The sentence also contains an exclamatory element due to the use of 'such a lovely dear'.

• He could preach the Bible like a preacher

  ➔ Simile

  ➔ Uses 'like' to draw a comparison between Rasputin's preaching and that of a preacher.

• But when his drinking and lusting

  ➔ Gerunds

  ➔ Uses the gerunds 'drinking' and 'lusting' acting as nouns, showing the actions. It demonstrates the multiple activities that led to the outrage.

• The demands to do something about this outrageous man

  ➔ Noun phrases and Adjective

  ➔ Complex noun phrase 'The demands to do something about this outrageous man' with the adjective 'outrageous' to describe the man.

• This man's just got to go

  ➔ Contraction & Modal Verb

  ➔ 'This man's' is a contraction, and 'got to go' (informal 'have got to') expresses a necessity or strong obligation.

• Though he was a brute, they just fell into his arms

  ➔ Adverbial Clause of Concession & Idiom

  ➔ 'Though he was a brute' is an adverbial clause of concession. 'Fell into his arms' is an idiom meaning to be attracted to him.

• They put some poison into his wine

  ➔ Transitive Verb & Prepositional Phrase

  ➔ The verb 'put' is transitive, requiring an object ('some poison'). 'Into his wine' is a prepositional phrase showing the location of the poison.