"Becoming Егор Летов"
(Egor Letov)
Well, aside from Lu Xun and other popular writers and commentators this writer's ideas derived from, he also took idea from a singer whose words carry reality and against the norm: Egor Letov.
Known for his songs and its connections with Eduard Limonov's National Bolshevik Party, Letov showed his disgust over the system and its way of life; and with his music made people somehow tend to self actualize and gain conciousness being victims of a system sprung after the downfall of the Soviet Union last 1991.
As according to Wikipedia:
"Certainly a prolific musician, Letov is a controversial figure. He was controversial in the mid-to-late 1980s when he satirized the Soviet system, and helped develop a gritty Soviet punk sound with folk underpinnings. After the fall of the USSR and especially 1993 Russian constitutional crisis he disappointed in Yeltsin's government and made friends and fans out of nationalists and communists. In later years, Letov distanced himself from any political ideology, stating (in 2004) "We're patriots, but not Nazis. ... All the totalitarians - right, left, of all colors and stripes - fuck you.""
But then despite being distanced, his name always be remembered as one of the figures from the National Bolshevik Party like Limonov, yes, he satirized the Soviet system, yet he is a patriot whose music is a concoction of punk and folk with fans from both left and right admiring him for being against the norm.
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| With Eduard Limonov |
It is quite weird for the writer to write and perhaps listen to that kind of singer, for sure some would say why not listen to Kurt Cobain? Yes, Cobain is good singer same as this Russian bard. To think that music nowadays became merely crap and poison other than a cure for desperate and saddened hearts, this writer rather chose to be picky which music he ought to listen to- after all popular music isn't really popular at all as of these days unlike before whose songwriters and singers really expressed well and conveying messages instead of stressing face value or compelled to vent in high decibels.
And perhaps, upon listening to his music, this writer made himself inspired and compelled to make some versions based from the late Letov's compositions, he may not speak Russian but to hear his music made him relate and make his own carrying the melodies he listened to.
However, only two were made using Letov's music as its melody. Being against the system, it satirizes contemporary culture while another one showed lament after being left by a someone whom admired with. Quite weird to use Letov instead of mainstream artists whose songs played in the radio or make thine own melody the way he made poetry, in response this would say to them:
"I am not a musician. I love music but I am a letrophile that is, far from writing notes and playing instruments".
Anyways, this writer made this writeup as a tribute to Egor Letov. It makes no sense if everyone rather get contented in what is given while others tend to enjoy the frivolities of life as if infinite, again others would dare to incriminate simply because this writer uses technology yet the mindset is against the norm; is that so? How come Letov, Lu Xun uses every modern medium in pursuit of advancing radical change: Letov uses punk rock, Lu uses modernism in literature, and yet they are against the repressive nature of their systems antiquated or modern; quite weird to think of the narrow minded whose consciousness is on how to join the flow, buy and consume all without understanding.
Here are the poems set into the melody of Egor Letov's music:
STOP THE CALI SWAG
(made partly inspired from the song "Stop the Rolling Stones")
Every day every night in the radio
"Teach me how to Dougie" until signing off
Otherwise someone singing "Hari ng Tondo"
That some people making them Freaking on
Then after the music comes in the news
Like tabloids i say full of rape as cues
Then followed by jokes no laughs full of shit
And music again with a nonsense beat...
Every jeep taxi bus playing novelties
And pissing minds in shitty jokes
Making me annoying as common tunes been played
wanna have a walk out to my home where I stayed...
Stop the Cali swag!
Stop that dougie stop!
Stop the Cali swag!
Stop that dougie stop!
Next day black and yellow as the common tune
No Lito Camo, Ely, Bamboo
And looking at ladies wearing short shorts
less dignities full of make up worn
Then at the store full of clients went
Looking for a varsity jacket
They want "swagger" written at their back
Fucking mainstream culture-fuck....
Stop the Cali swag!
Stop that dougie stop!
Stop the Cali swag!
Stop that dougie stop!
Stop the Cali swag!
Stop that dougie stop!
Stop the Cali swag!
Stop that dougie stop!
Stop the Cali swag!
Stop that dougie stop!
Stop the Cali swag!
Stop that dougie stop!...
To the offended, sorry to say so, but like Letov, he end up making a satire in regards to the Rolling Stones that made this writer create after "getting tired" of hearing, not listening mainstream music in the radio. To think about someone who likes "Teach me how to Dougie" is also the one who once listen to "Emo music" then after listening and dancing to the current tune be followed by another. Quite strange to see people "gone joined the flow" just to be famous so to speak.
Another poem, entitled "Gia", was made months after. It rather showed lament after being left by a someone whom admired with, and at that time this writer felt saddened out of having misunderstanding with the one whom made him inspired; thus he conveyed his supposed "feelings" into poetry.
"GIA"
(Made partly inspired by "My Defence")
Your beauty makes someone get killed
Your beauty makes someone get loved
Your moves gives inspiring to steal
As your love gives hope to the failed
And yet you had left me and I don't know what's coming
oh...Gia my Gia
Why do you leave me in the world of nowhere?
oh...Gia my Gia
Why do you leave me in the world of nowhere?
I am alone and now looking for somewhere?
Your love keeps me warm as I live
The way your songs makes my wounds heal
Your moves gives fire to the cause
As people make them angst, arouse
And yet you had left me and I don't know what's happ'ning
oh...Gia my Gia
Why do you leave me in this world of nowhere?
oh...Gia my Gia
Is my love nonsense as you left for somewhere?
I don't know why you had leave me without care?
Your beauty makes someone get killed
Your beauty makes someone get loved
Your moves gives inspiring to steal
As your love gives hope to the failed
And yet you had left me and I don't know what's happ'ning
oh...Gia my Gia
Why do you leave me in this world of nowhere?
oh...Gia my Gia
Is my love nonsense as you left for somewhere?
I don't know why you had leave me without care?
Well again, quite weird to put words and play it to the tune of what Letov hath made for his songs. After all, as Letov said:
"I am always against."
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| Egor Letov's grave. He died in his sleep four years before this writer made this writeup in his memory. |
He may've been dead years before but through him also laid foundations like others the creation of anti-system music using Punk as its genre. After all, he's the "Father of Russian Punk."
And again, these works are made not just for Letov alone, but also to the one this writer who made him inspired wholehartedly regardless of getting saddened after: Gia Hilado.