An interesting trait is inherent in a Russian person: he will curse the bandits in power with the last words and curse the country that got him, but then he will immediately beat the face of a foreigner who agrees with him. And God forbid some imported figure openly mock the respectable Russians who honestly earned their billions. A presumptuous foreign tourist will immediately be declared a Russophobe, accused of lack of spirituality and anathematized.
The British musician Robbie Williams has been to Russia, but, apparently, he did not have time to understand the intricacies of the Russian soul. Or perhaps he deliberately provoked a scandal when he recorded the song Party Like a Russian and shot a video clip stuffed with stereotypes about the life of Russian oligarchs.
But let’s first find out how the composition was written, what Williams wanted to say, and then we will return to the hype that has risen around the track.
The history of the creation of the song Party Like a Russian
Robbie wrote Party Like a Russian with Guy Chambers, a longtime collaborator who helped him write Rock DJ and other notable pieces.
The meaning of the song Party Like a Russian Williams explained on his official website:
It’s about hedonism and party spirit. It is not about how it is to be Russian, but about how it is to have fun in Russian. In the singing person, a little of me, a little of the character. But it’s like that in all my songs.
To understand what the song Party Like a Russian is about, this quote from an interview with Robbie Williams will help:
One of the hallmarks of the British is the belief that we throw the best parties. Most nations think of themselves that way… but no party can compare to the Russian Party.
The track was released digitally on September 30, 2016. It was released as the first single from the Heavy Entertainment Show album.
Videoclip Party Like a Russian
A video clip Party Like a Russian was filmed for the song. The musician appears in a caricature image of a Russian nouveau riche, who is accompanied by ballerinas and models in defiant outfits.
Let’s watch Robbie Williams’ Party Like a Russian online music video.
Scandal around Party Like a Russian
As usual, the real rich refrained from commenting on the clip and the song. There is no time for them to waste time on all sorts of nonsense. But many ordinary Russians hated Williams fiercely. The most zealous even accused him of racism. Either they are really “offended for the state”, or they were jarred by the touch of British paws on the crystal dream of childhood.
In fairness, we note that not all Russians took Party Like a Russian with hostility. So, Yuri Loza, in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda, said that you should not be offended by the musician:
He did everything very delicately. Well, ballet, well, a rich table, well, they throw cakes. This is an average party, not even for an oligarch, but for a middle-level official.
When Robbie realized that the hype was serious, he hurried to make a statement:
There are one hundred and forty-seven million people in Russia, and I don’t want to upset them in any way, and I don’t know what sense of humor they have. I’m not mocking anyone, but I have to remove a couple of things to make it more politically correct…
The Sun
Should Russians be offended by Party Like a Russian?
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Interesting Facts
- According to the hackers who allegedly hacked Surkov’s mail, in 2014 Robbie Williams performed in Moscow at a closed New Year’s party, where VVP and people from his close circle were present.
- When one authoritative publication suggested that Williams could mean the President of the Russian Federation, Robbie wrote on Twitter: “… this song is definitely not about Mr. Putin.”
- The song uses a sample from “Dance of the Knights” by Sergei Prokofiev (ballet “Romeo and Juliet”).
Party Like a Russian Lyrics Robbie Williams
It takes a certain kind of man with a certain reputation
To alleviate the cash from a whole nation
Take my loose change and build my own space station
(Just because you can, man)
Ain’t no refutin’ or disputin’ – I’m a modern Rasputin
Subcontract disputes to some brutes in Louboutin
Act highfalutin’ while my boys put the boots in
(They do the can-can)
(Thank you)
Party like a Russian
End of discussion
Dance like it got concussion, oh
Put a doll inside a doll1
Party like a Russian
Disco seduction2
Party like a Russian, oh
Have it like an oligarch
I’ve got Stoli3 and Bolly4 and Molly5, so I’m jolly
And I’m always off my trolley, so I never say sorry
There’s a doll, inside a doll, inside a doll, inside a dolly
(Hello, Dolly)6
I put a bank inside a car, inside a plane, inside a boat
It takes half the western world just to keep my ship afloat
And I never ever smile unless I’ve something to promote
I just won’t emote
(Thank you)
Party like a Russian
End of discussion
Dance like it got concussion, oh
We’ve got soul and we’ve got gold
Party like a Russian
Disco seduction
Party like a Russian, oh
Have it like an oligarch
Raz, dva, tri, chetyre
We’re the Russian boys, we’re everywhere
There’s a revolution in the air
Party Like a Russian lyrics by Robbie Williams
You gotta be a certain person with a certain reputation
To relieve a whole people from the burden of money
I take the rest of the change and build myself a space station
(Just because you can, man)
Neither refute nor argue – I am a modern Rasputin
And I entrust the debate to cattle in Louboutins
I keep the style while my boys are kicking everyone
(They dance the cancan)
(Thanks)
Have fun like a Russian
And there’s nothing to argue about
Dance like you’re having a seizure
Stick one doll in another
Have fun like a Russian
disco temptation
Have fun like a Russian
Come on like an oligarch
I have vodka, champagne and ecstasy so I’m cheerful
I’m always drunk so I never apologize
There’s a doll within a doll, inside a doll, inside another doll
(Hey Dolly)
I put the bank in the car, and that in the plane, and his in the yacht
Half the western world need my ship to keep afloat
And I only smile when I promote something
Why do I need these emotions
(Thanks)
Have fun like a Russian
And there’s nothing to argue about
Dance like you’re having a seizure
We have soul, we have gold
Have fun like a Russian
disco temptation
Have fun like a Russian
Come on like an oligarch
One two three four
We are Russian guys, we are everywhere
The air smells of revolution
Song Quotes
He, if he was in Russia, then only with large concert tours, as well as as a guest of various corporate parties. Apparently, his idea of Russia was formed from these big corporate parties. And he, apparently, reproduced in such a humorous way about such a wild spirit of Russian parties a certain Rublev mansion.
Artur Gasparyan, Vesti
Today, of course, we are in such an information field that Russia is the number one newsmaker. And it seems to me that Robbie Williams was trying to revive his lost popularity like this.
Evgeny Fridland, Vesti.ru
We shoot the same clips about them, about “stupid” Americans, from the stage we shout about it and laugh about it. And they film how richly we know how to walk. Everyone is like that. If they showed us a real party of the oligarchs, it would be cooler than Robbie Williams.
Yuri Loza, Komsomolskaya Pravda
