Texts
Book 8 References
Balagá was a famous troyka driver who had known Dólokhov and Anatole some six years and had given them good service with his troykas. More than once when Anatole’s regiment was stationed at Tver he had taken him from Tver in the evening, brought him to Moscow by daybreak, and driven him back again the next night. More than once he had enabled Dólokhov to escape when pursued. More than once he had driven them through the town with gypsies and ladykins as he called the cocottes. More than once in their service he had run over pedestrians and upset vehicles in the streets of Moscow and had always been protected from the consequences by my gentlemen as he called them. He had ruined more than one horse in their service. More than once they had beaten him, and more than once they had made him drunk on champagne and Madeira, which he loved; and he knew more than one thing about each of them which would long ago have sent an ordinary man to Siberia. They often called Balagá into their orgies and made him drink and dance at the gypsies’, and more than one thousand rubles of their money had passed through his hands. In their service he risked his skin and his life twenty times a year, and in their service had lost more horses than the money he had from them would buy. But he liked them; liked that mad driving at twelve miles an hour, liked upsetting a driver or running down a pedestrian, and flying at full gallop through the Moscow streets. He liked to hear those wild, tipsy shouts behind him: Get on! Get on! when it was impossible to go any faster. He liked giving a painful lash on the neck to some peasant who, more dead than alive, was already hurrying out of his way. Real gentlemen! he considered them.
Balaga
Featured Characters: ANATOLE, DOLOKHOV, ALL, BALAGA
[ANATOLE, DOLOKHOV]
Hey Balaga
Ho Balaga
Hey
hey ho Balaga
Hey hey Balaga
The famous troika driver
[ALL]
Hey Balaga
Ho Balaga
Hey hey hey
Balaga
Hey hey Balaga
The famous troika driver
[BALAGA]
Who’s that madman flying at full gallop down the
street
Who’s that madman knocking people over
Running people
down
While his fine gentlemen
Hold on to their seats
[ANATOLE, DOLOKHOV]
It’s Balaga!
[BALAGA]
Driving mad at twelve miles an hour
[ANATOLE, DOLOKHOV]
Balaga!
[BALAGA]
Comin’ straight at you
Get out my way, get
out my way
[ANATOLE, DOLOKHOV]
Balaga!
[BALAGA]
Lashin’ my whip at horses and peasants
[ANATOLE, DOLOKHOV]
Balaga!
[BALAGA]
Risking skin and life twenty times a year
For my
fine fine gentlemen
Yessir hey ho yessir
Yessir yessir yessir
[ANATOLE, DOLOKHOV]
More than once!
[BALAGA]
From Tula to Moscow and back in just one night
[ANATOLE, DOLOKHOV]
More than once!
[BALAGA]
A narrow escape from a wild Cossack fight
[ANATOLE, DOLOKHOV]
More than once!
[BALAGA]
They’ve beaten me and slapped me with their gloves
[ANATOLE, DOLOKHOV]
More than once!
[BALAGA]
Made me drunk on champagne, which I love!
[ALL]
Hey Balaga
Ho Balaga
Hey hey ho
Balaga
Hey hey Balaga
The famous troika driver
[ALL]
Hey Balaga
Ho Balaga
Hey hey hey
Balaga
Hey hey Balaga
The famous troika driver
[ANATOLE]
Who’s that slowpoke we abuse with wild and tipsy
shouts
[BALAGA]
Who knows things that would get you sent straight to
Siberia
If anyone found out
[ALL]
It’s Balaga!
[BALAGA]
Driving mad at twelve miles an hour
[ALL]
Balaga!
[BALAGA]
Comin’ straight at you
Get out my way, get
out my way
[ALL]
Balaga!
[BALAGA]
Drinking and dancing with my Ruska Roma
[ALL]
Balaga!
[BALAGA]
Riding my horses into the ground
For my fine fine
gentlemen
Yessir hey ho yessir
Yessir yessir yessir
[ALL]
More than once!
[BALAGA]
Driven you round with ladies on your laps
[ALL]
More than once!
[BALAGA]
Taken you places not on any maps
[ALL]
More than once!
[BALAGA]
Galloped faster than ordinary men would dare
[ALL]
More than once!
[BALAGA]
Jumped my troika right into the air
[BALAGA]
And I never ask for rubles
Except maybe
once a year
I don’t do this for rubles
I do it cuz I like ’em!
[ALL]
And we like Balaga too!
[ANATOLE]
Whoa…
[ALL]
Whoa…
[BALAGA]
That's my song!
[ALL]
Whoa...
Whoa...