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Ukrainian song · Ukrainian folk rock

Коли Ще Молодим Був lyrics

English: When He Was Still Young

On this page: Meaning · Lyrics with English translation · Lines explained · Words to learn

What “Коли Ще Молодим Був” is about

This song tells the story of an old man named Grandpa Vitya, recounting his difficult life. It describes his time in the army, his struggles with alcohol, and his imprisonment, highlighting how these experiences have shaped him into the person he is today.

Коли Ще Молодим Був lyrics with English translation

Each line in the original, in Roman letters and in English. Translation and romanization by AI, to help you follow the song.

[Куплет 1] · Verse 1

Коли ще молодим був, служив в армії наш дід,

Koly shche molodym buv, sluzhyv v armiyi nash did,

When he was still young, our grandpa served in the army,

Двічі на губі сидів за свої гріхи.

Twice he sat in the guardhouse for his sins.

Але минули ті роки, настала благодать,

Ale mynuly ti roky, nastala blahodat,

But those years passed, grace came,

На волі чарку полюбив — гріх було не вживать.

Na voli charku polyubyv — hrikh bulo ne vshyvat'.

He loved a drink at liberty — it was a sin not to partake.

Та знову ТЦК його відправив на казарму,

Ta znovu TTsK yoho vidpravyv na kazarmu,

But again, the TCC sent him to the barracks,

Та чарка й там була для нього, як найкращий друг,

And that drink was there for him, like his best friend,

Оковита підступила — і розбила всі мости,..

Okovyta pidstupyla — i rozbyla vsi mosty,...

The strong drink approached — and broke all bridges...

[Приспів] · Chorus

Ой, Дід Вітя, Дід Вітя, доля непроста,

Oy, Did Vitya, Did Vitya, dolya neprosta,

Oh, Grandpa Vitya, Grandpa Vitya, your fate is not simple,

То армія, то чарка, то знову суєта!

To armiya, to charka, to znovu suyeta!

First the army, then the drink, then the hustle again!

Двісті шоста хата, Севастопольський централ,

House two hundred six, Sevastopol central prison,

Там дід від лютих холодів, як безпритульний пес, страждав!

There grandpa suffered from bitter cold, like a homeless dog!

[Куплет 2] · Verse 2

Мерз, як пес безхатченко, аж тремтіла борода!

Merz, yak pes bezkhatchenko, azh tremtila boroda!

He froze like a homeless dog, his beard even trembled!

Та повернувся знову до служби, до казарми,

Ta povernuvsya znovu do sluzhby, do kazarmy,

But he returned again to service, to the barracks,

І вже не той наш Дід тепер, що був серед ночей.

I vzhe ne toy nash Did teper, shcho buv sered nochey.

And our Grandpa is not the same now as he was in the nights.

Бо хата двісті шоста залишила свій слід,

Because house two hundred six left its mark,

Тепер не просто дід у нас — а справжній Дід Вітя!

Teper ne prosto did u nas — a spravzhniy Did Vitya!

Now he's not just a grandpa — but a real Grandpa Vitya!

[Фінальний приспів] · Final Chorus

Ой, Дід Вітя, Дід Вітя, доля непроста,

Oy, Did Vitya, Did Vitya, dolya neprosta,

Oh, Grandpa Vitya, Grandpa Vitya, your fate is not simple,

За плечима стільки пригод — не злічити до ста!

So many adventures behind you — you can't count to a hundred!

Двісті шоста хата — то життєвий його шлях,

House two hundred six — that's his life's path,

Тепер Дід Вітя повернувся — коронований солдатс!

Teper Did Vitya povernuvsya — koronovanyy soldat!

Now Grandpa Vitya has returned — a crowned soldier!

[Кода — розмовним голосом] · Outro - spoken voice

Ех, Дід Вітя, Вітя…

Ekh, Did Vitya, Vitya…

Eh, Grandpa Vitya, Vitya...

Два рази губа, одна хата…

Dva razy huba, odna khata…

Twice the guardhouse, one house...

Севастопольський централ....

Sevastopol central prison....

Lines explained

“Двічі на губі сидів за свої гріхи.”

Twice he sat in the guardhouse for his sins.

The 'guardhouse' (губа) is a military detention facility, indicating he was disciplined for his actions during his service.

“На волі чарку полюбив — гріх було не вживать.”

Na voli charku polyubyv — hrikh bulo ne vshyvat'.

He loved a drink at liberty — it was a sin not to partake.

This line uses irony, suggesting that drinking was almost a moral imperative for him when he was free, highlighting his struggle with alcohol.

“Двісті шоста хата, Севастопольський централ,”

House two hundred six, Sevastopol central prison,

'House two hundred six' (Двісті шоста хата) and 'Sevastopol central prison' (Севастопольський централ) refer to his time in prison, a significant and harsh part of his life story.

Ukrainian words from this song

Learning Ukrainian? These words come straight from the lyrics.

молодимmolodym
young
служивsluzhyv
served
чаркуcharku
a shot/drink (of alcohol)
доляdolya
fate/destiny
безпритульний
homeless

About this recording

“Коли Ще Молодим Був” is an Ukrainian song with a powerful and dark feel, made by a SongUp AI listener with SongUp AI.

You can hear acoustic guitar, upright bass, accordion and rain at about 75 beats per minute.

The lyrics run to 23 sung lines. They were typed in by the person who made it, and SongUp AI sang them as written. What you hear is the free 30-second preview, made on ; it is one of 64 Ukrainian previews on SongUp AI.

The idea it was sung from

Dark gritty prison chanson, Ukrainian lyrics, elderly female singer, very mature woman voice, extremely deep low contralto, bass-heavy female vocal, smoky raspy gravelly voice, rough aged vocal texture, husky throaty delivery, powerful chest voice, dark humorous storytelling, slow 75 BPM, minor key, accordion, acoustic guitar, upright bass, vintage prison chanson atmosphere, dramatic pauses, raw e

Questions about “Коли Ще Молодим Був”

What does “Коли Ще Молодим Був” mean in English?

“Коли Ще Молодим Був” means “When He Was Still Young” in English.

What is “Коли Ще Молодим Був” about?

This song tells the story of an old man named Grandpa Vitya, recounting his difficult life. It describes his time in the army, his struggles with alcohol, and his imprisonment, highlighting how these experiences have shaped him into the person he is today.

Is there an English translation of the “Коли Ще Молодим Був” lyrics?

Yes. Every line of “Коли Ще Молодим Був” is translated into English on this page, and each Ukrainian line is also written in Roman letters so you can sing along. The translation was written by AI to help you follow the song, so a few lines may lose some nuance.

Who wrote the lyrics of “Коли Ще Молодим Був”?

The person who made this preview typed these lyrics in, and SongUp AI sang them word for word.

Why is “Коли Ще Молодим Був” only 30 seconds long?

It is the free 30-second preview SongUp AI sings from a song's chorus, so anyone can hear their own lyrics first. A full song is about three minutes, $2.99 as a single song or with a paid plan.

How do I make a song like “Коли Ще Молодим Був”?

Open SongUp AI, press “Make a song like this” on this page, and the description fills in for you. Change the names, story or mood, pick Ukrainian or any of 76 languages, and you get a new original song in a few minutes. You can also paste your own lyrics.

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