Soviet Tankmen's Song

The Soviet Tankmen's Song is a popular Russian song, the final variant of which was popularized by the Soviet 1968 film Na Voine kak na Voine, about the crew of an SU-85 self-propelled gun. The song has no official title and is referred to by its first line: Po Polyu Tanki Grokhotali ("Across the Field Tanks Thundered"). The song melody originated from the old Russian miners song "Sirens sounded alarm" ("Гудки тревожно прогудели"), popularized in the 1940 film "Big life". The lyrics of the song were replaced during World War II.

Lyrics

English translation by Daniil Vorobyev

The tanks were rattling like a thunder
The soldiers went to their last fight
And here they carried young commander
With head all broken outright

An armor-piercer hit his vehicle,
So say good-bye to his Guards crew.
Just four more corpses in the hillside
Will add to fair morning view.

And as the vehicle is burning,
Wait for the shells to detonate.
You want to live and see next morning,
But you're too weak and it's too late.

When they extract us from the wreckage,
They'll put our bodies in a strip.
Then salvos by our turret gunners
Will set us down to our last trip.

Now mournful telegrams are flying
To every friend and relative
To read: "Your son will not be coming,
Nor will he ever get a leave."

His old mom will sob in a corner,
His dad will wipe a silent tear.
His fiancee will never learn now
What kind of end got her love dear.

And there's his photo in her old books
Collecting dust in their sad gloom,
His uniform with shoulder-straps on...
And he's no longer her bridegroom.

See also

• March of the Soviet Tankmen
• Three Tankmen (Soviet song) — Russian: «Три танкиста (песня)».