Ballad Of Vitaly

(album: History From Below - 2010)

In the German sky there once was a plane
It carried 71 children and their mothers to Spain
Well, this plane was sure something
It was full of young Russians
Proudly to gander at topics discussing

Now Pete the Swiss was doubling shifts
Juggling the iron controlled by his lips
Not a minute too soon children fell to their doom
Struck dead in the air, orphan a father or two

He just laid in the alley
Now orphan Vitaly met a young girl, married her quickly
Was so damn in love that they had their two kids

Had a great job, construction in Spain
They were going to see Papa from Caucasus mountain range
Now that damn Swissman crashed them into a plane
I will find where he lives, speak to his face
With the blood in my eyes, he will see my pain

Many weeks passed, for fear of a suit
The airline said nothing, Vitaly turned blue
For the killing they done, no apology made
Is it 'cause we are Russian you treat us this way?

Through a friend that he new Vitaly found Pete
He came to his doorstep expecting to speak
But Pete blew him off, threw down the pictures Vi brought
Pictures of the 3 most important he lost

As the pictures fell down
Re-enacting the day
Vitaly's eye blackened
No human remained

Well, so much can be said
For a man in his shoes
There's no glamour in vengeance
There's only this rule

That the lives that you lost
Can never come back
And the deed in return
Is worse than the act

Blinded by love and the pain of his loss
He could not remember the act of assault
He awoke in his room all covered in blood
The cops they'd come knocking, they knew what he'd done

The government leaned
Vitaly was free
They called him the hero, a man above kings
A shadow of man, they were praising his deed

He was alone, killed a father of 3
No deed that he did could make him complete
It could have been different if only Pete said
I'm sorry for killing the few joys you had

But now there's nothing for Vitaly to do
But step off a cliff or hang in the noose
Robbed of forgiveness that he could've gave
There's no man left to save