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Hey, Little Soldiers lyrics and meaning

On this page
Ukvei, žalnieriukai Kokia vedum bus roda Aja-ajoja kokia vedum bus roda Jenerolas mandras buvo Ans į prūsus išbėga Aja-ajoja ans į prūsus išbėga Vaikščiodamas po miestelį Kūrian pypkę treboka Aja-ajoja kūrian pypkę treboka Kaip iššovė iš armotos (patranka) Anam pypkė nulėkė Aja-ajoja anam pypkė nulėkė Kaip iššovė iš antrosios Anam galvą nutraukė Aja-ajoja anam galvą nutraukė Jenerolai, mandras buvai Kodėl pypkės nebrūka Aja-ajoja kodėl pypkės nebrūka Ką čia velnia berūkysi Kad jau galvos nebėra Aja-ajoja kad jau galvos nebėra

Meaning

This song can be understood as a humorous, satirical soldiers' song. At the beginning the little soldiers ask what their council or plan will be, and the song then tells of a fancy general who ran off to Prussia. This image can be interpreted as mockery of a puffed-up commander.

The general walks around the town and lights a pipe of tobacco, but when a cannon fires his pipe flies off, and the second shot takes off his head. These images can be understood as the threat of war presented jokingly.

The ending mocks him: "General, why are you not packing the pipe?" The answer is, what the devil is there to smoke when the head is gone. This turn can be interpreted as satire that laughs at vanity and grim wartime reality. This is one possible meaning, but the satirical, mocking nature of the song is clear.

Symbols

Little soldiers
The soldiers wondering what their plan will be. They mark the song's speaking side.
Fancy general
A puffed-up commander who has fled to Prussia. He signifies mocked pride.
Pipe and cannon
The calmly smoked pipe and the firing cannon create a comic contrast between ease and danger.
Severed head
The general's head taken by the shot marks grim wartime reality presented satirically.

History

"Hey, Little Soldiers" is a satirical military-historical song in which the reality of war is presented by mocking a puffed-up commander. The fancy general, having fled to Prussia, calmly smokes his pipe, but cannon shots knock off the pipe and then take off his head; the final exchange, asking why he does not pack the pipe and answering that there is no smoking once the head is gone, joins black humor to grim wartime reality. This satirical look at officers, with the repeated "aja-ajoja" refrain, is characteristic of humorous military songs.

The exact place and time of recording are not given on this page, so the song is presented through genre features. Words such as "žalnieriukai," "jenerolas," "armota," and "treboka" show an old soldierly vocabulary, largely borrowed; the contrast between pipe smoking and cannon fire creates a comic yet biting mockery of war.

Sources