# Anyone know Russian Folk Songs? Need a song about a grandfather. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 13, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-russian-folk-songs-need-a-song-about-a-grandfather/737500 "2015-11-13T22:25:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-russian-folk-songs-need-a-song-about-a-grandfather/737500/1 "2015-11-13T22:25:07Z")
I need to find a Russian folk song about a grandfather. As long as it’s not about a mean grandfather or about a dead grandfather. It should be a happy song about a grandfather who is very much _not_ dead. Anybody here know Russian folk songs? Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![bunyupp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@bunyupp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bunyupp)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-russian-folk-songs-need-a-song-about-a-grandfather/737500/2 "2015-11-14T17:52:12Z")
The russian word for grandfather is Дедушка (dedooska). Here’s one song of a [girl singing about her grandfather](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR1RrNQZ7cs). I don’t know if it is about grandfathers in general or about her particular grandfather. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-russian-folk-songs-need-a-song-about-a-grandfather/737500/3 "2015-11-14T18:00:18Z")
She’s singing about **her own** grandfather, though I suppose it could be extended to grandfathers in general. It seems she’s proudest of him being a war veteran (a _razvedchik_, or scout/sniper), so I suspect this was from a 9 May broadcast. (It is indeed dedicated to him and all 1941–45 “Patriotic War” veterans). The stress in _dedushka_, BTW, is on the first syllable. _Ded_ is the diminutive. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-russian-folk-songs-need-a-song-about-a-grandfather/737500/4 "2015-11-14T18:09:39Z")
Dunno if this is any use to you: Grandfather Frost (the Russian equivalent of Father Christmas) and the Snow Maiden summon all the animals in the forest to a New Year’s celebration where they’ll all eat, drink, and dance. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J-irXMusfU) ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-russian-folk-songs-need-a-song-about-a-grandfather/737500/5 "2015-11-14T19:58:06Z")
Thanks! A friend is feeling pretty down because her grandfather is quite sick but she can’t afford a flight home to Moscow. I was hoping to find something to fit with a sympathetic Facebook post. “Grandfather Frost” is the one song I had been able to find searching on my own. I don’t think it works for my purposes. \*\*terentii \*\*how good is your Russian? Would you say **bunyupp** ’s song is too personally specific to that one grandfather? (Sniper references sound pretty specific to me!) Now that I know the word for grandfather (which I suppose I could have looked up on my own), I’ll add it to my search terms. Most of the Russian folk song pages I’ve found have provided English version lyrics alongside the Russian lyrics. I just haven’t found anything about grandfathers yet. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-russian-folk-songs-need-a-song-about-a-grandfather/737500/6 "2015-11-14T22:56:47Z")
FWIW, I asked my ex, who is Russian, if she knew any grandpa-specific songs. She didn’t. As I say, the first song is pretty veteran-oriented. It has to be from a Victory Day program. I don’t know how your depressed friend would take it if you mentioned the war, a la Basil Fawlty. How old is she? Remember, the war ended 70 years ago. My daughter, who was born in 1995, lost a _great_-grandfather in 1943. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-russian-folk-songs-need-a-song-about-a-grandfather/737500/7 "2015-11-14T23:09:41Z")
Don’t know if this is a folk song, but the grandpa is broken up because his daughter is grown and has her own child. They tell him not to be sad and to sing them a lullaby, because they are his and they will never have anyone else like him. Here are the lyrics, though the chorus is in the singular rather than the plural: [http://x-minus.org/track/256214/не-грусти-дедушка](http://x-minus.org/track/256214/%D0%BD%D0%B5-%D0%B3%D1%80%D1%83%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%83%D1%88%D0%BA%D0%B0) ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-russian-folk-songs-need-a-song-about-a-grandfather/737500/8 "2015-11-14T23:23:00Z")
We should just write one right now. “Oh, grandpa / I love how you are not dead / Also Russian / But mostly that you are not dead!” Instant classic! ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-russian-folk-songs-need-a-song-about-a-grandfather/737500/9 "2015-11-14T23:46:59Z")
**Snooooopy** ’s song is pretty good. Until we get a decent recording of it, **terentii** ’s may have to suffice. When I’m at my desktop later I’ll plug those lyrics into a translator. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-russian-folk-songs-need-a-song-about-a-grandfather/737500/10 "2015-11-14T23:50:54Z")
Here in America, worst thing about being grandfather, have to sleep with grandmother. In Soviet Russia grandmother sleeps with you! ---
**Author:** ![chaika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chaika/32/405_2.png) [@chaika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaika)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-russian-folk-songs-need-a-song-about-a-grandfather/737500/11 "2015-11-15T00:07:18Z")
There is a folk song called “Ai, dedushka, dedushka.” But it might not fit your criteria since it could be interpreted as being about a “mean grandpa.” The singer asks her grandfather to let her go out in the garden and bring back some apples, and he refuses. There are a few more verses along similar lines, and she finally says she will go anyway whether he allows it or not. I’ll have a think and maybe I’ll come up with something better. ---
**Author:** ![chaika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chaika/32/405_2.png) [@chaika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaika)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-russian-folk-songs-need-a-song-about-a-grandfather/737500/12 "2015-11-15T00:09:08Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > The stress in _dedushka_, BTW, is on the first syllable. _Ded_ is the diminutive. Actually, dedushka is the diminutive form. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-russian-folk-songs-need-a-song-about-a-grandfather/737500/13 "2015-11-15T11:52:53Z")
> [@chaika](#): > > Actually, dedushka is the diminutive form. In terms of endearment, yes. I should have said _shorter_ form. So sue me! 😃