But a few years ago, she was no doubt a little girl
Now she smiles at me from her vast Avtomobil
If I tried, I could imagine her hair tied up in ribboned lace
She flies right past me, unseen, at a pace
I am a no-one since I’m not in a metal box
And crossing the street, I am wrong
Can’t you learn how to walk?
Can’t you learn how to walk?
We have gas to guzzle like the Americans do
Look at Sadova, as tail lights are toe to toe, they do
Lights on, lights on,
Back to back struggling through
Park on the corner, park where you dare
If a pedestrian needs to come past, then park right there
Can’t you learn how to walk?
Can’t you learn how to walk?
And who cares?
GAI, Militsia, Politsia…. or money?
She types her message on a little screen
Not a thought to the world outside
She runs over me in her big machine
They must have spent a billion on these new pavement bumps
Paint them yellow by the Tajik immigrants
What does it mean, if I were blind, will she see
When she’s reading Facebook and driving, will these bumps save me?
Can’t you learn how to walk?
Can’t you learn how to walk?
But every Thursday, as I trail home from work
Especially if it’s been raining, cars are back-to-back
I relish as I walk ten times faster than the car
But I am aware that to the drivers I’m not on their level
The pedestrian light goes green as I cross the street to home
He beeps an enormous sound at me, his shiny black Audi; he’s frustrated
I don’t see it that way, but I resist the finger; I am in the Russian Federation
Instead, I say under my breath…
Can’t you learn how to walk?
Can’t you learn how to walk?
Under Luzhkov, they took parked cars away
In places that you could logically stay
Never from human places like a pedestrian crossing
Just the road where a blue light might be flashing
Occasionally, I see a sensibly small car
But the aspiration seems to be bigger, bigger for sure
Why not?
Can’t you learn how to walk?
Can’t you learn how to walk?
Each morning, I walk down, and under Sadova, I think of the planet
How can we sustain burning what’s under it?
And why?
But a few years ago, she was no doubt a little girl;
Now she is a monster in a magnificent German machine…
She is queen!
Audio – Inhuman Machine