I was the soul of bad society,
And I can simply guarantee:
That my full name in its entirety
Was widely known to KGB.

The street adored me unreservedly:
The whole Savélovksy rail hub.
I knew the cops would notice, certainly,
But I dismissed them, with a snub.

I was a buddy of the pocket thieves,
With burglars was a common sight.
Because of me, the copper Tokarev
Could never rest or sleep at night.

I had no time for any whimpering,
No job was ever big for me.
But someone started snitching, whispering,
And I was finished in a wink.

The copper called me in for questioning,
He turned to be a decent guy.
And being modest one and neighborly,
I gave him my polite reply:

"I’ve never claimed a life - too wistfully,
For I don’t like to tempt my fate.
So, my dear warden, I sleep peacefully,
Don’t give a damn at any rate!"

My case was not adjourned, regrettably.
The verdict was soon brought to life.
They threw the book at me. Incredibly,
The prosecutor added five.

My lawyer praised my popularity,
Asked for a sentence not too long,
But they brought up "for the severity..."
And in my view, they got it wrong.

Since then, my work has stopped entirely,
My life today seems dull and small.
Why be the soul of the society
If there’s no soul in it at all?!