Obezyanka Nol

The song is basically about them when Ivan was still their manager. They were caged, like dancing monkeys. People stared, and talked, and laughed. They weren't free. They were told what to do, what to say, all they had was their best friend to share the torture with. To me 'monkey zero' means more along the lines of 'some worthless thing to amuse you, to make you laugh'.

I always thought that this song was about gays/lesbians and how they face difficulties with society. They are comparing homosexuals to monkeys because that is how some people see them.

That would explain lines like "honest psychos don't need healing" (gays shouldn't be taught to be straight) And "Monkeys will live in prison" (its an exaggeration of the lack of rights and acceptance gays have). "Love for everyone and anguish for monkeys" would also fit this theory. Monkeys/gays are not allowed to love. (again, its an exaggeration).

Does that make sense? That is always how I took it.

I have "Moya veselaya Moya smeshnaya bol'" in russian tattooed on my back because I feel what the song means.

I love this song. It's fantastic. It's amazing.

And it's about monkeys... what the hell? Monkey Zero??? Good thing the beat is fun... and the words are easy enough that I can sing along without really knowing the words.

I've been looking everywhere for the translation of this song, and now I've found it I think it's replaced "Friend or Foe" as my favorite t.A.T.u. song. and good one, dracul--good interpretation. (pretty much the same thing I thought--but I didn't know about Ivan... -__-)

I've listened to this osng non-stop, I've even started making a spanish version to it.

Anyway, in the chorus it says "my cheerful, my ridiculous pain, I'm monkey zero, and you are too" basically. As if she (the girl singing) finds amusement in the very thing that hurts her.

I have a friend like this, an "amusing pain". I'm a fool to stay his friend, and he is also a fool because he acts that way.

^^ (wow, I wrote that?) disregard this. I can be such an emo kid :) I think overall, this song is referring to the manager. tATu's song reflecting on the way they've been WAY overmarketed and have been unable to express their real views properly. As teen stars, their lives have been disrupted and detached by this etc. and that's what it's about

I very strongly dislike tatu, but found this song intruiging. It's a shame that they don't write more songs like this. I connected with this one a lot. With me, it assosciates very closely with the 'grey void' feeling, where it is just impossible to enjoy anyone or anything in the emotional struggles of life. The previous and most fitting one is the one regarding their previos manager, but that's not one I choose to believe because there are other elements in the lyrics that express differently.

To me, the opening verse means detachment. The phrase "the moon is reflected in each puddle" is imagery, not anything literal, and fits the "grey void" theory better. I certainly feel this a lot - I feel very badly detached, there are just so few people in the world who are genuine friends who match my feelings, understandings and attitudes. "Clouds foolishly miss each other" to me implies missed oppurtunity, as well as perhaps confusion and detachment. "Alive for now" implies a possible suicide or giving up in some way. I read some other interpretation somewhere else a while ago that suggested that "monkey zero" refers to the honest, good people of the world who get constantly crushed by reality, doing their best for themselves and everyone else but consistently lucking out. "Cheerful, ridiculous" pain is exactly the way I feel worst, when I'm supposed to be really happy, finding something funny or good, but just can't. That's when I feel most hurt, it's ironic. If anyone's felt that way, you'll understand exactly what I mean.

I find myself equating the monkey idea with the "honest psycho". Many people are much too narrow minded or insensitive to understand. They're the ones that need to learn and improve, not us. So many of us are terrific people that are just misunderstood. My life feels like perpetual imprisonment. The perpetual memories of pain will never subside. I have difficulty finding a girlfriend, because so very many people are so unimaginably fake and predictable. So when I really found someone I liked, who was very likeminded, we were both dismissed as even worse nut-jobs. This interpretation fits very well with the "Null and Void" English equivalent, too.

If only tATu would stop with the (fake) lesbian smooching, and write some real, musically mature songs, and perform them accordingly. Then they might be an OK band.