Write it. Sing it. Make it yours
Adapt Olga Anikina’s Russian lyric into singable English. Keep her images, word meanings, expressions and structure. No Russian needed. Write, sing or collaborate.
Song story · Make a recording · Full working text
Literal English and idiom notes are working materials, not finished lyrics.
The song’s story
Bills arrive and the tenant demands repairs with stubborn humor.
Dire Gelt means rent or rent money. Our Russian adaptation by Olga Anikina (2017) is retitled Netu deneg: No Money, not a literal translation of the original title.
Elechka performs the linked recording.
Start from Olga’s Russian
Her Russian text is our starting point. Olga reimagines earlier songs while keeping their spirit.
Keep her images, word meanings, expressions and structure. Make the English sing without replacing her story.
Producer-confirmed: exclusive rights to these Russian lyrics. Rights to underlying music and recordings are separate.
Russian → literal English
Meaning to work from, not words to sing.
All 28 written lines from the Russian source text, including its four choruses. English explains meaning; it is not a singable adaptation.
| Russian source | Literal English meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 Нету денег ой ой ой | There is no money, oy oy oy |
| 2 Нету денег боже мой | There is no money, my God |
| 3 Кто не платит тот пойдёт | Whoever does not pay will go |
| 4 По миру с сумой | Begging through the world with a beggar's bag |
| 5 Мне пришёл по почте пакет | A packet arrived for me in the mail |
| 6 В нём счета за воду и свет | Inside are bills for water and electricity |
| 7 Посижу полистаю а что ещё делать | I will sit and leaf through them; what else is there to do? |
| 8 Если денег нет | If there is no money |
| 9 Нету денег ой ой ой | There is no money, oy oy oy |
| 10 Нету денег боже мой | There is no money, my God |
| 11 Кто не платит тот пойдёт | Whoever does not pay will go |
| 12 По миру с сумой | Begging through the world with a beggar's bag |
| 13 Вот хозяин заходит в подъезд | Here the landlord comes into the building entrance |
| 14 Он кричит что наложит арест | He shouts that he will have property seized |
| 15 Каждый месяц одно и тоже | It is the same thing every month |
| 16 Как ему не надоест | How does he not get tired of it? |
| 17 Нету денег ой ой ой | There is no money, oy oy oy |
| 18 Нету денег боже мой | There is no money, my God |
| 19 Кто не платит тот пойдёт | Whoever does not pay will go |
| 20 По миру с сумой | Begging through the world with a beggar's bag |
| 21 Сколько могут трубы течь | How long can the pipes keep leaking? |
| 22 Поломалась в кухне печь | The stove in the kitchen has broken |
| 23 Пусть хозяин сам заплатит | Let the landlord pay for it himself |
| 24 Чтоб жильцов себе сберечь | So that he can keep his tenants |
| 25 Нету денег ой ой ой | There is no money, oy oy oy |
| 26 Нету денег боже мой | There is no money, my God |
| 27 Кто не платит тот пойдёт | Whoever does not pay will go |
| 28 По миру с сумой | Begging through the world with a beggar's bag |
Idioms & meaning
Dire Gelt / Нету денег
Literal: Rent money / No money.
Dire means apartment or dwelling; gelt means money. Together, dire-gelt means rent. No Money is our Russian adaptation's new title, not a literal translation. The title shifts from the landlord's demand to the tenant's answer.
По миру с сумой
Literal: Through the world with a beggar's bag.
The idiom means being reduced to begging, not taking a carefree trip around the world.
Счета за воду и свет
Literal: Bills for water and electricity.
In this domestic context, 'light' means the electricity supply. 'Bills for water and light' is overly mechanical English.
Он кричит что наложит арест
Literal: He shouts that he will have property seized.
The threat concerns seizure or attachment for debt; the object is left unstated. Avoid specifying a particular legal lien or implying that the landlord will personally arrest the tenant.
Your writing brief
Keep the everyday material details and the stubborn humor.
The singer wants repairs and a livable home, not an abstract celebration of poverty.
Confirm permissions for the Russian words and recording; a historical source does not by itself establish a license.
Your voice. Any lineup
Video or audio only. Solo, duet, band or choir. Write, sing, produce or collaborate; use your voice, Suno or other permitted tools.
Your voice and stage presence can shine even if the lyric needs work. Clear song, backing-track and tool permissions before posting.
Recording links: YouTube, Spotify or YouTube Music only. No files or other platforms.
Let us hear what you can do
Strong, original versions can be featured on JewishHit.com and possibly RIGLI’s music channel, with credit and permission.
Even if we do not accept your lyric, we may invite you to record our songs for a separately agreed fee. This is not an automatic payment for submitting.
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Show us what you do best. A distinctive voice, an imaginative lyric or a compelling performance can start a conversation about collaboration.
Credits & sources
- Russian text
- Olga Anikina
- Producer
- Walter J. Kin
- Russian recording
- Elechka, voice and guitar.
- Elechka: No Money, Russian recording
- No Money: additional Russian recording
- Mlotek collection: Dire-Gelt means Rent
Working materials, not a blanket recording license. Agree rights separately.