Comments on: The Gazprom Song

The Gazprom Song

Mayor Curley — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:36:48 -0800

Gazprom is the greatest corporation in the world/All other companies are run by little girls. This is the most moving corporate anthem I've ever heard (and I include Devo's "Corporate Anthem" in that assessment.)

By: Emperor SnooKloze

Emperor SnooKloze — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:52:05 -0800

That is... really something. Wow.

By: furiousxgeorge

furiousxgeorge — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:52:33 -0800

I'll drink to that! /will drink to anything but a catchy song helps.

By: seawallrunner

seawallrunner — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:03:00 -0800

how many other corporations have an anthem? This is ...quaint.

By: markkraft

markkraft — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:11:22 -0800

(Like the Russians need another excuse to drink?!) WWII is finally over for the USSR. (The fascists won.)

By: philip-random

philip-random — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:13:04 -0800

I even have some high end Vodka sitting in the freezer ... but the real gem here is the DEVO anthem, which I had completely forgotten about. I remember a particular party tape (circa 1980) that kicked off with that, moved into Gut Feeling and then I forget the rest ... but there was definitely a Peter Gabriel song.

By: ioesf

ioesf — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:21:21 -0800

how many other corporations have an anthem? at least one, previously mentioned

By: Dee Xtrovert

Dee Xtrovert — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:24:34 -0800

I don't know about corporations per se, but in Yugoslavia, a lot of big business had a sort of "work song" that proud workers would sing. The concept kind of faded after Tito died (and probably even before then), but every now and then you'd encounter a bunch of (usually) old factory guys out for drinks, singing their work song. The Gazprom tune isn't that great and steals the melody from a couple of pop folk songs (although the lyrics are awesome.) I'd still vote Devo.

By: Doktor Zed

Doktor Zed — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:29:06 -0800

Let's not overlook the comic choral contributions of the Academic Ensemble of Moscow Military District earlier this year as long as we're on the subject: "In this life I tell you humbly, we can solve any of your problems: Where a Gazprom valve is hidden so that we could cut the gas for everybody just in case." It must lose something in the Youtube translation, but the Russian audience apparently found it hilarious. how many other corporations have an anthem? A surprising number: Ernst & Young, Fujitsu, Honeywell, IBM (2), McKinsey, Price Waterhouse Cooper (2), etc., etc.

By: frogpondian

frogpondian — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:29:54 -0800

Wow. Surprisingly catchy. While we're on the topic of gas-related Russian music, check out this video of a military choir singing about cutting off the pipeline to Europe (with more background here from the Economist)

By: Opposite George

Opposite George — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:30:59 -0800

how many other corporations have an anthem? Hail To The IBM

By: mattoxic

mattoxic — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:36:27 -0800

"Your troubles recede where the Gazprom people are near by" Hear that Ukraine? Hear that Bulgaria? Hungary and Western Europe? RECEDE, troubles RECEDE. So stop moaning, and start drinking, to Gazprom.

By: shadow vector

shadow vector — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:37:12 -0800

Corporate Musicals, previously.

By: fingerbang

fingerbang — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:58:59 -0800

how many other corporations have an anthem? Well, there is this one...

By: furiousxgeorge

furiousxgeorge — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:01:16 -0800

Globex Corporation still has the best.

By: jb

jb — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:07:02 -0800

I prefer Nikon Break Kyogo's anthem. (I think this might be a cover).

By: jb

jb — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:11:33 -0800

Sorry, that should be Nihon Break Kogyo.

By: infinitywaltz

infinitywaltz — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:26:34 -0800

It's like Laibach, only real.

By: dr_dank

dr_dank — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:26:57 -0800

The first 30 seconds of the clip should have consisted of the singer shouting: "Эй, моя очередь наушники вверх".

By: MarchHare

MarchHare — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:36:15 -0800

Is there a link to just the lyrics? Lousy corporate firewall blocks access to the youtubes.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:42:43 -0800

Put it in "H"!

By: Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:00:26 -0800

It's like Laibach, only real. Or maybe not. The line in the FPP is remarkably similar to Sacha Baron Cohen's invented lyrics to Kazakhstan's national anthem. Of course, it could be he drew the inspiration from Gazprom. I can't get the Foreign Policy blog page to load where I am, so maybe it explains the origins furhter. My apologies if it turns out Cohen cribbed Gazprom.

By: DecemberBoy

DecemberBoy — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:04:22 -0800

Fun Fact: the "Devo Corporate Anthem" song and video are both references to the movie Rollerball.

By: l33tpolicywonk

l33tpolicywonk — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:20:45 -0800

"Let's drink all the Russian gas"? That sounds dangerous...

By: Chorian

Chorian — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:31:26 -0800

Here's the KPMG anthem from a while ago.

By: mattoxic

mattoxic — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:32:14 -0800

Fun Fact: the "Devo Corporate Anthem" song and video are both references to the movie Rollerball. Do tell ?

By: Meatbomb

Meatbomb — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:26:30 -0800

Fun Fact: the "Devo Corporate Anthem" is actually the Platonic Ideal Corporate Anthem, which all real real world corporate anthems try to approach.

By: Meatbomb

Meatbomb — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:27:11 -0800

real real real world, even.

By: anser

anser — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:50:17 -0800

Jagshemash! This company Gazprom has stolen from Borat. Throw them down the well! "Kazakhstan greatest country in the world. All other countries are run by little girls. Kazakhstan number one exporter of potassium. Other countries have inferior potassium." -- Kazakhstan National Anthem (not!), by Sacha Baron Cohen a/k/a Borat

By: Authorized User

Authorized User — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:08:02 -0800

Or maybe not. The line in the FPP is remarkably similar to Sacha Baron Cohen's invented lyrics to Kazakhstan's national anthem. Of course, it could be he drew the inspiration from Gazprom. The line in the FPP is not in the song.

By: Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:34:50 -0800

Well good. Guess I should have moved to an access point where I could actually open the page before commenting.

By: readyfreddy

readyfreddy — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:43:38 -0800

Wear gaudy colors or avoid display.

By: Kevin Street

Kevin Street — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:19:25 -0800

Is that an ICBM at 2:20?

By: Meatbomb

Meatbomb — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:32:27 -0800

Were you unaware that Gazprom is a nuclear power, Kevin?

By: Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:08:52 -0800

I'll never forget when Gazprom invaded Circuit City, causing the latter to collapse completely.

By: nax

nax — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:58:50 -0800

how many other corporations have an anthem? In the U.S. we call them jingles.

By: xingcat

xingcat — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:23:32 -0800

You'd think an energy company could light their lead singer a little better.

By: LakesideOrion

LakesideOrion — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:43:54 -0800

I wanted more grumpy-looking dudes with soviet-era medals... but overall an excellent video.

By: effugas

effugas — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:53:27 -0800

Someday the theme song for Algorithmics will become public. On that day, that fated day where "heteroskedacity" is finally seen successfully integrated into freestyle rap, MetaFilter will know joy.

By: Mastercheddaar

Mastercheddaar — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:59:24 -0800

Sigh.... Isn't drinking around flammable gas a bad idea?

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:49:53 -0800

Considering how absurdly powerful Gazprom is, things like this confirm my belief that the world actually ended on September 26, 1983, and we've been living in some surreal-Donnie-Darko tangent universe since.

By: Potomac Avenue

Potomac Avenue — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:16:36 -0800

if GM had a badass anthem they'd probably still be afloat... GM MOTHERFUCKER WE RUN DETROIT BETTER BE 'EM MOTHERFUCKER OR YOULL BE UNEMPLOYED CADILLACS AND HUMMERS ROLL THICK IN THESE STREETS MAD JEEPS FOR DAYS, GTOS ARE SWEET IF YR OLD WE GOT A OLDSMOBILE, HOLD FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE WE WENT BUST ON PURPOSE TO REVITALIZE OUR SURFACE FUCK CHRYSLER FUCK FORD AND FUCK ALL DEM FOREIGN PHONYS SORRY FOR COLLABORATING WITH GERMANY IN THE 40S

By: ourobouros

ourobouros — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:37:58 -0800

The contrast between Gazprom's ruthless, terrifying actions and its Barney the Dinosaur theme song is just priceless. And, Potomac Avenue, that is awesome.

By: prefpara

prefpara — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:09:43 -0800

Oh my god, this song is still in my head right fucking now. Ahhh! Make it stop!

By: prefpara

prefpara — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 04:57:39 -0800

Still stuck in my head. My anger grows.

By: unbearablylight

unbearablylight — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 07:58:48 -0800

Behold - "Symantec Revolutions". Symantec is in the house!!! It will make you a little sick in your mouth. Be warned.