I really would like to learn a old skool Russian song about witches and teardrops to play in my own rockyn type way. I'm looking for something Gogol like. I don't need chords, just the words. It doesn't have to be about witches or teardrops.

If Johnny Cash wouldn't play it I won't play it...That kind of thing.

Gogolian lyrics that Johnny Cash would sing? That sounds reasonable.

Here's a Cossack Lullabye that's somewhat in the spirit of "Taras Bulba" (of course, the translation doesn't rhyme):

"Sleep, little baby, don't be afraid
The moon shines in your cradle
I'll tell you a story, I'll sing you a song
So close your eyes and go to sleep"

"The river Terek flows over the stones
the muddy waves are lapping
The evil Chechen sneaks up the bank
and he's sharpening his knife"

"But your father is an old soldier
And he's seasoned in battle
So sleep, little baby, don't be afraid
Someday you'll be a fighter, too"

Black Raven

Black raven, black raven,
Why are you circling over me?
You will not get me today,
I do not belong to you.

Carry a message back home,
Tell her that I have married,
Say I'm married to another,
My bride is the angel of Death.

Russia's orthodox Christian watch dogs tried to eliminate all the pagan songs about wizards, knights and dragons, but they survived. Trouble is, they'd take all day to sing them (this was before TV and the internet).

They start out something like this:

One day Alyosha's mother said to him, "Son," said she, "listen to your mother.
There are things that you must never do, listen to what I say and promise
that you will never go against my wishes and do these things.
You must always stay at home and be an obedient son."

"Do not rise so early in the morning, and saddle up your milk-white steed.
And do not ride away over the fields of green until you come to the great river.
And do not cross the great river, to there confront the fierce dragon.
And do not do battle with the dragon and leave him dead in a pool of blood.
And do not gather up his cache of solid gold coins, and bring them back here with you.
Promise me, my son, that you will never do these things."

The next day Alyosha rose so early in the morning, saying "I will saddle my milk-white steed.
I think I'll ride away over the fields of green, until I come to the great river.
And then I'll cross the river, to there confront the fierce dragon.
I will do battle with the dragon and leave him dead in a pool of blood.
And I'll gather up his cache of solid gold coins, and bring them back here with me."

I was going by memory and sort of paraphrasing, but here's a guy who sings it with 5 verses, and the youtube commentators are having a big discussion about different versions, so there could be more:

http://www.youtube.com/comment_servlet?all_comments&v=9ApaeSUqCSA&fromurl=/watch%3Fv%3D9ApaeSUqCSA

Not all of it looks Cash-worthy but I'll tell you what is says (maybe tomorrow) and you can be the judge of which parts work.

OK--It's something like this. In fact, it's a lot like this:

Black Raven

Black raven, black raven,
Why are you circling over me?
You will not get me today,
I do not belong to you.

I see you spreading out your claws,
There above my head.
Do you think that I'm your prey?
Black raven, you are wrong.

Fly away to my home,
Take a message to my mother,
Please do me the favor and tell her
That I died for our homeland.

Take this bloodstained bandana
To my own true love,
Tell her that she is free now,
Say that I've married another.

A swift arrow sealed my fate,
In the midst of my last battle.
I see now the end is near,
My bride is the angel of death.

Thank you, Dr. Pinhedz. That is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.

Glad to oblige.

This bunch is done for, obviously, but check out Keith Richard at 3:34:

"Throw the Chechen Down the Well" is pretty good.

There's an old-skool American song about tears and witches that was translated into Czech and then back into English, but that probably doesn't count.