Oh no! It can’t be!
Eduard Khil, the Russian singer whose wordless song sparked the internet’s “Trololo” meme, has died at the age of 77.
Khil was hospitalized last last month after suffering a stroke and was believed to have suffered brain damage. He died this morning at a hospital in St. Petersburg.
Mr. Trololo‘s happy-go-lucky rendition of the Russian song “I Am So Happy to Finally Be Back Home” catapulted him to internet stardom, although not until 34 years after his original performance. The tune became a YouTube sensation in 2010 for its incomprehensible lyrics.
The song’s original lyrics dealt with a scene in which a cowboy was riding his horse across the prairie, daydreaming of his wife back home, but those lyrics were deemed too pro-Western for Soviet censors.
Khil and composer Arkady Ostrovsky decided to strip the lyrics in favor of the wordless “vokaliz” style, which led to the catchy “Trololo” version available on YouTube, augmented by Khil’s stiff gestures and somewhat creepy smile.
Enjoy the original Trololo version below, and if you just can’t get enough, you’ll also find a special 10-hour version underneath. You’re welcome.
R.I.P. Eduard Khil! We’ll miss you!
Related articles
- ‘Trololo’ Singer in Critical Condition After Suffering Stroke (newsfeed.time.com)
- Trololo man in critical health condition (rt.com)
- Trololo man critically ill (lfpress.com)
Get Blippitt via RSS feed, Facebook, Twitter, Google+,
and be sure to get our Daily Email Broadcast.
