Bydlo, meaning "cattle herd" in Polish, is a piece consistently unified by a heavy and dark musical tone. Upon listening, one might realize that this is not merely a depiction of a "cattle herd." The word also carries the meaning of "(Polish) people oppressed like livestock." This piece may be an expression of sympathy for "the oppressed people" and their dark, intense emotions. However, presenting the work with such an implication was taboo in Russia at the time. Indeed, Mussorgsky's autograph score showed traces where the initially inscribed title had been scraped off with a knife and rewritten. When asked about its meaning by Stasov (1824-1906, a renowned art critic), Mussorgsky reportedly replied, "Let's just say it's 'The Ox-Cart' here."