Balašević, The Early Singles (1977-79): An American's Guide

[@biserkasertic1208]

One more detail.When Balašević passed away, there was many asembling in differnet towns where people come together to sing his songs on the streets as a "last farewell". Because of the line from the song "Oprosti mi Katrin" ("Forgive me Chatreen") in Pula they made it on the railroad station! In the similar manner in the main street in Zagreb people wrote one word from his song "A Verse on Asphalt" on chirilic letter, 'cause in this song he expresses desire to walk over this street and put down on asphalt this word on chirilic (the song is from 90' a post war period when he was not alowed to make concerts in Cro, so he made it in Slovenia (a border country with Cro) and 90 % of audience was from Zagreb.

[@biserkasertic1208]

Some details about first song "U razedeljak te lubim"- Vojvodina was in the time before WW1 part of Austro-Hungarian empire, and Balašević was listening in his childhood old German records they keep it in their house (A legacy from his grandfather) - that's the reason why he choose a tango. The whole song is a parody on the pop hits from 30's (needlessly dramatic and pathetic) The people from Yugoslawia often made parody of their own, and others nations mentality, and in this jokes Germans always apeared too much serious, self controled and pompous. The main character is Von Ligenstuhl - tipical YU parody of German aristocratic name wich started with "Von" (Ligen stuhl = deck chair) The same effect would be if he used a name Von Hosentrager. I remember when I first time heared the song "Ljubio sam snašu na salašu" on the radio. I couldn't believe - it was so different from anything you could hear on the radio back in the days. This is again partly a self parody (mostly on mentality of Vojvodina people who are famous with their love for good food) He have another song "Kako se nekad dobro jelo" = "Oh how we eated good food once upon the time"- even much more hilarious and side-splitting. The people from Vojvodina are known as slow-motion, and flegmatic (of course this is an cliche and stereotype)- that's the reason the song/story "Ljubio sam snašu....." have 15 minutes.They cannot do anything quickly.In his concerts he always changed the whole story, with another jokes, so it was always funny to listen.

[@nevenamaksimovic647]

Thank you for explaining "U razdeljak te ljubim". Here's Balašević explaining why the tango. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4erd4iahrGloMU

[@manjelos]

@@nevenamaksimovic647 Interesting detail about old vinyl's, did not know that

[@cakinorac5979]

Hello. It is not, that Professor Skye could not understand it. The poetry. It is just, that some words and verses are sooo deep and connected with our common history, emotions, wars, freedomfight, antiwar agenda. it is just not translatable. He was our great Cohen. Genious in sense of expresing our emotions and thoughts. He connected with his poetry so called cleareyed people. Empathic normal antiwar smart people. Anticrazy people who lost power in society long ago. Cleareyed people are those, who are quiet fabric of society. Intelligent, wise, but not frontrow people. Only in front rows of concerts of this great poetic genious. His main achivement was, that through poetry after the bloody war he connected cleareyed people in all ex-yugoslavia countries and tried to push away nationalism (mother of bloodshed and pain). He knew that his path was to achieve this through music, not politics. He was a very wise man with out of this world poetry. He was an excellent comedian and storyteller at his concerts. Music was just in between his stories. There are parts of song, verses that are so deep, that most of us cry. Everytime. Balkan has some of his great sons of poetry. Balašević is very close to the top of modern yugoslavian poetry. History will placed him where he belongs. All cleareyed people on this channel. Lets stay connected.

[@MsRakkatakka]

You know what; I may not be among your originally targeted audience as I am Croatian and been listening to Balašević since I was a kid (I'm quite younger than most of his fans), but I love your videos and your perspective. Even if you may sometimes butcher the pronunciation or inadvertently miss some of the meanings behind the lyrics, it's amazing listening to your interpretation of these songs, your opinions and finally, how you just grew to love it all thanks to your wonderful wife. Even though many may claim you will "never understand it completely" since you're not from the ex-yu region(s), there is definitely a huge value of what you as an American can bring to the table with your thoughts and opinions, and there's a whole lot of things we can learn from your perspective. I love interculturalism - I've myself obtained a Master's Degree in English and German so I had a whole lot of studying to do on American culture and how the myths behind the American nation have developed and influenced what America is today. On the other hand, my German degree brought a whole lot of studying on how German/Austrian culture affected Croatia and the parts of Austria-Hungary which later became Yugoslavia; many of these influences can still be felt, over a century later. Sadly, anglophone nations and cultures never really played a big role on influencing our cultures here from a historical point of view, even though one might argue that they do now more than ever (globalisation etc.); but I guess that's why hearing an American's perspective on Balašević, who has had such a huge influence on culture all over Serbia (especially Vojvodina), as well as Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, etc., is so much fun and so educational. What I've just written is more of a random rant, but I'd really like for you to keep making these videos. They are clearly important to your wife and to you, but I'm sure you can see from the response that people all over ex-Yugoslavia enjoy them, as well. Don't take it personally if some of the comments can be harsh - we're a rather straightforward people :) Hugs from Zagreb! If you and your family ever come visit, I'd be happy to show you around the city :)

[@MsRakkatakka]

P.S. If you managed to talk so long about the importance of Šunka in one song, wait till you go and analyse "Al se nekad dobro jelo" (roughly translated as "Man we used to eat so well"), where all he does is tell a story about food and just keep on counting different foods you got to eat when you're with your family. Overeating is a cultural thing here, especially when something is celebrated or when the whole family gathers (I'm sure you've experienced it when you visited Serbia :))

[@mylittledetour]

I left YU when i was 3. I am 55. I remember listening this song ( ljubijo sam snas… ) when i was in YU for holidays. There is a strong sadness and happiness in us. We can jump from laugh to cry.. ( maybe you experienced that with your wife) We have the most beautiful women in the world( with Italians) and we have some crazyness inside of us.. I miss my country. I miss my people..

[@sasakurtovic6850]

You're doing an awesome job, professor Skye!

[@Cijevni1]

"Balašević is very confusing." Yes, the other word for it is brilliant! :D

[@LucaAnamaria]

Da. 😁

[@rrijecanka]

Daaa

[@vesnafilipovic2108]

I love your videos about Balasevic...and your wife rocks! Super ste.....keep going pls

[@brankadujic]

This is so beautiful. Thank you. It means a lot.

[@jelenabajic6133]

This is really great! Keep doing some more videos of this type. We love it!

[@matrix_x_]

Balašević's way of poetry is difficult to explain to someone who is not of Slavic or Mediterranean soul. People in this region experience all emotions intensely. They experience sadness more than others, happiness too. This is best noticed in sports, where clubs, and especially national teams, beat objectively stronger national teams and even become world champions. At the same time, they can lose even the worst if it is not a good day for them, if their wife has left or cheated on him, his child is ill or has some private problems. It is precisely this great empathy of the Slavic people that Balašević writes and sings about the most. He’s a great poet, but his songs become even more eye-catching when combined with good music. Balasevic is just an average guitar player and left playing at an early stage in his career. He has a very good feel for music and throughout his career he has known to find great musicians for his backing band, with a very wide range of instruments and experimenting with music genres. Essentially all that music is just a backdrop to his songs which are more life stories than the songs themselves. But let's get back to empathy. She is the essence of everything for the people in the Balkans. In this last song "Life is the sea" Balašević, as in most of his songs, sings in both direct and figurative sense. He, in the way you nicely described it, says that you must never give up and let life drag you to the bottom. He is not a fan of some superheroes and does not force himself. The essence of his message is that you should always be on the side of good and if you go that way you will always find people similar to yourself and you will be supportive of each other in stormy times, on the stormy sea of ​​life. Throughout his career, he nurtured such an attitude towards an audience that was essentially never his audience but more his comrades and like-minded people. That’s why he always mentioned that he’s just one of those who takes turns carrying a torch. One of the good and modest people who have empathy for each other and who recognize each other by their eyes without having to say anything. If Đorđe Balašević should be defined in one word, it would certainly be empathy.

[@blahblah7381]

Balkan's mentality is interesting combination of Slavic and Mediterranean, sort of like Italian opera buffa set up with Dostoyevsky novel as libretto. We are like Italians except they are just acting and putting up the show, while we really mean it!

[@978iva]

First of all, I have to congratulate you on your bravery to tackle such a difficult and sensitive topic as breaking down one of our greatest poets' lyrics. I've watched a couple of your videos(all of them about Djole, sorry, I'll try to catch up with the others) and, at the very begging, I thought you've really bitten more than you could chew but now I think you're managing it quite well. As an English teacher, I had to study the culture(British, American, and Australian) along the way, as well, and that's the essential moment. One can't manage a language without understanding the culture, as one can't understand the culture without being able to manage the language. And, that's for the basic culture only, Djole is much more than that. Anyway, you're doing a great job, given the fact that you don't speak the language. I couldn't overhear that you've mentioned nationalism several times in these videos, but in this one, you said Yugoslavian nationalism-that just doesn't exist, no one should confuse nationalism with patriotism, and either way both of them are quite sensitive and not really related to Balasevic because he was a unique combo of all of that and none of it at the same time. The symbol of revolution as well as the symbol of peace, he was and will always stay something that you can call Home. As for the music, for me, it was always just a background thing, it's just something that you don't pay attention to in his case(though it became more and more sophisticated as he was growing older and styles and trends were changing) because I never thought of him as a singer, not even a songwriter, for me, he will always be a Poet, one of the greatest, you know, the one with a genuine Slavic soul filled with depth. To finish with, I'd like to say: Thank you for doing this, he deserves to be spoken about throughout the world because art doesn't have borders and doesn't recognize limits. Greetings and hugs to the entire family from Nis :)

[@rrijecanka]

Thank You, The Greatest man, your wife is a lucky wife 🙏🙏🙏 we are very sad but he lives in our hearts, I know that my future children going to listen to him ❤️

[@ljutibaba]

You are great HUMAN being..best regards from Croatia..

[@aleksjazzy]

All people from Vojvodina region had cured meat called šunka, it is not related only to colonizers. The word comes from German - Schinken, Hungarians call it sonka and Slavic people call it šunka. Which is a cured ham.

[@aleksjazzy]

One digression about "Ljubio sam snašu..." is also connection to somewhat lascivious songs tradition in that region "Cajke" and "Bećarci", that has monotonous and repetitive music with explicit or double entendre erotic meaning lyrics.Typically sung at the ends of parties and last up to an hour or more when everyone is buzzed. Abundance of meat in this song may implicate strong carnal desire. This song like most of His songs creates rich images in listeners mind.

[@lukabalan5200]

I was born in Serbia after the bombings so the only contact I had with Yugoslavian culture was from my perents stories. I've spent the last year exploring the modern history and culture of Serbia and Yugoslavia in order to understand how things got this way. I wanted to thank you for your help with this journey.

[@professorskye]

That is a very nice message to read, thank you.

[@irreal2]

Yaaaassssssss. I did not expect another Balašević video for a while. And then this pops out in my feed and just makes my day. So excited! Where is your patreon, paypal, anything. TAKE. MY. MONEY. :D You are helping me grieve the loss of Balašević, a lot. My parents grew up listening to him, I did too, and my children are too small right now, but I'll cram as much Balašević down their throats as I can. It's the best way I can imagine to instill good human values.

[@LucaAnamaria]

Yay! I love that you'll be posting more Balašević stuff. I'm here for it.

[@DarinaPoljakPadina]

Oduševljena sam emocijom koju deliš sa nama, koji živimo sa Balaševićevim pesmama kao i tvoja draga supruga. Hvala vam puno!

[@madebynensi]

Love the way you explain!

[@lana35552]

Hi, I've been watching these videos of yours about Blasevic and really love what you're doing and how you're trying to explain his lyrics to yourself and to your audience. Doing a pretty good job of it too May I try to help with "Kristifore, crni sine" and add that the expression is used to express disappointment, astonishment and maybe even disgust with the actions of the person being addressed in this manner. They have invariably gone and done something incredibly foolish and abominable and are being scolded by an older person (usually a parent, but also a teacher, a neighbour...). Therefore, I wouldn't translate it with damn or bloody, the closest thing in my opinion would be to say Christopher, you silly fool. The word "sine" doesn't necessarily mean son but rather is a way of addressing a male person (although I've got to point out that during the late 90's the term "sine" is taken beyond any connection with a young male person and is used as a filler word and suddenly virtually anyone could be addressed in this way. It started off as parody but it took off and you could even hear people say Baba, sine, ispeci mi palacinke for example which literally means Hey grandma, my son, fix me up some pankakes! So you see, the word has virtually nothing to do with sons and is just an expression or rather an exclamation. I hope this makes sense :) I'm sending you both my best wishes and am looking forward to seeing the new episodes of your breaking down Djole's songs and albums.

[@blahblah7381]

Balasevic career had some of Leonard Cohen's trajectory. His early stuff was very popular but musically bit generic & all over the place. Cohen reached his full stride at Recent Songs when he musically embraced his Jewish roots. Similarly, Balasevic hit his top form when he embraced his Vojvodina heritage, and instead of quasi pop/county, he used more of local folk framework (becarac, cardas, Roma music, etc)

[@MacakPodSIjemom]

I totally disagree. I think his best works were in late 80-s, then early 80-s and early 90-s. After 1996 and "Naposletu" album, he lost much of inspiration and wit of his earlier songs, both in lyrics and melodies, as well as thematic of his song went too generic tamburica/romance/csardas, with a few forced and uninspired pop-sounding songs.

[@urosparezanovic7620]

Ma femme adore aussi Balasevic, alors j'ai cliqué sur la première vidéo. Pour essayer de comprendre ce qu'ils aiment tant. J'aime votre désir de comprendre plus que la musique elle-même. Vous avez des expériences intéressantes. J'aurais aimé avoir un professeur de français aussi intéressant. Salutations à votre femme et à vous de Serbie

[@MacakPodSIjemom]

34:00 - Now, after listening to the whole explanation about "Ljubio sam snašu na salašu", I must say that I'm appalled if this is what your wife explained you about the song and about Vojvodina. In this song, and in most songs and stories about Vojvodina, Balašević takes a role of an "proper/native/indigenous Vojvodinian Serb", so called "Lala", which has roots in Vojvodina for hundreds of years, and has possibly never seen a Bosnian before Bosnians came to Vojvodina. And the stereotype about "Lala" is that he is fat, he thinks about food most of the time, and eats it at the same time, doesn't care too much about the outside world, is calm and patient, slow but witty at the same time. Balašević often plays with that stereotype, but with fondness. He also plays sometimes with the stereotype of the "kolonista" - "colonizer", which has settled in Vojvodina after the WWII, as you mentioned, which is (usually) a Serb from Bosnia or Croatian mountains, or Montenegrin, and he is the opposite of "Lala" (perceived as strong, straightforward, ambitious, sometimes violent, but also servile and a "true-believer" in ruling ideology or religion), but he doesn't give too much fondness to the "dođoš" stereotype. The derogatory term is "dodjoš" - "the one who came with the train and settled". So, in this song, the guy, typical "Lala", is given the money by his father (stereotypically a well off farmer who's only value except money and land are horses) to buy a horse (no matter what kind of horse, just not a mare :)). And the guy, being unexperienced, because he never went on foot so far as to the next village, refuses to take food with himself which his mother offers, saying "I'll be there in no time". But, after an hour or two of walking in hot summer sun, which is too much for him, he gets thirsty and hungry (B. mocks a stereotype that Lala always eats and carries food with himself wherever he goes), and when he sees all that meat, he sees something he's been missing the most for those few hours (and for the first time in his life, presumably). His enumerating and describing of various kinds of ham and bacon, again, mocks the notion that he's been eating it all his life every day and he knows all the nuances of various kinds of meat treats, which are now exaggerated by his hunger. And, then the woman came in (not a girl, a woman, because she has a husband which is not there at the moment, but enters later in the mid of their passion). Basically, he's not singing about any lost love, but about summer passion when he realized that there can be things you could enjoy and like even more than all the bacon and ham and "čvarci" in the world. So, he later contemplates, as an older man, when sitting in hot summer nights that remind him of his youthful escapades, what a strong impact on him was left from that meeting. All in humorous, and a little melancholic way, of course. Balašević likes to play with stereotypes, most of all. That's why he uses so many music styles, in order to emphasize a stereotype, like in "Fon Ligenštul" song, when he uses tango to give an atmosphere of a 1930's dance (where tangos were most popular), and when something like that song could happen. 47:00 - Yes, you are totally correct - the meaning of the song the best translates as "Life is an ocean" (or "Life is ocean" - I'm not sure about the article :)). My attempt: Life is an ocean, deep blue sea, which takes those that sail . My heart is not a frightened deer, and the high sea doesn't scare me. Waves are crushing me, streams trying to take me, tide takes the happiness, and comes back with the sorrow, the sky lashes me with a thunder whip, but I'm still there, and I'm still big. Old days' sorrows come to frighten me in the dawn, dim memories, like a dream or a lie, I still hope, I still struggle, but hands that pull me down are stronger and stronger. Maybe, some day, a woman the one with silky thighs that offers me her hands, will give a new wind to my sails, and carry me to the next harbor and another woman. Life is an ocean...

[@nikolakrnetautopijapodkast]

You're doing great thing with this. Continue please Bravo!

[@alenrahmanovic7506]

Well done mister! I was thinking when is your wife birthday so i can watch another video (so it's in december), i will rememeber that. Thanks to recomended video i just see this one. Best regards from Tuzla! And for your wife Veliki pozdrav!

[@montenegrotourguide1594]

Interesting review Mr Skye! Your effort is great... I told you before he is hard to be understood still you have time.. It is great that you have find the way to include your wife so you will avoid the literacy of translation .. Great Job with ''Ljubio sam Snashu na Salashu '' as it sounds so bizarre, what it is on some way, but so many picture about the style of life in Vojvodina and the mentality of agricultural people that live over there are shown... My modest opinion is that you should play song little bit longer, and give some translation for the other foreigners ... like that we can enjoy more, and also see did you get it right (although you have your wife no for that, but still) ..any way.. I am born and raised in Montenegro, but my father was born and raised in Vojvodina and his family was one of those who colonized to Vojvodina after WWII from Dalmatian hills (today Croatia)..I connect so many stories from my childhood to Balasevic, and my generation is still getting used to for a life without him, as he was kind of uncle to us .. The way he was writing, telling stories is unique, although he was not known for the great voice i fill much better when i hear him singing his own songs, then when some other singers are giving him a tribute, although their voice is great... Any way ... you have much more work to do ... Panonski mornar is a good way to continue - Pay attention on paradox of the song, and the metaphors he used to explain it ... Greetings for your wife and you .. cant wait for new review!

[@ladanovakstarcevic5006]

I'm still here ❤ You said it nice

[@mialahtinen355]

Thank You so much

[@cakinorac5979]

Hello. It is not, that Professor Skye could not understand it. The poetry. It is just, that some words and verses are sooo deep and connected with our common history, emotions, wars, freedomfight, antiwar agenda. it is just not translatable. He was our great Cohen. Genious in sense of expresing our emotions and thoughts. He connected with his poetry so called cleareyed people. Empathic normal antiwar smart people. Anticrazy people who lost power in society long ago. Cleareyed people are those, who are quiet fabric of society. Intelligent, wise, but not frontrow people. Only in front rows of concerts of this great poetic genious. His main achivement was, that through poetry after the bloody war he connected cleareyed people in all ex-yugoslavia countries and tried to push away nationalism (mother of bloodshed and pain). He knew that his path was to achieve this through music, not politics. He was a very wise man with out of this world poetry. He was an excellent comedian and storyteller at his concerts. Music was just in between his stories. There are parts of song, verses that are so deep, that most of us cry. Everytime. Balkan has some of his great sons of poetry. Balašević is very close to the top of modern yugoslavian poetry. History will placed him where he belongs. All cleareyed people on this channel. Lets stay connected.

[@dsenkovic]

Great video, thank you! A couple of comments - smoked meat tradition existed long before colonist came to Vojvodina, it existed in the entire Europe; Babo or Bàba is a genuine Vojvodinian term used for father, although it is being used in Bosnia too;

[@mtlmns8167]

Hi, Professor Skye, thank you for your wonderful videos. It's great that you're making Balasevic accessible to non-Yugo speakers. Just a couple of comments on this video: - It's odd that you suggest the Bosnian Serb "colonizers" introduced sunka to Vojvodina. It's like saying they introduced a staple like bread to the region. Preserved meats are a diet staple in many human cultures and preserving pork was already elevated to an art form in Vojvodina before WWII. Saying that the "colonizers" brought sunka to Vojvodina is an excellent way to start a fight with "starosedeoci" (those whose ancestors have lived in Vojvodina since before WWII). - French influences: There was a strong current of Francophilia in Serbia/Yugoslavia in the 20th century, stemming from the Serbo-French fraternity of arms in the First World War (see the Albanian Golgotha and Salonika Front). French music was very popular in Yugoslavia in the 1950s and 1960s and certainly would not have been unknown to Balasevic. - The accent that Balasevic uses in "Ljubio sam snasu" is specific to the Backa region of Vojvodina. I look forward to more videos from you. Cheers!

[@marioskraban4249]

Where is "Računajte na nas" which was an anthem of the boomer generation... Anyway, watched all 4 of your videos on Balašević. There are some interesting views on his songs, but yes there are a lot of things google translate misses. Panonski mornar is also one of my favorite Balašević songs just because I come from Vojvodina of Slovenia which is Prekmurje. Both are very similar in being flatlands and remnants of the long gone Panonian sea. Regards from the other side of the Atlantic.

[@milanmilacic9311]

Život je more as in life is a sea of life is the sea is something I've never thought about, interesting how someone learning about your own culture can give you new perspectives on it

[@dsego84]

The band harvest got it's name from the Neil Young's album.

[@dubravkovidacak4684]

One big THANK YOU.

[@fey9915]

I've lived in USA for nearly 30 years, and still have no idea how to use articles :D Greetings from Zagreb boy in USA :)

[@tomepetrovic3038]

You helped me completely understand most of the songs..😅

[@MravacKid]

I'm Croatian, and I miss a ton of the more subtle references and themes in his songs because they're from the cultural environment of Vojvodina. As a sidenote, I'm from Opatija in Croatia, the place of Balasevic's first major breakthrough into the mainstream, as he performed the song "Prva Ljubav" at the very popular Opatija music festival in 1978, wearing jeans and a shirt instead of the festival standard suit and tie. :) And I was fortunate enough to have seen him in live concerts in my hometown several times over the years.

[@MravacKid]

Oh, and a fun little anecdote about "Oprosti mi Katrin": the song starts with the railway station announcement that the train from Pula to Paris is taking off from the 14th track. At the time Balasevic had never been to Pula, so he had no idea what the railway station there was like, and just assumed it's like the ones in his home region, huge and sprawling. And when he finally came to Pula, he saw that the station is tiny and has only two tracks. :)

[@biserkasertic1208]

@@MravacKid In fact in the begining of the song he sings about a bus station "On station in Pula, I played guitar and waiting for the bus...."This old bus station wich looks like some corridor don't exists anymore. Here is longer version of this song, maded much later.This is kind of flash-back from the perspective of midle aged person. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWfCoqZ4g9CJm5I

[@SojaTeks1]

Keep up the good work, you are awesome in "trying" Balasevic. Note he liked and got influenced more by Leonard Cohen than Dylan, for me his songs are in rank of Sound of Silence from Simon and Garfunkel... Can't wait to see your next video and review. Greetings from Macedonia...

[@Darkdarkdark123]

Balašević was great whit word’s,and that was the best on he’s profesional life...

[@sinisabosanac]

Hvala.

[@risdej]

"Život je more" Arsen Dedić kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZ3EnJ2mjMuUhKc

[@aleksandarpopov6538]

One detail: the backing band (top musicians, academically educated) was called "The Unfuckables" during the 80's and 90's. In my opinion, this is the essence, or at least a very important part of everything he represented - humor in his own way. Or as it is said in "It's all Tom Sawyer's fault": "... he pushed so well in his own way..."

[@nemmy31]

Amazing videos, thank you man, you should watch "Balašević - Dok je nama nas" Amazing musicians,and amazing Balašević... Greetings from Serbia 👍🍻

[@nevenkastojanovska714]

Arsen Dedic version of 'Zivot je more' kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZ3EnJ2mjMuUhKc and Balasevic song for Arsen kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4C0apJjfbVqqMU

[@sarmatianns]

He actually wanted to be a football player first (soccer for Americans). I thank God that he didn't give him enough talent to become one.

[@Majorfatal1]

Srce mi je kao ratar is a great song, you shouldn't skip..

[@urskaska]

i would realy love to hear you break down a song Al se nekad dobro jelo

[@biserkasertic1208]

😜👍!

[@vstankovic5]

Брате, свака ти част, поготово за сланину и шунку 😉

[@AleksSakala]

Great job. FYI, Arsen Dedić was not just a croatian singer. He was from Croatia and he was a serbo-croatian singer, as his father was serb and his mother croatian. Arsen is still loved in all former Yugoslavia as he never was a nationalist.

[@amatije]

You can translate Balašević's lyrics but the true meaning is lost in translation. For the true meaning you must understand our mentality and our culture. It is to be commended that you make an effort at all. Your wife is happy to have you (and vice versa)

[@mylittledetour]

And even if you understand the culture, there are sentences and words that can be hard to translate… as we have a lot of sex in our expressions 😉

[@BoraZivkovic]

You may want to check out some of his rare concert recordings, some never recorded on vynil, some with different lyrics (he often developed songs over time, tweaking the lyrics etc): kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKS7knilaM-ibMk

[@professorskye]

I just read your comment to my Serbian neuroscientist wife who said "huh... there is a science writer that I really like with that name, but it is a very common name." Then we looked you up and it looks like you are the same person. That brought some joy to the house.

[@BoraZivkovic]

@@professorskye Yes, that's me. Both my first name and last name are traditional and familiar to everyone in the former Yugoslavia, but are actually not that frequent, and the combination of both is very rare. There was a good soccer player in Denmark of that name. Apparently I am the only one in the USA. And I have never heard of another one. I am happy that someone still remembers me and likes me - I have not written an article or blog post about science in at least eight years. But I still teach biology (lately mostly physiology) and I teach horseback riding (I essentially grew up on the Belgrade racetrack - hippodrome).

[@sasakurtovic6850]

Are we days away from the next video? 😁

[@Majorfatal1]

"Crni sine", you would say that to your own, or some other kid, who make some dangerous thing, so much dangerous that could fade him self, or his family to black colour, colour of sorrow in Serbia (and a lot of rest of the world). For example if a kid go fast down the hill on a bike, and fall down, hurt him self bad, you could say to him: Crni sine, what have you do to your self? You could get killed. Maybe Black Peter is a good translation?

[@BoraZivkovic]

The first time I ever heard Zivot je more I could not believe it was a brand new song, It sounded familiar, like an old folk song, like a song beloved in the region for decades. But no, it was new. It so much "hit" me in the head from the very first moment. Definitely one of his top songs ever.

[@BoraZivkovic]

And now I sang it in the car and made myself cry...

[@MacakPodSIjemom]

When I first heard that song, it was already about 10 years old, and I was something like 14-15 years old. But I did have that feeling that this was the song which "was always there" and that "everybody connects with".

[@sarmatianns]

You can understand it, you just won't be able to fully appreciate it.

[@klososalpasina1469]

I'd translate Kristofore crni sine as "Christopher, you bloody fool", because you should always translate in the spirit of your own language.

[@draganarsov9650]

Great video, you my favorite proffesor! I have all balasevic rani mraz singles i miss only tri put sam video tita

[@sinisabosanac]

Oprosti mi Katrin. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmOnqZ6kjq5qf5Y

[@zoricanikolic6095]

Балашевић🇷🇸

[@pjersosic7922]

I had no idea it was a song about culingulus.

[@urskaska]

neither do i. i thought it's a song about someone who went crazy because some woman stalked him.

[@raderadumilo7899]

When you get to the song “Neki novi klinci” take a look into tribute album: “Neki noviji klinci.” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neki_noviji_klinci_i...?wprov=sfti1) it says a lot about Balasevic to see all the genres of the bands involved. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZKTn2h-g710ZqM

[@Majorfatal1]

You got another Enciclopedy of ExYu rock by Željko Fajfrić ..

[@systematicjim9295]

WE WANT MORE ON AZRA

[@aleksandarpopov6538]

And "crni sine" might better be transalted as "black sheep" (or " white raven") in sence he is freak.

[@ilijastanislevik6418]

Storyteller? Guslar.

[@nenad-seguljev]

name "Žetva", i think, comes from this band kzbin.info/www/bejne/naDWf6SfqpuGaas

[@МилошВасић-ч9й]

Pa verujem da ti znam oca od zene hahahha a slucajno naletim na ovo e zivote

[@alexandartheserb7861]

Seems like you love your wife so much. And this is good for you two since you are American and Balashevich was pro-American, i.e. very much influenced in young days by American rock music. So he was some mixture of local and American culture like you two are. And he was making with his rock music, or blues or whatever... nice image of America into the heads of young Yugoslav listeners of his music, which later influence them to emmigrate to their "cultural home", to the West including USA. So we can say, Balasevich was agent of pro-American culture and influence like other rock singers in ex Yugoslavia. But Balasevich was actually "Like a Bane" guy, he become famous thanks to communist state media promoting them on his beginning: "I saw Tito 3 times"; tv series "JNA Solders"; "Count on us" (mentioning Tito again)... and later he continued to be tool for local politicians with songs against Folk Music (Narodnjaci), against people who come and work in his region "Sugar rap" (but it was hypocrisy that He was very first who went to other regions to earn money with music), mocking Slovenes, mocking Army in "Fck of JNA" (which he promoted before in tv series)... So I think your wife has some romantic picture of this guy thanks to influence via tv and radio when she was kid and in that time couldnt understand full picture. Regards.