After just few months of cooperation, Verica and Bora left the band (Bora forming his famous Riblja Čorba band), so Biljana and Balašević recorded Rani mraz's first album "Mojoj mami umesto maturske slike u izlogu" (To my Mother instead of Prom Photo in the Shop-Window) on their own.
At the Split '79. music festival Balašević won the first prize with single "Panonski mornar" (Pannonian sailor). Few months later he sold out Beograd's "Dom sindikata" hall eight times in a row and a star was born. By the end of 1980 Rani mraz released their second and final album titled "Odlazi cirkus" and the band dissolved shortly afterwards. The album indead was one of Balašević's greatest and delivered few unforgettable songs such as "Priča o Vasi Ladačkom" (Story of Vasa Ladački) and "Život je more" (Life is a Sea) which, 20 years after their release, still have great popularity.
He started his solo career in 1982 with the album "Pub" (Jack) which was excellently received too. In the following 1982/83 tour he sold out Belgrade's Sava Center hall for the first time. His Sava Center concerts would become his trademark in years to follow. The next two albums "Celovečernji The Kid" (1983) and "003" (1985) follow the same path of success and Balašević established himself as respectable singer-songwriter.
The next album, "Bezdan" (Abyss), released in 1986, was a milestone in his career. The record was produced by Đorđe Petrović and arrangement was done by Aleksandar Dujin. Those two would be the key associates of Balašević for the next 20 years and substantially influence his work. They became the backbone of Balašević supporting band "The Unfuckables" (although this is just a nickname, as he performs under his own name and the support band is never mentioned) and part of his stage appearance.
The next album was his first and (as of 2006) the last live album "U tvojim molitvama" (In Your Prayers). The album was recorded on his concerts in Sarajevo (Zetra hall), Zagreb (Ledena dvorana and Šalata), Belgrade (Sava Center) and Novi Sad (Studio M) in 1986 and 1987. Apart from his well-known previous songs, the album featured few previously unrecorded tracks, one of which is "Samo da rata ne bude" (Just Let There be no War). The song features a large children's choir which, together with lyrics warning about the war (which indeed will start in 3 years time), delivers a hymn of pacifists throughout then still existing Yugoslavia.
The same sensation of imminent disaster predominates his next album "Panta rei" (1988). The "Requiem" was dedicated to late Josip Broz Tito and those who identified themselves with his ideas, while satire "Soliter" caricatures Yugoslavia as a skyscraper in which only façade still holds while foundations slide. The atmosphere of the album is dark and bitter as Balašević realises the hard times are coming.
Famous guitarist Elvis Stanić takes part in recording of album "Tri posleratna druga" (1989) (Three Afterwar Friends). Josip Kiki Kovač joined "The Unfuckables" on album "Marim ja..." (I Care...) (1991).
As the war began, Balašević withdrew to isolation. He was forced to stop collaborating with Croatian artists and his tempo of one album per year was disrupted. His next album "Jedan od onih života" (One of Those Lives) (1993) featured songs such as "Krivi smo mi" (It's Our Fault) and "Čovek sa mesecom u očima" (The Man with Moonlight in the Eyes) which heavily criticised and denounced the ongoing war.
After a long pause, he issued "Naposletku" (In the end) (1996). The change in sentiment was obvious and would be more or less prevalent on all of his albums up to date (as of 2006). Nearly all instruments on this album are acoustic, violin becomes dominant and woodwind instruments are heavily used.
"Devedesete" (2000) (The nineties) was his most politically involved album. He engaged himself in broad criticism of current political situation in Serbia, openly making fun of Slobodan Milošević with song "Lege'da o Gedi Gluperdi" (Legend of Geda the Stupid), criticising police officers who defended the corrupt system by confronting demonstrating youth in "Plava balada" (The Blue Ballad), looking back to 1990s with disgust in song "Devedesete" (Nineties) (first line of refrain was "Ma, jebite se devedesete" – Fuck you, nineties), supplying young demonstrators with a hymn "Živeti slobodno" (To Live Freely), reaching out for his lost friends in Croatia and Bosnia with "Stih na asfaltu" (A Verse on the Asphalt), singing about Zagreb and "Sevdalinka", but still preserving patriotism with "Dok gori nebo nad Novim Sadom" (While the Sky over Novi Sad is Burning), song about NATO bombardement of Novi Sad. This album clearly marked the atmosphere in Serbia in the year when Slobodan Milošević lost the power.
After this open engagement in politics, he returned to romance. Album "Dnevnik starog momka" (Diary of the old bachelor) (2001) comprises 12 songs, each having a female name as the title, and each singing about another girl. Balašević repeatedly stated that the girls and songs are pure fiction, and song titles form acrostic "Olja je najbolja" (Olja is the Best), Olja being nickname of his wife Olivera Balašević.
His last album (as of 2006) "Rani mraz" (2004) follows the style developed on "Naposletku" and "Dnevnik starog momka". He is often criticised to plagiarize himself and to write songs which resemble each other, but he rebuffs such criticism by saying that "Balašević ought to sing Balaševićian songs".
Lepa protina kci
Đorđe Balašević Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
neke barske ptice sam lovio tad,
kad je dosla da se kupa lepa protina kci.
Nije znala gde sam ja,
da je gledam, krisom, kroz trsku i sas,
a preko reke noc je pala kao plast.
srebri nebo, zveda roj,
i kapi vode kao biseri
koji blistaju svud po njoj...
O srce ludo, ludi sni,
vec se moji drugovi momcili svi.
A ja sam hteo samo jednu:
lepu protinu kci.
Cudnom pesmom zvoni drum,
te su zime i svatovi dosli po nju,
iz daleka, neki svet za mene tudj.
Bas sam prosao sokakom.
Padao je prvi sneg.
I jos ponekad zazvone praporci
sto je odnose, ko zna gde...
Da se zenim, imam kad.
Ja sam, eto, ostao momak do sad.
Nikad vise nisam sreo lepu protinu kci.
Jedan zivot, miran, tih.
Nekad bacim kartu il' napisem stih.
Stvari teku, ja se drzim izvan njih.
I ljubim dobre, ljubim lake.
Neke prave, a neke ne.
I sve su vile, sve su kraljice.
I sve su nevazne naspram nje...
The lyrics of "Lepa Protina Kći" by Đorđe Balašević depict a young boy's infatuation with a beautiful girl from a wealthy family. The singer recalls how, when he was young, he used to catch marsh birds while secretly observing the girl as she bathed in the nearby river. The scene is set with a beautiful description of the moon and stars reflecting on the water and the girl's body. He refers to this memory as a "crazy dream" and laments not being able to make the girl his own.
As the song progresses, the boy grows up and moves on. He paints a picture of a quiet, mundane life that he lives, where he occasionally writes poetry and gambles. He acknowledges that although he has loved and kissed other women, they do not compare to the beautiful girl he once longed for. He reveals that he never married and never encountered the protina kći again.
The song is an ode to lost love and unrealized dreams. It portrays themes of nostalgia, longing, and acceptance. The lyrics are written in a poetic and emotive style that makes the listener feel the singer's pain and regret. The song's melancholic tone is enhanced by the melody and the use of traditional instruments such as the accordion and violin.
Line by Line Meaning
Jos sam bio sasvim mlad,
I was once very young,
neke barske ptice sam lovio tad,
I used to hunt some marsh birds,
kad je dosla da se kupa lepa protina kci.
Then came the daughter of the priest to bathe.
Nije znala gde sam ja,
She didn't know where I was,
da je gledam, krisom, kroz trsku i sas,
That I was secretly watching her through the reeds and grass,
a preko reke noc je pala kao plast.
And the night fell over the river like a veil.
Mesec tinja nad vrbakom,
The moon shines above the willows,
srebri nebo, zveda roj,
Silvering the sky, a swarm of stars,
i kapi vode kao biseri
And the water drops like pearls,
koji blistaju svud po njoj...
Glistening all around her...
O srce ludo, ludi sni,
Oh crazy heart, crazy dreams,
vec se moji drugovi momcili svi.
All my friends have already settled down.
A ja sam hteo samo jednu:
But I only wanted one thing:
lepu protinu kci.
The beautiful daughter of the priest.
Cudnom pesmom zvoni drum,
The road rings with a strange song,
te su zime i svatovi dosli po nju,
So one winter, the wedding party came for her,
iz daleka, neki svet za mene tudj.
From a distant land, foreign to me.
Bas sam prosao sokakom.
I was just passing through the street.
Padao je prvi sneg.
The first snow was falling.
I jos ponekad zazvone praporci
And sometimes the banners still ring
sto je odnose, ko zna gde...
As they carry her away, who knows where...
Da se zenim, imam kad.
I could get married anytime now.
Ja sam, eto, ostao momak do sad.
But here I am, still a bachelor.
Nikad vise nisam sreo lepu protinu kci.
I never saw the beautiful daughter of the priest again.
Jedan zivot, miran, tih.
A peaceful, quiet life.
Nekad bacim kartu il' napisem stih.
Sometimes I play cards or write a poem.
Stvari teku, ja se drzim izvan njih.
Things go on, but I keep myself apart.
I ljubim dobre, ljubim lake.
I love the good ones, I love the easy ones.
Neke prave, a neke ne.
Some are genuine, and some are not.
I sve su vile, sve su kraljice.
And they are all fairies, they are all queens.
I sve su nevazne naspram nje...
But they all pale in comparison to her...
Contributed by Caleb O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sofijahodak9990
Još sam bio sasvim mlad,
Neke barske ptice sam lovio tad
Kad je došla da se kupa,
Lepa protina kći.
Nije znala gde sam ja
Da je gledam krišom kroz trsku i šaš,
A preko reke, noć je pala
Kao plašt.
Mesec tinja nad vrbakom,
Srebri nebom zvezda roj,
A kapi vode kao biseri
Koji blistaju svud po njoj...
O srce ludo, ludi sni
Već se moji drugovi momčili svi,
A ja sam hteo, samo jednu,
Lepu protinu kći.
Čudnom pesmom, zvoni drum
Te su zime svatovi došli po nju,
Izdaleka, neki svet,
Za mene tuđ.
I baš sam prošao sokakom,
Padao je prvi sneg.
I još ponekad zazvone praporci,
što me odnose, ko zna gde?!...
Da se ženim, imam kad
Ja sam eto, ostao momak do sad
I nikad više, nisam sreo
Lepu protinu kći.
Jedan život, miran, tih
Nekad bacim kartu il' napišem stih
Stvari teku,
Ja se držim izvan njih.
I ljubim dobre, ljubim lake
Neke prave, a neke ne.
I sve su vile, ma sve su kraljice,
I sve su nevažne, naspram nje...
@dandra341
“Nekima se čini da su moje pjesme sve iste.
Shvaćam ih potpuno.
Meni su na primjer one
Einsteinove formule sve iste.
Nismo svi svemu dorasli... “
Đorđe Balašević
@dreamerxy3184
Baš suprotno,meni su sve različite,svaka je priča za sebe,svaka je u drugom filmu.Genije ,ex YU
@mariobaresic
@@dreamerxy3184 procitaj jos jedno par puta sta je izjavio pa shvatis i sta je mislio...mozda
@dejanivanov
Ono kad se pronadjes u pesmi sa 43, a slušao je od detinjstva... kako neke reči dobiju smisao...❤
@biljakule9306
Moj tast se zove Đorđe, pa sam ja uvek pevao '' lepa Đokina kći ''. Evo već prođe 32 godine braka, dođoše deca, pre pet meseci i unuka, svačega je bilo, ali ONA je i dalje LEPA PROTINA KĆI.
@sofijahodak9990
Još sam bio sasvim mlad,
Neke barske ptice sam lovio tad
Kad je došla da se kupa,
Lepa protina kći.
Nije znala gde sam ja
Da je gledam krišom kroz trsku i šaš,
A preko reke, noć je pala
Kao plašt.
Mesec tinja nad vrbakom,
Srebri nebom zvezda roj,
A kapi vode kao biseri
Koji blistaju svud po njoj...
O srce ludo, ludi sni
Već se moji drugovi momčili svi,
A ja sam hteo, samo jednu,
Lepu protinu kći.
Čudnom pesmom, zvoni drum
Te su zime svatovi došli po nju,
Izdaleka, neki svet,
Za mene tuđ.
I baš sam prošao sokakom,
Padao je prvi sneg.
I još ponekad zazvone praporci,
što me odnose, ko zna gde?!...
Da se ženim, imam kad
Ja sam eto, ostao momak do sad
I nikad više, nisam sreo
Lepu protinu kći.
Jedan život, miran, tih
Nekad bacim kartu il' napišem stih
Stvari teku,
Ja se držim izvan njih.
I ljubim dobre, ljubim lake
Neke prave, a neke ne.
I sve su vile, ma sve su kraljice,
I sve su nevažne, naspram nje...
@ruzicaa2401
.
@nonick11
@@ruzicaa2401???.
@miroslavmicic5511
Svaka njegova pesma se moze pretvoriti u film.
@BlackJack-ev3ko
I to kakav