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".
ODLAZI CIRKUS
Đorđe Balašević Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Odlazi cirkus iz naeg malog grada
Irokim drumom to izlazi na most.
Odlazi cirkus i ja se pitam sada:
Ko je domaæin a ko je bio gost?
Nestaje cirkus u irokoj ravnici.
Odlazi fakir i artisti na ici
I tuni pajac to bio mi je drag.
Dal' je sve bilo samo fol?
Dal' je sve samo jeftin trik?
Il' sve te maske kriju bol
I neki sasvim drugi lik?
Prièaæe deca o svetlima arene,
Vebaæe kriom kod kuæe neki tos.
Ali veæ sutra, èim proðe neko vreme
Samo æe retko pomiljati na to.
Ostaæe okrugli trag na mestu atre,
Tu gde se hrvao sa tigrom hrabri grk.
I par plakata, na njima gutaè vatre
Kome æe klinci veæ nacrtati brk.
Dal' je sve bilo samo fol?
Dal' je sve samo jeftin trik?
Il' sve te maske kriju bol
I neki sasvim drugi lik?
Laku noæ dame i gospodo.
Eto, i ova predstava je zavrena.
Nadam se da ste uivali u njoj.
Bilo je zadovoljstvo glupirati se za vas sve ove godine.
Nadam se da æemo se jo videti u nekom drugom gradu,
Na nekoj drugoj predstavi,
U nekom drugom cirkusu.
Odlazi cirkus iz naeg malog grada
Irokim drumom to izlazi na most.
Odlazi cirkus i ja se pitam sada:
Ko je domaæin a ko je bio gost?
Odlazi cirkus, za sve je bolje tako.
Mnogi su predstavu shvatili do sad.
Nove pajace ce masa naæi lako
Jer drugi cirkus ce doæi u na grad.
Ma sve je bilo samo fol.
Sve je to samo jeftin trik.
I sve te maske kriju bol
I neki sasvim drugi lik.
"
The song "Odlazi Cirkus" by Đorđe Balašević explores the idea of fleeting entertainment and its temporary impact on people's lives. The lyrics describe the circus leaving a small town, and the singer wonders who the real host and guests were, as the circus performers and the audience both had a role to play in the spectacle. The disappearance of the circus is a symbol of the transitory nature of entertainment, and the temporary emotions it evokes. The memories of the circus, while vivid for some, will fade away with time, leaving behind only a circular imprint where the tent once stood.
The song also reflects on the idea of masks and appearances. The performers in the circus wear costumes and makeup, projecting a certain image to the audience. Yet, the singer questions whether these masks and costumes hide deeper emotions and personal struggles. The line "I sve te maske kriju bol i neki sasvim drugi lik" translates to "and all those masks hide pain and a completely different character." These lyrics suggest that beneath the surface of the entertainment industry and show business, there may be a hidden darkness and pain that is not readily apparent.
Overall, "Odlazi Cirkus" is a commentary on the fleeting nature of entertainment and the idea that everything may not be as it seems. It questions the authenticity of performance and the emotions that they evoke, leaving the listener to ponder the deeper meaning behind entertainment and the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Odlazi cirkus iz naeg malog grada
The circus is leaving our small town.
Irokim drumom to izlazi na most.
It's leaving through the wide road that leads to the bridge.
Odlazi cirkus i ja se pitam sada:
The circus is leaving and now I'm wondering:
Ko je domaæin a ko je bio gost?
Who was the host and who was the guest?
Nestaje cirkus u irokoj ravnici.
The circus is disappearing into the vast plain.
U kinoj noæi za njim se srebri trag.
In the dark night, a trail of silver is left behind it.
Odlazi fakir i artisti na ici
The fakir and the artists are leaving too.
I tuni pajac to bio mi je drag.
And the sad clown that I liked.
Dal' je sve bilo samo fol?
Was it all just a show?
Dal' je sve samo jeftin trik?
Was it all just a cheap trick?
Il' sve te maske kriju bol
Or do all those masks hide pain?
I neki sasvim drugi lik?
And some completely different character?
Prièaæe deca o svetlima arene,
Children will tell stories of the lights of the arena,
Vebaæe kriom kod kuæe neki tos.
They will practice some tricks secretly at home.
Ali veæ sutra, èim proðe neko vreme
But already tomorrow, after some time has passed,
Samo æe retko pomiljati na to.
They will rarely think about it.
Ostaæe okrugli trag na mestu atre,
Only a round mark will remain in the arena where
Tu gde se hrvao sa tigrom hrabri grk.
The brave Greek wrestled with the tiger.
I par plakata, na njima gutaè vatre
And a few posters with the fire-eater on them.
Kome æe klinci veæ nacrtati brk.
The kids will already draw a mustache on them.
Laku noæ dame i gospodo.
Good night, ladies and gentlemen.
Eto, i ova predstava je zavrena.
There, this performance has ended.
Nadam se da ste uivali u njoj.
I hope you enjoyed it.
Bilo je zadovoljstvo glupirati se za vas sve ove godine.
It's been a pleasure fooling around for you all these years.
Nadam se da æemo se jo videti u nekom drugom gradu,
I hope we'll see each other in some other town,
Na nekoj drugoj predstavi,
At some other performance,
U nekom drugom cirkusu.
In some other circus.
Odlazi cirkus iz naeg malog grada
The circus is leaving our small town.
Irokim drumom to izlazi na most.
It's leaving through the wide road that leads to the bridge.
Odlazi cirkus i ja se pitam sada:
The circus is leaving and now I'm wondering:
Ko je domaæin a ko je bio gost?
Who was the host and who was the guest?
Odlazi cirkus, za sve je bolje tako.
The circus is leaving, and it's better that way.
Mnogi su predstavu shvatili do sad.
Many have already understood the show.
Nove pajace ce masa naæi lako
The crowd will easily find new clowns
Jer drugi cirkus ce doæi u na grad.
Because another circus will come to our town.
Ma sve je bilo samo fol.
It was all just a show.
Sve je to samo jeftin trik.
It was all just a cheap trick.
I sve te maske kriju bol
And all those masks hide pain.
I neki sasvim drugi lik.
And some completely different character.
Writer(s): Balasevic Djordje
Contributed by Evelyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mijeismi
"Ostaće okrugli trag na mestu šatre.." Ogroman trag. Dobro putuj, Veliki Mornaru. Hvala za sve.
@enalev
Cirkus je ostao, a ti si otišao...nije tako trebalo biti💔
@radojicazivkov5614
Divan komentar...
@zekizeljka5454
Boze...u nekim pjesama, tako i u ovoj, on kao da se opraštao od zivota...jos u onom trenutku kad ih je napisao...toliko emocija u jednom covjeku... imam osjecaj kao da je iza nasmijanog lica oduvijek u njemu čučao tužni dječak... počivaj u miru 😔
@ljiljanacuperlovic2673
Znao je
@zorantopalovic4392
Đorđe Balašević, to ti je sine reper za ono što znači biti slobodan, pošten i dobar čovek. Orijentir i vodič za život pun ljubavi, slobode i pravde za sve!
@anastasiamirkov9980
“Pričaće deca o svetlima arene…”
Naš Djole…🤍🕊️
@oleflight9399
Videcemo se u nekom drugom cirkusu Ðole.
Večna ti slava,počivaj u miru legendo.
@bornastarcevic1400
Sve te maske kriju bol i neki sasvim drugi lik :( Neka ti je laka zemlja divni čovjeće
@saleelas5702
Zdravo Balasevicu
Laku noc prijatno...
Hvala za sve pesme