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".
slow motion
Đorđe Balašević Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stalno se raspravljam sa njim,
Život je ofucani holivudski film.
Svi smo mi malo dramili, ćutali il' galamili,
U tom spekatklu.
Neki su rodjeni za maske,
Neki statiraju do daske,
I kao svi iz stare skole radim sve
Slow motion.
Igram bez dublera, sve sam,
Sto nije prakticno to znam
Pomalo sniram, po malo briljiram
Partner sam raznim licima
Zvezdama, naivcima
U tom spektaklu.
Mozda i nisam neki biser
Ali sam barem svoj režiser,
Sam za sebe smisljam zaplete i kraj
Koristeci uglavnom laku tehniku
Slow motion.
Od Mure pa do Morave
Neka me svi zaborave
Ako uopste ikom ista značim,
Sad samo gruba pameti
Stižu mi strasni saveti
Al' ja bi da proživim na svoj način.
Odlaze zadnji vozovi, biraju ljude lozovi,
I sve u svemu nemam lepe reči,
Al' ja bi bas u ime tog
Jos jednu popio
I tesko da ce neko da me spreči.
Zivot je stari kučkin brat,
Sve manje sa njim vodim rat,
Jer sve mi vise liči na pesčani sat.
U svakom zrnu neki dan
U svakom danu neki san
I 'keep on smiling'.
Neću da o tom pisem roman
K'o svaki prosečan grandoman,
Biću srećan ako zavrsim svoj stih.
Jer sati i minuti nisu čuli
Za slow motion.
Od Mure pa do Morave
Neka me svi zaborave
Ako uopste ikom ista značim,
Sad samo gruba pameti
Stizu mi strasni saveti
Al' ja bi da prozivim na svoj način.
Odlaze zadnji vozovi biraju ljude lozovi
I sve u svemu nemam lepe reci
Al' ja bi bas u ime tog
Jos jednu popio
I tesko da će neko da me spreči.
Od Mure pa do Morave neka me svi zaborave
Al' ja bi da proživim na svoj način.
Odlaze zadnji vozovi biraju ljude lozovi
I sve u svemu nemam lepe reči.
Sad samo gruba pameti
Stižu mi strasni saveti
Al' ja bi da proživim na svoj način.
The lyrics of "Slow motion" by Đorđe Balašević talk about life and the way one experiences it. The first verses describe life as an old dog's son, an overused Hollywood film, and a constant struggle between oneself and it. Everybody develops their own roles in life, and sometimes they wear masks or pretend to be someone else to fit in or hide their true feelings. The singer, however, is not like that, he is an original character who follows his own path, with its own slow pace, without a stunt double but with his own technical knowledge that helps him survive in this setting.
The chorus repeats the theme of the importance of living life one's way, even if everyone forgets you after you're gone. Despite receiving plenty of unsolicited advice, the singer is determined to enjoy his life, have one more drink, and continue to "keep on smiling." He doesn't care if people choose him or not because he knows what he wants and he's content with his choices. The last verse wraps up the song, emphasizing the fleeting nature of life, how time flies by, and how it's essential to enjoy every moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Život je stari kučkin sin,
Life is an old dog's son,
Stalno se raspravljam sa njim,
I'm constantly arguing with it,
Život je ofucani holivudski film.
Life is a worn-out Hollywood movie.
Svi smo mi malo dramili, ćutali il' galamili,
We've all had moments of drama, silence, or yelling,
U tom spekatklu.
In that spectacle.
Neki su rodjeni za maske,
Some are born to wear masks,
Neki statiraju do daske,
Some play their parts until the end,
Ja sam pozitivno-negativan lik,
I'm a positive-negative character,
I kao svi iz stare skole radim sve
And like everyone from the old school, I do everything
Slow motion.
in Slow Motion.
Igram bez dublera, sve sam,
I play without a double, it's just me,
Sto nije prakticno to znam
I know it's not practical,
Pomalo sniram, po malo briljiram
I'm a bit of a director, a bit of a star,
Partner sam raznim licima
I act alongside various types,
Zvezdama, naivcima
Stars, naive people,
U tom spektaklu.
In that spectacle.
Mozda i nisam neki biser
Maybe I'm not a diamond,
Ali sam barem svoj režiser,
But at least I'm my own director,
Sam za sebe smisljam zaplete i kraj
I come up with my own twists and endings,
Koristeci uglavnom laku tehniku
Using mostly simple techniques,
Slow motion.
Slow Motion.
Od Mure pa do Morave
From the Mura to the Morava,
Neka me svi zaborave
Let everyone forget me,
Ako uopste ikom ista značim,
If I mean anything to anyone at all,
Sad samo gruba pameti
Now only harsh advice
Stižu mi strasni saveti
And terrible advice comes my way,
Al' ja bi da proživim na svoj način.
But I want to live life my own way.
Odlaze zadnji vozovi, biraju ljude lozovi,
The last trains depart, picking random people,
I sve u svemu nemam lepe reči,
And all in all, I have no kind words,
Al' ja bi bas u ime tog
But for that reason,
Jos jednu popio
I'll have one more drink
I tesko da ce neko da me spreči.
And it's hard to stop me.
Zivot je stari kučkin brat,
Life is an old dog's brother,
Sve manje sa njim vodim rat,
I'm fighting with it less and less,
Jer sve mi vise liči na pesčani sat.
Because it increasingly looks like an hourglass.
U svakom zrnu neki dan
In every grain, there's a day,
U svakom danu neki san
In every day, there's a dream,
I 'keep on smiling'.
And 'keep on smiling'.
Neću da o tom pisem roman,
I don't want to write a novel about it,
K'o svaki prosečan grandoman,
Like every average big shot,
Biću srećan ako zavrsim svoj stih.
I'll be happy if I finish this verse.
Jer sati i minuti nisu čuli
Because hours and minutes haven't heard of
Za slow motion.
Slow Motion.
Od Mure pa do Morave
From the Mura to the Morava,
Neka me svi zaborave
Let everyone forget me,
Al' ja bi da proživim na svoj način.
But I want to live life my own way.
Odlaze zadnji vozovi biraju ljude lozovi
The last trains depart, picking random people,
I sve u svemu nemam lepe reči
And all in all, I have no kind words,
Al' ja bi bas u ime tog
But for that reason,
Jos jednu popio
I'll have one more drink
I tesko da će neko da me spreči.
And it's hard to stop me.
Od Mure pa do Morave neka me svi zaborave
From the Mura to the Morava, let everyone forget me,
Al' ja bi da proživim na svoj način.
But I want to live life my own way.
Odlaze zadnji vozovi biraju ljude lozovi
The last trains depart, picking random people,
I sve u svemu nemam lepe reči.
And all in all, I have no kind words.
Sad samo gruba pameti
Now only harsh advice
Stizu mi strasni saveti
And terrible advice comes my way,
Al' ja bi da proživim na svoj način.
But I want to live life my own way.
Contributed by Violet D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@AlenBBB
Odlaze zadnji vozovi, biraju ljude lozovi,
i sve u svemu nemam lepe reci,
al' ja bi bas u ime tog
jos jednu popio
i tesko da ce neko da me spreci.
Zivot je stari kuckin brat,
sve manje sa njim vodim rat,
jer sve mi vise lici na pescani sat.
U svakom zrnu neki dan
u svakom danu neki san
i 'keep on smiling'.
@toske73
Život je stari kučkin sin, stalno se raspravljam sa njim,
život je ofucani Holivudski film.
Svi smo mi malo dramili,
ćutali il' galamili, u tom spektaklu.
Neki su rođeni za maske, neki statiraju do daske,
ja sam pozitivno-negativan tip,
i kao svi iz stare škole radim sve "slow motion".
Igram bez dublera, sve sam, što nije praktično, to znam,
pomalo šmiram, pomalo briljiram,
partner sam raznim licima,
zvezdama i naivcima, u tom spektaklu.
Možda i nisam neki biser, ali sam barem svoj režiser,
sam za sebe smišljam zaplete i kraj.
Koristeći uglavnom laku tehniku "slow motion".
Od Mure pa do Morave neka me svi zaborave,
ako uopšte ikom išta značim.
Sa samog ruba pameti stižu mi strašni saveti,
al' ja bi da proživim na svoj način.
Odlaze zadnji vozovi, biraju ljude lozovi,
i sve u svemu nemam lepe reči.
Al' ja bi baš u ime to još jednu popio
i teško da će neko da me spreči.
Život je stari kučkin brat, sve manje sa njim vodim rat.
I sve mi više liči na peščani sat.
U svakom zrnu neki dan,
u svakom danu neki san i "keep on smiling".
Neću da o tom pišem roman, k'o svaki prosečan grandoman,
biću srećan ako dovršim svoj stih.
Jer sati i minuti nisu čuli za "slow motion".
Od Mure pa do Morave neka me svi zaborave...
Odlaze zadnji vozovi, biraju ljude lozovi,
i sve u svemu nemam lepe reči.
Al' ja bi baš u ime to jos jednu popio
i teško da će neko da me spreči.
Od Mure pa do Morave neka me svi zaborave,
al' ja bi da proživim na svoj način.
Odlaze zadnji vozovi, biraju ljude lozovi...
Sa samog ruba pameti stižu mi strašni saveti,
al' ja bi da proživim na svoj način.
@oljadjordjevic5380
Kako vreme odmice, sve vise falis ovim ludom naordu. Znaj, nosimo te do kraja zivota u svojim srcima. Naucicu svoju decu svim tvojim divnim pesmama, pa nek se prenosi sa kolena na koleno, jer ipak ti si nas zauvek.
@evapolanc3436
Genialno!
Dragi Đole, pocivaj nad zvezdami! Toliko lepega si nam dal!
@themrmot321
Od Mure pa do Morave,
tesko ce da te zaborave
Jer svima puno znacis!
@Rade74
Uffffff kako lepa pesma.pozdrav iz Postojne za Novi Sad,najlepši grad na Svetu,pozdrav za ravnicu,žitna polja,dunavske alase.
@jasnaercegovac2111
I od mene pozdrav👍
@brankopotocnjak6957
EEEEEE Dobri naš Đole.Svaka pesma mu je sadrzajnija od knjige.A i filma.
@tine3699
Imao sam tu cast da upoznam tog velokog umetnika u mom rodnom gradu - Mariboru. Preprosto - on je jedan od velikih, najvecih!!! 💥💥💥
@anicaabramovic325
Predivno....predivno,pa kako bi te mogli zaboravit?♥️💔😪
@jasnaercegovac2111
"Sa samog ruba pameti...." baš tako👍🌹pozdrav svim Balaševićima❤
@jasnaercegovac2111
Hvala, lijepi pozdrav iz Vinkovaca🍷