Armia were formed in 1984, as a result of the meeting of three personalitie… Read Full Bio ↴Armia were formed in 1984, as a result of the meeting of three personalities of the Polish independent rock scene: Tomasz Budzyński (then the lead singer of the famous Siekiera), guitarist Robert Brylewski (Kryzys, Brygada Kryzys and Izrael) and philosopher Sławomir Gołaszewski, at the time linked to the paratheatrical quest of Jerzy Grotowski. The traditional rock line-up of the group was complemented by a brass section at the very beginning, but it was the moment when Krzysztof „Banan” Banasik joined that proved to be the breakthrough for the band. His French horn provided Armia with the unusual trademark sound.
Out of the dozen plus records Armia have released, „Legenda” (1990) and „Triodante” (1994) are widely regarded as classic Polish rock gems. The band have established their position with hundreds of concerts (with Killing Joke and New Model Army among others) and by appearing at many prestigious festivals in and outside Poland. Their concert activity is documented on such albums as „Exodus” (1991), „Soul Side Story” (2000), „Koncert na 20-lecie” (2006), and „Przystanek Woodstock 2004” (2007).
In 2006 the band released a live DVD called „Koncert na 20-lecie”, which documents the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the band’s formation. Among the guest stars are Kazik Staszewski of Kult, Moskwa, as well as former members Darek Malejonek and Sławek Gołaszewski (with his band Asunta). The 35-song track list includes some legendary Siekiera songs, with an over-an-hour long interview with Tomasz Budzyński added as a bonus.
Over the twenty years of the band’s career, its line-up consisted of many outstanding and distinguished figures of Polish rock music. The Armia of now are: Tomasz Budzyński (voice), Tomasz Krzyżaniak (drums), Krzysztof Kmiecik (bass), Paweł Klimczak (guitar), Rafał Giec (guitar), and Jakub Bartoszewski (French horn).
The power of Armia lies in the combination of Tomasz Budzyński’s poetry with the music which is at the same time sophisticated and expressive, and which merges elements of rock, folk, and even classical music. The use of the unusual instruments for today’s rock standards, such as French horn, flute, cello or violin, renders the band offer unique and guarantees them a special place on the Polish rock scene. Armia remains a band whose original music is not to be pigeonholed. The lyrics abound with references to outstanding works of the world’s literature such as Dante’s „ Divine Comedy” or poems by Samuel Beckett and Artur Rimbaud, as well as Franz Kafka novels, which again makes Armia sensational on a worldwide scale. Tomasz Budzyński’s lyrics call for a serious reflection upon the spiritual condition of man today. The band try to provide the listeners with more than mere entertainment, through their art inviting them to make an existential quest for the meaning of life.
2009 is special in the history of the band, as by the end of November they will have released two brilliant (and so different) records in one year. In February, “der Prozess” was out, another concept-album in Armia’s discography. The very title suggest the link with Franz Kafka’s masterpiece, an inspiration which Tomasz Budzyński does not deny. The album is not an illustration of the book, however, but an individual glance at the existential tragedy of each human being, coloured by the references to Kierkegaard philosophy. Most personal lyrics combined with the aggressive and complex music bring a really stunning effect. Six compositions by Paweł Klimczak make a sophisticated suite with a unique combination of hardcore stylistics with elements of jazz and even the modern avant-garde classical music. The wall of guitars, the fantastic drumming from Tomasz Krzyżaniak and Banan’s fairytale French horn make an uncanny background for the powerful vocals of Tom with theatrical touches.
Yet at the moment Armia have just finished working at the brand new album called „Freak”, which is to be released on 20 November 2009, by Isound Labels. Sensationally, founder members Robert Brylewski and Sławomir Gołaszewski took part in the session. Apart from the characteristic psychedelic guitars by Afa and the magic instruments by Merlin, the album features some free-jazz saxophones by Marek Pospieszalski and Łukasz Kluczniak (who has already contributed to the band’s concerts), as well as the otherworldly accordion from Karol Nowacki and some backing vocals from Gerard Nowak of The Soundrops. The album is produced by Tomasz Budzyński and the material has been recorded at Robert Lica Friedrich’s studio in Puszczykowo near Poznań.
“Freak”, which little resembles the monumental sound of “der Prozess”, comes as a complete stylistic shift for Armia. The fact that all the tracks are sung by Tomasz Budzyński in English only adds to the novelty of the album.

Armia’s discography:

AntiArmia (1987)
Legenda (1990)
Exodus (1991)
Czas i byt (1992)
Triodante (1994)
Duch (1996)
Droga (1999)
Soul Side Story (2000)
Pocałunek Mongolskiego Księcia (2003)
Ultima Thule (2005)
Koncert na 20-lecie (DVD, 2005)
Przystanek Woodstock 2004 (2006)
Der Prozess (2009)
Freak (2009)

Kochaj mnie
Armia Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ojciec, Syn i Duch
Zamknięci na klucz
A okna i drzwi
Z ciała i krwi
Wszystko w szumie fal
Wszystko w oczach psa
w mistycznym ciele
To w pijanym śnie

Każdy bawić się chce
Każdy cieszyć się chce
Kto ma płakać więc
Nie dostrzega się łez
woła świat, cały świat
Kochaj mnie
Kochaj mnie
Kochaj

Komuś bardzo źle
Więc patrzy na drzwi
I nie otworzy nie nikt
Dlaczego nie
Ktoś biedny i sam
Kto chleba mu da
Więc słuszny gniew
Zaciskaj pięść

Każdy bawić się chce
Każdy cieszyć się chce
Kto ma płakać więc
Nie dostrzega się łez
woła świat, cały świat
Kochaj mnie
Kochaj mnie
Kochaj

Ojciec, Syn i Duch
Zamknięci na klucz
A okna i drzwi
Z ciała i krwi
Wszystko w szumie fal
Wszystko w oczach psa
w mistycznym ciele
To w pijanym śnie

Każdy bawić się chce
Każdy cieszyć się chce
Kto ma płakać więc
Nie dostrzega się łez
woła świat, cały świat
Kochaj mnie
Kochaj mnie
Kochaj

Dane nam jest
Wielkie zło
i wielkie dobro
Dane nam jest
Wielkie miasto
Pustynia
i jak ogromna łza
Chorągiew powiewa nad nami
i jak ogromna łza
Chorągiew powiewa nad nami
Chorągiew powiewa nad nami

Chorągiew powiewa nad nami
Chorągiew powiewa nad nami

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of the song "Kochaj mnie" by Armia is a powerful metaphor for a spiritually and emotionally suffocating environment. The three locked elements – father, son, and spirit – are symbolic of the Holy Trinity, a representation of a higher power, but here they are portrayed as inaccessible and trapped. The windows and doors are made of flesh and blood, representing the literal or figurative barriers to escape, an oppressive situation that feels like being condemned in a flood of noise and motion. The singer sees all of this as the mystical body of a dog in a drunken sleep. One can infer that this animal symbolizes the suffering, or the innocents, stuck in the system.

The chorus, "Każdy bawić się chce, każdy cieszyć się chce, kto ma płakać więc, nie dostrzega się łez, woła świat, cały świat, kochaj mnie, kochaj mnie, kochaj," translates to "Everyone wants to have fun, everyone wants to be happy. Whoever has to cry, doesn't notice the tears. The world cries, the whole world cries. Love me, love me, love me." It reflects the universal desire for love and connection, the need to feel seen and recognized, and the fear of being isolated in times of crisis. The lyrics suggest that the only way to choose life over despair is to open oneself up to love and hope.

Line by Line Meaning

Ojciec, Syn i Duch
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Zamknięci na klucz
Locked away

A okna i drzwi
And the windows and doors

Z ciała i krwi
Made of flesh and blood

Wszystko w szumie fal
All in the sound of waves

Wszystko w oczach psa
All in a dog's eyes

w mistycznym ciele
In a mystical body

To w pijanym śnie
It's in a drunken dream

Każdy bawić się chce
Everyone wants to have fun

Każdy cieszyć się chce
Everyone wants to be happy

Kto ma płakać więc
So who should cry