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)
To moja zemsta
Armia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tu mnie wrzucono
Pewnego dnia
By żywcem zjeść
By pić moją krew
Nie jestem stąd
Tu mnie zabito
By zabić znów
By pić moją krew
Nie jestem stąd
Tu moje życie
Jest nieobecne
Prawdziwa miłość
Jest niepodobna
Tu mnie wrzucono
Bym sam na sam
Na resztę świata
Zupełnie sam
Słuchajcie więc
To moja pieśń
Moja herezja
To moja zemsta
To moja walka
Moja nadzieja
Że nie jestem stąd
Nie z tego świata
Słuchajcie więc
To moja pieśń
Moja herezja,
To moja zemsta.
The lyrics to Armia's song "To moja zemsta" convey a sense of alienation and isolation from the world. The singer is not from this world, they have been thrown into it against their will to be consumed and have their blood drunk. They have died and been killed again, and their life here is absent of true love. The singer is alone in the world, thrown into it to be completely and utterly alone for the rest of their days.
The singer's only solace in this life is their song, their heresy, their revenge, their fight, and their hope. The song conveys a sense of defiance and determination in the face of an uncaring and cruel world. The singer's heresy is their rejection of the norms and values of the world they have been thrown into, their revenge is their desire to fight against those who would consume them, and their fight is their determination to survive in a world that wants to destroy them. Through their song, the singer finds hope in the possibility that they are not from this world, that they belong somewhere else, and that they are not alone in their struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
Nie jestem stąd
I am not from here
Tu mnie wrzucono
I was thrown here
Pewnego dnia
One day
By żywcem zjeść
To be eaten alive
By pić moją krew
To drink my blood
Tu mnie zabito
I was killed here
By zabić znów
To kill again
Tu moje życie
My life is here
Jest nieobecne
It is absent
Prawdziwa miłość
True love
Jest niepodobna
Is unlike
Tu mnie wrzucono
I was thrown here
Bym sam na sam
To be alone
Na resztę świata
For the rest of the world
Zupełnie sam
Completely alone
Słuchajcie więc
So listen
To moja pieśń
This is my song
Moja herezja
My heresy
To moja zemsta
This is my revenge
To moja walka
This is my fight
Moja nadzieja
My hope
Że nie jestem stąd
That I am not from here
Nie z tego świata
Not from this world
To moja pieśń
This is my song
Moja herezja,
My heresy
To moja zemsta.
This is my revenge.
Contributed by Alexis D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mikolaj Kunicki
Piekna gnoza poezji Budzynskiego. A sama muzyka to marzenie, kumulacja ich fascynacji oraz niesamowitego uniesienia. Dla mnie to najlepszy utwor na plycie. Slucham od 28 lat. Rocznik 1969.
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Reid Tommy
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Sławetny Słodziak
Niepowtarzalna płyta. Urzekający utwór.
aleksandra19761
Tu mnie wrzucono pewnego dnia
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_Bartosz digitalfriend
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