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)
Utopía
Armia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Poza tym wszystko tutaj jest
Kupno i sprzedaż, ręka i czoło
Spotkanie na samym dnie
Może tam mieszka jakieś licho
Co dorabia sobie we śnie
Straszniejsze niż go malują
Swe pocałunki ku tobie już śle
Welcome to the Death Television
Człowiek spotęgowany przez człowieka
Człowiek pomnożony przez człowieka
Czy nic plus nic równa się człowiek
Swój do swego po swoje
Jak zawsze z tobą i z nim
Z największym rozczarowaniem
Istnieć czy nie istnieć ale być
Berlin, Amsterdam, letnie kazanie
Nic a nic nikomu nie pisnę
Nikomu nie powiem o tym, że
Ta barbi ciągle się garbi
Pokątnie żyje i tyje
Special guest star: Sister Death
Człowiek spotęgowany przez człowieka
Człowiek pomnożony przez człowieka
Czy nic plus nic równa się człowiek
Swój do swego po swoje
In this episode I'm gonna die
I'm gonna die
I'm gonna die
Jaśniejsze niż tysiąc słońc
Jaśniejsze niż tysiąc słońc
Nasze piosenki są o niczym
Ja tu pracuję i śmieję się do łez
Może i żyję a jakbym był umarły
Ja nie kocham nikogo, robię co chcę
Obyś był zimny lub gorący
Moje największe rozczarowanie
Znowu ktoś puka do moich drzwi
To jest spotkanie na samym dnie
Welcome welcome welcome
Człowiek spotęgowany przez człowieka
Człowiek pomnożony przez człowieka
Czy nic plus nic równa się człowiek
Swój do swego po swoje
A ja się tego bardzo boję
The song Utopia by Armia is a critique of the modern society's obsession with profit and commerce. The lyrics describe a city devoid of any cemetery, where everything is reduced to buying and selling, and people are nothing more than commodities, used and discarded like objects. The first stanza implies that the city is a place of intense greed where people are willing to do anything for money, even if it means selling their souls or engaging in immoral acts.
The second stanza brings in the concept of death and the impact that humans have on each other. The lyrics suggest that humans multiply each other, but in doing so, they create a society in which there is little value placed on individual life. The song also talks about the transience of life, where everything, including people, comes and goes without making an impact.
The chorus "Człowiek spotęgowany przez człowieka, Człowiek pomnożony przez człowieka, Czy nic plus nic równa się człowiek, Swój do swego po swoje" can be interpreted as the objectification of human beings in modern societies. The lyrics suggest that instead of valuing people as unique individuals with their own sets of strengths and weaknesses, people are seen as nothing more than tools for others to use and abuse. The song underscores the theme of moral decay in modern societies and the need to focus on more meaningful values than just money.
Line by Line Meaning
W tym mieście nie ma cmentarza
This city has no cemetery
Poza tym wszystko tutaj jest
Besides that, everything else is here
Kupno i sprzedaż, ręka i czoło
Buying and selling, hand and forehead
Spotkanie na samym dnie
Meeting at the very bottom
Może tam mieszka jakieś licho
Maybe some demon lives there
Co dorabia sobie we śnie
Earning a living in their dreams
Straszniejsze niż go malują
Scarier than it is painted
Swe pocałunki ku tobie już śle
Sending their kisses to you
Człowiek spotęgowany przez człowieka
Man magnified by man
Człowiek pomnożony przez człowieka
Man multiplied by man
Czy nic plus nic równa się człowiek
Is nothing plus nothing equal to man?
Swój do swego po swoje
Your own to your own for yourself
Jak zawsze z tobą i z nim
As always with you and him
Z największym rozczarowaniem
With the biggest disappointment
Istnieć czy nie istnieć ale być
To exist or not to exist but to be
Berlin, Amsterdam, letnie kazanie
Berlin, Amsterdam, summer preaching
Nic a nic nikomu nie pisnę
Not a single thing will I tell anyone
Nikomu nie powiem o tym, że
I won't tell anyone that
Ta barbi ciągle się garbi
This Barbie is constantly hunching
Pokątnie żyje i tyje
Living and getting fat in secret
In this episode I'm gonna die
In this episode, I'm going to die
Jaśniejsze niż tysiąc słońc
Brighter than a thousand suns
Nasze piosenki są o niczym
Our songs are about nothing
Ja tu pracuję i śmieję się do łez
I work here and laugh until I cry
Może i żyję a jakbym był umarły
Maybe I'm alive, but I feel dead
Ja nie kocham nikogo, robię co chcę
I don't love anyone, I do what I want
Obyś był zimny lub gorący
I wish you were either cold or hot
Znowu ktoś puka do moich drzwi
Someone is knocking on my door again
To jest spotkanie na samym dnie
This is a meeting at the very bottom
A ja się tego bardzo boję
And I'm very afraid of that
Contributed by Taylor H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.