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)
Zostaw to
Armia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
wciąż w miejscu ciągle tkwisz
upadasz wciąż na duchu, nie możesz zrobić nic
im tylko o to chodzi
abyś nie wierzył w nic
byś stał się niewolnikiem
a potem jednym z nich
zostaw to zostaw to
Są mosty całkiem puste
i nieprzytomny skok
są miasta samotności
i ręce, drżenia rąk
są słowa i są noże
pochody szarych dni
jest echo twoich kroków
i kropla twojej krwi
zostaw to zostaw to
zostaw to zostaw to
Po polach przyszłych bitew
wałęsa się twój cień
po zakazanych placach
majaczy straszny sen
za wszelką cenę pragniesz
rozdwajać się na pół
jak ślepiec zgubisz drogi
jak ślepiec wpadniesz w dół
zostaw to zostaw to
zostaw to zostaw to
hej!
zostaw to zostaw to
zostaw to zostaw to
zostaw to zostaw to
zostaw to
The lyrics of "Zostaw to" by Armia describe a feeling of being stuck in one's own thoughts without being able to take action. The lyrics suggest that there are external forces that want to manipulate and control the singer, urging them not to believe in anything and become enslaved. The refrain "zostaw to" (leave it) appears multiple times throughout the song, as if to encourage the singer to let go of their worries and concerns that are causing them to feel trapped.
The second verse of the song moves towards describing the bleakness of the world the singer is living in. There are empty bridges, a sense of numbness and loneliness in the cities, and the threat of violence with knives and marches. The lyrics describe the echoes of the singer's footsteps and even drops of their blood, suggesting that the singer is moving through life but not necessarily in a safe or stable way.
The final verse describes the singer wandering through fields of future battles and forbidden places, haunted by a frightening dream. The imagery of the singer wanting to split in half at any cost suggests a desire to escape from their own skin or reality. The song ends with a repeated chant of "zostaw to" which could be interpreted either as a final plea to let go of the worries or as a warning against the consequences of not doing so.
Overall, "Zostaw to" by Armia is a song that depicts the struggle of feeling trapped and the importance of letting go of the things that weigh one down.
Line by Line Meaning
W zamęcie swoich myśli
In the turmoil of your thoughts
wciąż w miejscu ciągle tkwisz
You're still stuck in one place
upadasz wciąż na duchu, nie możesz zrobić nic
You keep falling spiritually, unable to do anything
im tylko o to chodzi
That's all they want
abyś nie wierzył w nic
For you to believe in nothing
byś stał się niewolnikiem
So you'll become a slave
a potem jednym z nich
And then you'll become one of them
zostaw to zostaw to
Leave it, leave it
Są mosty całkiem puste
The bridges are completely empty
i nieprzytomny skok
And an unconscious leap
są miasta samotności
There are cities of loneliness
i ręce, drżenia rąk
And hands, trembling hands
są słowa i są noże
There are words and there are knives
pochody szarych dni
Marches of gray days
jest echo twoich kroków
There's an echo of your steps
i kropla twojej krwi
And a drop of your blood
Po polach przyszłych bitew
Across the fields of future battles
wałęsa się twój cień
Your shadow wanders
po zakazanych placach
Over forbidden places
majaczy straszny sen
A scary dream hallucinates
za wszelką cenę pragniesz
At any cost you desire
rozdwajać się na pół
To split in half
jak ślepiec zgubisz drogi
Like a blind person, you'll lose your way
jak ślepiec wpadniesz w dół
Like a blind person, you'll fall down
hej!
Hey!
zostaw to zostaw to
Leave it, leave it
zostaw to zostaw to
Leave it, leave it
zostaw to zostaw to
Leave it, leave it
Contributed by Jordan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Paweł Tulski
Dzięki za wrzutę. Najlepsza muza w niepowtarzalnym klimacie. Trzeba mieć siwą brodę żeby wiedzieć jaka to wtedy była petarda. I jak wglądał na żywo ten moment, gdy zaczynali grać ten kawałek w Jarocinie.
Punk
Jak człowiek był młody to nie zwracał uwagi na takie potknięcia: "Wciąż w miejscu ciągle tkwisz" :D
Andrzej Bieniek
Cała Ekipa z Strzelec Opolskich jeździła na Jarocin ARMIA w starym składzie
Paweł Ulas
zostaw to najlepszy utwór ARMI
Alberto Ramirez
Najgorsze jest to że ta muzyka nigdy nie wróci
2REK
I co niby ten komentarz ma powiedzieć? "Kiedyś to było"?
Armia gra nadal, Budzy wypuszcza nowe kawałki, jest też masa dobrej muzyki od innych zespołów. Wystarczy poszukać trochę głębiej niż mainstream.
Regular Bloke
teraz masz lepszą ! HA HA
Tryton Ob
A gdzieś poszła? Jest z nami. Urodzeni w latach 70 , my kolaboranci.
Mariusz Badyna
Kocham Armię od dawna. To wspaniałe, że są z nami tyle lat.
kazeciarz
Kurwa