Pluwatsch was born to German parents, her father is Uve Müllrich (German krautrockers Embryo's bassist and Dissidenten founder) and is well-travelled, having lived in Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan and South Africa. She attended schools in Goa, Bangalore, Lagos, Portugal, Seattle, Durban and Capetown.
She studied music in Prague. Her relationship with Asia remains a the main theme of her poetry. She has performed spoken word poetry on several projects, including Transglobal Underground's "Instinctive Traveller" and South African Zulu Nation's "Bubblegum". She has also performed with Noujum Oazza and his band Urban Dervish, and for the Royal Moroccan Orchestra. In recent years, her role has moved from poet to singer. Her voice is described as jazz/soul and she has appeared on a number of chill out and electronic dance tracks. Bajka appeared on several tracks on Bonobo's third album, Days To Come. She also appeared on Radio Citizen's only album, Berlin Serengetti.
The Beaver's Lesson
Bajka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And they knew that some danger was near:
The Beaver turned pale to the tip of its tail,
And even the Butcher felt queer.
"The thing can be done," said the Butcher, "I think.
The thing must be done, I am sure.
The thing shall be done! Bring me paper and ink,
The Beaver brought paper, portfolio, pens,
And ink in unfailing supplies:
While strange creepy creatures came out of their dens,
And watched them with wondering eyes.
"You boil it in sawdust: you salt it in glue:
You condense it with locusts and tape:
Still keeping one principal object in view--
To preserve its symmetrical shape."
"Taking Three as the subject to reason about--
A convenient number to state--
We add Seven, and Ten, and then multiply out
By One Thousand diminished by Eight.
"The result we proceed to divide, as you see,
By Nine Hundred and Ninety Two:
Then subtract Seventeen, and the answer must be
Exactly and perfectly true.
Exactly and perfectly true.
"You boil it in sawdust: you salt it in glue:
You condense it with locusts and tape:
Still keeping one principal object in view--
To preserve its symmetrical shape."
"You boil it in sawdust: you salt it in glue:
To preserve its symmetrical shape."
Still keeping one principal object in view--
You condense it with locusts and tape
"The method employed I would gladly explain,
While I have it so clear in my head,
If I had but the time and you had but the brain--
But much yet remains to be said.
"In one moment I've seen what has hitherto been
Enveloped in absolute mystery,
And without extra charge I will give you at large
A Lesson in Natural History."
"You boil it in sawdust: you salt it in glue:
You condense it with locusts and tape:
Still keeping one principal object in view--
To preserve its symmetrical shape."
"You boil it in sawdust: you salt it in glue:
To preserve its symmetrical shape."
Still keeping one principal object in view--
You condense it with locusts and tape
Such friends, are the two in this story became,
Have seldom if ever been known;
In winter or summer, 'twas always the same--
You could never meet either alone.
Such friends, are the two in this story became,
Have seldom if ever been known;
In winter or summer, 'twas always the same--
You could never meet either alone.
The song "The Beaver's Lesson" by Bajka tells the story of two unlikely friends, the Butcher and the Beaver, who are faced with a sudden danger. In the face of this danger, the Butcher becomes determined to do something about it and declares that the "thing can be done." The Butcher then asks the Beaver for paper, pens, and ink to help him with a plan to overcome the danger. The Beaver obliges and even brings extra supplies, which attracts the attention of strange creatures who come out of their dens to watch.
As the Butcher works on his plan, he uses confusing and convoluted language to explain it, involving boiling, salting, and condensing various materials to preserve a symmetrical shape. He even uses a complicated mathematical formula involving the number Three, Seven, Ten, and One Thousand diminished by Eight, to arrive at an "exact and perfect" solution. However, the Butcher admits that he cannot fully explain the method employed and offers to give a lesson in natural history instead.
Throughout the story, the friendship between the Butcher and the Beaver is evident. They are always seen together, whether in winter or summer, and are both affected by the danger that looms over them. Despite their differences, they work together to overcome it, showing the power of unlikely friendships.
Line by Line Meaning
Then a scream, shrill and high, rent the shuddering sky,
A loud, high-pitched scream echoed through the sky, causing fear and anxiety to those who heard it.
And they knew that some danger was near:
The scream signaled the presence of danger and alerted the group to be on high alert.
The Beaver turned pale to the tip of its tail,
The Beaver was frightened and anxious about the potential danger, as evidenced by its physical reaction.
And even the Butcher felt queer.
Even the Butcher felt uneasy and unsure about the situation at hand.
"The thing can be done," said the Butcher, "I think.
Despite the danger, the Butcher believed they could still proceed with their planned task.
The thing must be done, I am sure.
The Butcher was determined to complete the task, even in the face of danger.
The thing shall be done! Bring me paper and ink,
The Butcher demanded the necessary supplies to complete the task, showing his commitment to it.
The best there is time to procure."
The Butcher wanted the highest quality supplies available to ensure the best outcome for their task.
The Beaver brought paper, portfolio, pens,
The Beaver responded to the Butcher's request and gathered the supplies needed.
And ink in unfailing supplies:
The Beaver ensured that they had enough ink to complete the task without running out.
While strange creepy creatures came out of their dens,
Other creatures were watching from a distance as the group carried out their task.
And watched them with wondering eyes.
These creatures were curious about what the group was doing and watched in awe.
"You boil it in sawdust: you salt it in glue:
The Butcher began to explain the process of completing their task, providing specific instructions for how to do it.
You condense it with locusts and tape:
The Butcher continued to provide detailed instructions on how to accomplish the task, using unconventional materials.
Still keeping one principal object in view--
Despite the complexity of the process, the Butcher emphasized the importance of maintaining a specific goal.
To preserve its symmetrical shape."
The primary objective of their task was to maintain the symmetrical shape of the object.
"Taking Three as the subject to reason about--
The Butcher shifted the focus of his instruction to specific numbers and reasoning with them.
A convenient number to state--
The Butcher chose the number three as it is an easy number to work with in this context.
We add Seven, and Ten, and then multiply out
The Butcher provided specific mathematical steps to take in order to complete the task.
By One Thousand diminished by Eight.
The Butcher added another specific mathematical step to complete the process.
The result we proceed to divide, as you see,
The Butcher explained the next step in the process, including demonstrating and pointing out the details.
By Nine Hundred and Ninety Two:
The Butcher's instructions included very precise measurements and calculations.
Then subtract Seventeen, and the answer must be
The Butcher emphasized the need to be precise and to carry out each step correctly to achieve the desired outcome.
Exactly and perfectly true.
The final product had to be precise and perfect in order to meet their standards.
"The method employed I would gladly explain,
The Butcher was eager to share his method and explain the reasoning behind it.
While I have it so clear in my head,
The Butcher was confident in his ability to teach and share this method.
If I had but the time and you had but the brain--
The Butcher lamented that he may not have enough time to fully explain the process or that others may not have the capacity to understand it fully.
But much yet remains to be said.
Despite some limitations, the Butcher still had more to share with the group and was determined to do so.
In one moment I've seen what has hitherto been
The Butcher had a moment of clarity and insight that allowed him to understand something he had not previously comprehended.
Enveloped in absolute mystery,
The thing the Butcher learned was previously not understood and seemed to be shrouded in mystery.
And without extra charge I will give you at large
The Butcher was willing to share this newfound knowledge with the group without asking for anything in return.
A Lesson in Natural History."
The Butcher was prepared to give the group a lesson in the natural world, sharing his knowledge on this subject.
"Such friends, are the two in this story became,
The story concludes by noting the close friendship that developed between the Butcher and the Beaver.
Have seldom if ever been known;
Their friendship was unique and special, not often seen or experienced.
In winter or summer, 'twas always the same--
Their friendship remained constant and strong through all seasons.
You could never meet either alone.
The two were always together and could never be found alone, demonstrating the depth of their friendship.
Contributed by Zoe L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sintra Kano
Then a scream, shrill and high, rent the shuddering sky
And they knew that some danger was near:
The Beaver turned pale to the tip of its tail
And even the Butcher felt queer
"The thing can be done," said the Butcher, "I think
The thing must be done, I am sure
The thing shall be done! Bring me paper and ink
The best there is time to procure."
The Beaver brought paper, portfolio, pens
And ink in unfailing supplies:
While strange creepy creatures came out of their dens
And watched them with wondering eyes
"You boil it in sawdust: you salt it in glue:
You condense it with locusts and tape:
Still keeping one principal object in view--
To preserve its symmetrical shape."
"Taking Three as the subject to reason about--
A convenient number to state--
We add Seven, and Ten, and then multiply out
By One Thousand diminished by Eight
"The result we proceed to divide, as you see
By Nine Hundred and Ninety Two:
Then subtract Seventeen, and the answer must be
Exactly and perfectly true
Exactly and perfectly true
"You boil it in sawdust: you salt it in glue:
You condense it with locusts and tape:
Still keeping one principal object in view--
To preserve its symmetrical shape."
"You boil it in sawdust: you salt it in glue:
To preserve its symmetrical shape."
Still keeping one principal object in view--
You condense it with locusts and tape
"The method employed I would gladly explain
While I have it so clear in my head
If I had but the time and you had but the brain--
But much yet remains to be said
"In one moment I've seen what has hitherto been
Enveloped in absolute mystery
And without extra charge I will give you at large
A Lesson in Natural History."
"You boil it in sawdust: you salt it in glue:
You condense it with locusts and tape:
Still keeping one principal object in view--
To preserve its symmetrical shape."
"You boil it in sawdust: you salt it in glue:
To preserve its symmetrical shape."
Still keeping one principal object in view--
You condense it with locusts and tape
Such friends, are the two in this story became
Have seldom if ever been known;
In winter or summer, 'twas always the same--
You could never meet either alone
Such friends, are the two in this story became
Have seldom if ever been known;
In winter or summer, 'twas always the same--
You could never meet either alone