In March 1988 the student club Balbina housed the first show of Big Cyc, called "Uroczysta akademia na cześć 75-lecia wynalezienia damskiego biustonosza" (A solemn ceremony to celebrate the 75th anniversary of invention of women's brassiere). Big Cyc made successive songs, and in 1990 they published their first album, "Z partyjnym pozdrowieniem". The album became a hit in Poland and in short time Big Cyc became well-known in the country.
Successive songs and albums of Big Cyc took a sarcastic look on the reality of Polish politics and people. Often in ironic manner, the songs expose issues like problems of Polish youth, economic disproportions, drug addiction, or silliness of TV commercials. In 1996 Big Cyc published their seventh album, called "Z gitarą wśród zwierząt" (With guitar among animals), which contains the most famous song in history of band, Makumba, the stereotypical story of an African student in Poland.
Two newest albums of Big Cyc, "Świat według Kiepskich" (World according to Kiepscy) from 2000 and "Zmień z nami płeć" (Change your gender with us) from 2002 weren't very popular. Big Cyc switched to satirising politics - amongst others, they made the single "Złoty warkocz" (Golden praid) about Polish member of parliament Renata Beger. In late 2005 Big Cyc made a media furore in Poland with their controversial single titled "Moherowe berety" (Mohair berets), a commentary on vocal older generation in Poland, viewed by many younger people as old-fashioned (see Mohair berets).
Current members of Big Cyc:
Jacek Jędrzejak aka Dżej Dżej (pronunced asJ.J.)
Jarek Lis aka Dżery (pronunced as Jerry)
Roman Lechowicz aka Piękny Roman ("Handsome Roman")
Krzysztof Skiba aka Skiba
Dicography:
Z partyjnym pozdrowieniem (With greeting of The Party)
Nie wierzcie elektrykom (Don't believe electrics)
Miłość, muzyka, mordobicie (Love, Music, Brawl)
Wojna plemników (War of spermatozoons)
Frankenstein's Children
Nie zapomnisz nigdy (You'll never forget)
Golonka, flaki i inne przysmaki (Knuckle, guts and another dainties)
Z gitarą wśród zwierząt (With guitar among animals)
Pierwsza komunia, drugie śniadanie, trzecia Rzeczpospolita (1st communion, 2nd breakfast, 3rd Republic)
Wszyscy święci (All saints)
Świat według Kiepskich (The World according to Weaks)
Zmień z nami płeć (Change your gender with us)
Bombowe hity: 1988-2004 (Bomb hits: 1988-2004)
Moherowe berety (Mohair Berets)
Ballada o smutnym skinie
Big Cyc Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Glaca w słońcu błyszczy jakby kombajn kosił
Pejsów nie ma skin, kitek nienawidzi
Boją się go Arrrabi, Murzyni i Żydzi
Najgorsza dla skina jest co roku zima
Jak on ją przetrzyma, przecież włosków ni ma
Nałóż czapkę skinie, skinie nałóż czapkę
Uszka się przeziębią, kark zlodowacieje
Resztki myśli z mózgu wiaterek przewieje
Mamusia na drutach czapkę z wełny robi
Nałożysz ją skinie, gdy się chłodniej zrobi
Wełna w główkę grzeje, ciepło jest pod czaszką
I komórki szare wówczas nie zamarzną
Nasz skin był odważny, czapki nie założył
Całą zimę biegał łysy, wiosny już nie dożył
Główka mu zsiniała, uszka odmroziły
Czaszka na pół pękła, szwy wewnątrz puściły
Nałóż czapkę skinie,skinie nałóż czapkę
Kiedy wicher wieje,gdy pogoda w kratkę
Uszka się przeziębią,kark zlodowacieje
Resztki myśli z mózgu wiaterek przewieje
Nałóż czapkę skinie,skinie nałóż czapkę
Kiedy wicher wieje,gdy pogoda w kratkę
Uszka się przeziębią,kark zlodowacieje
Resztki myśli z mózgu wiaterek przewieje
I teraz już sami!
The song "Ballada o smutnym skinie" by Big Cyc tells the story of a skinhead who is bald and does not have any hair on his head, causing him to struggle in the winter. The skinhead's head is shiny in the sun like a combine that harvests crops. He does not wear a fringe and dislikes ponytails. The chorus of the song, "Nałóż czapkę skinie," tells the skinhead to wear a hat when it gets cold, as he cannot rely on any hair to keep his head warm.
The skinhead is feared by Arabs, African Americans, and Jews, alluding to the stereotype of skinheads being violent and racist. The worst season for the skinhead is winter, as he struggles to stay warm without any hair. The skinhead's mother makes him a woolen hat, which he can wear when it is colder. The hat keeps his head warm and prevents his brain cells from freezing.
Line by Line Meaning
Skin jest całkiem łysy, włosków on nie nosi
The skinhead is entirely bald and has no hair.
Glaca w słońcu błyszczy jakby kombajn kosił
The skinhead's shaven head shines in the sun like it's been mowed by a combine harvester.
Pejsów nie ma skin, kitek nienawidzi
Skinheads don't have sideburns and despise mullets.
Boją się go Arrrabi, Murzyni i Żydzi
Arabs, Blacks, and Jews are afraid of him.
Najgorsza dla skina jest co roku zima
Winter is the worst time of the year for a skinhead.
Jak on ją przetrzyma, przecież włosków ni ma
How will he survive it when he has no hair?
Nałóż czapkę skinie, skinie nałóż czapkę
Put on a hat, skinhead, put on a hat.
Kiedy wicher wieje, gdy pogoda w kratkę
When the wind blows, and the weather is cold.
Uszka się przeziębią, kark zlodowacieje
Your ears will get cold, and your neck will freeze.
Resztki myśli z mózgu wiaterek przewieje
The wind will blow away any remnants of rational thought from your brain.
Mamusia na drutach czapkę z wełny robi
Mommy is knitting a woolen hat.
Nałożysz ją skinie, gdy się chłodniej zrobi
You'll put it on, skinhead, when it gets colder.
Wełna w główkę grzeje, ciepło jest pod czaszką
The wool will warm your head, and there will be heat under your skull.
I komórki szare wówczas nie zamarzną
And your gray cells won't freeze then.
Nasz skin był odważny, czapki nie założył
Our skinhead was brave; he didn't wear a hat.
Całą zimę biegał łysy, wiosny już nie dożył
He ran bald all winter and didn't make it to spring.
Główka mu zsiniała, uszka odmroziły
His head turned blue; his ears froze off.
Czaszka na pół pękła, szwy wewnątrz puściły
His skull cracked in half, and the stitches inside gave way.
I teraz już sami!
And now we are alone!
Contributed by Colton M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Soag
on Atakują Klony
In Atakują Klony, Big Cyc talks, in a comical manner, about the lust for power of 2 biological twins who run one of the Polish political parties (Kaczyńscy brothers from law and justice party). At the beginning of the song its said one of them, in reality, wasn't a brother but a clone from the start. Stealing of a moon is a reference to when both brothers were kids and played roles in a movie titled 'O dwóch takich, co ukradli Księżyc' ('About two guys wo stole the moon').
A second verse describes a dystopian future where cloning has taken over the world and everyone is a clone of the initial 'brother' so there's only one mind controlling the flow of life now. Only one left in the opposition to them is Tusk (a leader of the opposing party).
The chorus talks about how the clones are attacking and will multiply until they take over the world. The speaker talks about how everyone will be forced to think like him and his "twin" and that this will result in the end of hunger, terrorism, wars, and evil. The song shows the dark side human lust for power (in this case prominently exhibited by Kaczyński brothers) and how it could lead to a world where individuality is lost, had only cloning capabilities were in their hands.