Czas ołowiu
Budka Suflera Lyrics

The lyrics of Budka Suflera’s song Czas ołowiu describe the feeling of being thrown off balance by sudden news of a tragic event. The opening lines convey the sense of how unexpected news can devastate us, piercing us with the piercing pain of old wounds reopening. The lyrics then shift to a scene at night, with the singer listening to a transistor radio. The chilly voice of the singer, together with the icy grasp of the night, give the impression that the singer is feeling disconnected, emotionally frozen. The lines “Kruche szkło/Cienki lód” (Brittle glass/thin ice) suggest that life can be fragile and easily shattered, like glass, and that we can easily fall through the ice and drown. The repeated references to iconic figures from the sixties, including Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones and Anna J., imply that the song is a lament for the lost innocence of that era. The repeated refrain “Czas ołowiu” (time of lead) echoes the gloomy and oppressive mood of the song.

The second stanza highlights the difficulty of accepting terrible news and how it can affect our dreams, robbing us of the chance to say goodbye. The repeated references to “Cienki lód” (thin ice) and “Kruche szkło” (brittle glass) reinforce the idea of life’s fragility and the inevitability of death. Martwy film (dead film) and the martwy blues (dead blues) suggest that the past is frozen and unchanging. The final verse is a rhetorical question addressed to the listener, suggesting that the singer is grappling with questions that have no answers. The repeated refrain “Czas ołowiu” then ends the song, bringing it full circle.