He was born in Ostrava, Czech Republic and has played guitar since he was 13. He began studies at the Technical University of Ostrava but eventually left the school. He tried various jobs and eventually ended up working as a freelance lyricist. He gained fame with his first song for Marie Rottrová, Lásko, voníš deštěm (You Smell of Rain, My Love) - it was a remake of Black Sabbath 's ballad "She's Gone". He lives in Ostrava, has a wife and two children.
In 1982 he started performing in public, a sound decision in that a number of his songs gained wide popularity. His first album, Darmoděj (Aimless), released in 1988 was an immediate sell-out. An aura of myth arose around Nohavica which survived even the crisis period of his treatment for alcoholism. His subsequent release of the lovely, slightly pessimistic Mikymauzoleum (Mickey Mousoleum), an album of mainly melancholy songs. In 1994 he live recorded an album Tři čuníci (Three Piglets), intended for children, with humoristic songs.
In 1996 Nohavica released Divné století (Strange Century). He and his producer employed new instruments and voices for the new songs on the album, and it became a huge success. Two years later Jaromír Nohavica and Kapela (ie. the Band) came out with Koncert (Concert), a record featuring Nohavica playing with a band, and this fact recognizably changed his music. The album contains mainly older material, but the new treatment gave it a new appeal. His studio album from 2000, Moje smutné srdce (My Sad Heart), contains mostly sad songs about love.
Nohavica also starred in Petr Zelenka's movie Rok Ďábla (Year of The Devil), which was awarded the main prize at the 37th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2002 and several other international film festivals.
Apart from his native Czech Republic, he also enjoys some popularity in neighbouring Poland and Slovakia.
He has just released a brand new CD called Ikarus which was recorded during his January's sets of concerts in Ostrava.
Danse macabre
Jaromír Nohavica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Svoje malé lži si lásko dnes prominem
Budeme tančit s venkovany na návsi vesnice
Budeme se smát
Mám tě rád
Láska je nenávist a nenávist je láska
Jedeme na veselku kočí bičem práská
Podobáš se Evě i Marii
Dneska mě zabijí
Mé děti pochopily hledí na mě úkosem
Třetí oko je prázdný prostor nad nosem
Pánbůh se klidně opil levným balkánským likérem
A teď vyspává
Jinak to smysl nedává
The lyrics of "Danse Macabre" by Jaromír Nohavica speak of six million hearts that flew out of the chimney, which can be interpreted as a reference to the Holocaust and the millions of lives lost. The singer asks for forgiveness for his small lies and says that he will dance with peasants in the village square and share laughter with them. The lines "Láska je nenávist a nenávist je láska" (Love is hate and hate is love) suggest a complex and perhaps destructive relationship with someone, possibly with the person referred to as "you" in the next line.
The singer imagines riding in a carriage with someone to a celebration where they will wear a red velvet dress that makes them look like Eve or Mary. The last line, "Dneska me zabijí" (Today they will kill me), foreshadows a sense of danger and finality. The final lines mention the singer's children looking at them askance and the third eye being an empty space above the nose. The line "Pánbůh se klidně opil levným balkánským likérem" (God calmly got drunk on cheap Balkan liquor) invokes a sense of confusion and absurdity.
Line by Line Meaning
Šest milionů srdcí vyletělo komínem
Six million hearts flew out of the chimney
Svoje malé lži si lásko dnes prominem
We'll forgive each other's small lies, my love.
Budeme tančit s venkovany na návsi vesnice
We'll dance with the villagers in the town square
Budeme se smát
We'll laugh
Mám tě rád
I love you
Láska je nenávist a nenávist je láska
Love is hate and hate is love
Jedeme na veselku kočí bičem práská
We're riding to the festivity, the coachman is cracking his whip
V červené sametové halence
In a red velvet dress
Podobáš se Evě i Marii
You resemble Eve and Mary
Dneska mě zabijí
Today they'll kill me
Mé děti pochopily hledí na mě úkosem
My children understood, they look at me askance
Třetí oko je prázdný prostor nad nosem
The third eye is an empty space above the nose
Pánbůh se klidně opil levným balkánským likérem
God got drunk on cheap Balkan liquor, peacefully sleeping now
A teď vyspává
And now he's resting
Jinak to smysl nedává
Otherwise it doesn't make sense
Contributed by Ava L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lovecraftfan2793
Sześć milionów serc uleciało przez kominek...