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.
Těšínská
Jaromír Nohavica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
v tomhle městě
u Larischů na zahradě trhal bych květy
své nevěstě
Moje nevěsta by byla dcera ševcova
z domu Kamińskich odněkud ze Lvova
kochał bym ją i pieśćił
Bydleli bychom na Sachsenbergu
v domě u žida Kohna
nejhezčí ze všech těšínských šperků
byla by ona
Mluvila by polsky a trochu česky
pár slov německy a smála by se hezky
jednou za sto let zázrak se koná
zázrak se koná
Kdybych se narodil před sto lety
byl bych vazačem knih
u Prohazků dělal bych od pěti do pěti
a sedm zlatek za to bral bych Měl bych krásnou ženu a tři děti
zdraví bych měl a bylo by mi kolem třiceti
celý dlouhý život před sebou
celé krásné dvacáté století
Kdybych se narodil před sto lety
v jinačí době
u Larischů na zahradě trhal bych květy
má lásko tobě
Tramvaj by jezdila přes řeku nahoru
slunce by zvedalo hraniční závoru
a z oken voněl by
sváteční oběd
Večer by zněla od Mojzese
melodie dávnověká
bylo by léto tisíc devět set deset
za domem by tekla řeka
Vidím to jako dnes šťastného sebe
ženu a děti a těšínské nebe
ještě že člověk nikdy neví
co ho čeká
The song "Těšínská" by Jaromír Nohavica speaks about a nostalgic longing for a time that has long passed. The lyrics imagine what life would have been like if the singer had been born 100 years ago in his hometown of Těšín. He would have been working as a bookbinder for the Prohazkas and would have been content with his simple life. He would have had a beautiful wife and three children, and health to enjoy the whole of the twentieth century. In the first verse, he imagines gathering flowers for his sweetheart, the daughter of a shoemaker from Lwów, who would have been his beloved wife. They would have lived in a house on Sachsenberg, which he describes as the most beautiful of all the jewels of Těšin.
The lyrics paint a romantic portrait of the past, of a world that no longer exists. The nostalgia is augmented by the wistful melody of the song. The singer imagines a world where the trams would cross the river and the sun would raise the border gates, where the scent of a festive dinner would pour out of the windows. Life is depicted as simpler, more innocent, and more beautiful. The singer sighs that he is fortunate that no one knows what awaits them in the future.
Overall, "Těšínská" is a bittersweet ode to the past. The lyrics draw a vibrant picture of the Těšin of yore, and the song becomes a testament to the ephemeral nature of life, to the things that are lost in the winds of change.
Line by Line Meaning
Kdybych se narodil před sto lety
If I were born a hundred years ago
v tomhle městě
In this town
u Larischů na zahradě trhal bych květy
I would pick flowers in the Larisch's garden
své nevěstě
For my bride
Moje nevěsta by byla dcera ševcova
My bride would be the daughter of a shoemaker
z domu Kamińskich odněkud ze Lvova
From the Kamiński family home in Lvov
kochał bym ją i pieśćił
I would love and cherish her
chyba lat dwieśćie
Maybe twenty years old
Bydleli bychom na Sachsenbergu
We would live on Sachsenberg
v domě u žida Kohna
In the house of the Jew Kohn
nejhezčí ze všech těšínských šperků
The most beautiful of all Těšín jewels
byla by ona
She would be the one
Mluvila by polsky a trochu česky
She would speak Polish and a little Czech
pár slov německy a smála by se hezky
A few words of German and she would smile beautifully
jednou za sto let zázrak se koná
A miracle happens once in a hundred years
Kdybych se narodil před sto lety
If I were born a hundred years ago
byl bych vazačem knih
I would be a bookbinder
u Prohazků dělal bych od pěti do pěti
I would work at the Prohazkas' from five to five
a sedm zlatek za to bral bych
And I would earn seven gold coins for it
Měl bych krásnou ženu a tři děti
I would have a beautiful wife and three children
zdraví bych měl a bylo by mi kolem třiceti
I would be healthy and around thirty years old
celý dlouhý život před sebou
A whole long life ahead of me
celé krásné dvacáté století
The entire beautiful 20th century
Kdybych se narodil před sto lety
If I were born a hundred years ago
v jinačí době
In a different time
má lásko tobě
My love, to you
Tramvaj by jezdila přes řeku nahoru
The tram would ride up the river
slunce by zvedalo hraniční závoru
The sun would lift the border gate
a z oken voněl by
And the windows would smell
sváteční oběd
Of festive lunch
Večer by zněla od Mojzese
In the evening, the music of Moses would sound
melodie dávnověká
An ancient melody
bylo by léto tisíc devět set deset
It would be summer of 1910
za domem by tekla řeka
A river would flow behind the house
Vidím to jako dnes šťastného sebe
I see it like happy myself
ženu a děti a těšínské nebe
Wife, children and the Těšín sky
ještě že člověk nikdy neví
Good thing a person never knows
co ho čeká
What awaits them
Contributed by Anna F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.