Their name is taken from the protagonist of Franz Kafka's novel, "The Trial".
Josef K. is also a pop-rock band from Podgorica, Montenegro debuted in 1988.
Josef K. is also Prague-based rapper debuting with album Linka B in 2020.
Citizens
Josef K Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even know that's torment there
They never love to take care
A car's crash in our town
Sidewalks paved with character
The populace that passed this way
None of them turned to pray
Even though there's torment there
They never love to take care
A citizens they walk odd
Their only aim is to get rich
A typic omen's not for us
We can't expect here sign of love
The treeless limits of this town
The walls a blanket of greyish dust
No ordinary sight to see
I feel la peste subconsciously
Even though there's torment there
They never love to take care
I am so bored with your ideals
I take the air on the balcony
Stroll along the boulevard
Hear the voices by the sea
Even know that's omen there
They never love to take care
The opening line of Josef K's song "Citizens" presents a paradoxical image of people in the town walking around to "test the air," despite knowing it will bring them torment. It's a metaphor that suggests these individuals are consciously engaging in behaviors that harm them, but are unable or unwilling to change their ways. This idea is reinforced in the next line, which highlights how the townspeople neglect to take care of themselves, implying that they are caught up in a cycle of destructive behavior that they cannot escape from.
The next few lines describe a car crash in the town and the lack of concern from the passersby, indicating a general apathy and indifference to the suffering of others. This sentiment is echoed in the following lines, where the citizens are portrayed as walking oddly, with their only goal being to get rich. This emphasis on money and material wealth speaks to a larger societal issue, where people prioritize financial gain over human connection and compassion.
The final verse shifts focus to the environment of the town, highlighting the treeless surroundings and the grey walls that surround them. The use of the phrase "la peste" (meaning "the plague") heightens the sense of gloom and despair, suggesting that the town is a place of decay and hopelessness. All the while, the repetition of the phrase "even though there's torment there, they never love to take care" underscores the song's central message - that the townspeople are aware of their suffering and yet remain complacent in their misery.
Line by Line Meaning
Everyone in our town walks around to test the air
Every single person in our town is cautious of their surroundings
Even though there's torment there
Despite the presence of great suffering in our town
They never love to take care
They fail to show concern for the welfare of others
A car's crash in our town
A recent car accident occurred in our town
Sidewalks paved with character
The sidewalks in our town have unique features
The populace that passed this way
The people who walk on these sidewalks
None of them turned to pray
None of them stopped to pray or pay respects to the accident victims
A citizens they walk odd
The citizens of our town behave strangely
Their only aim is to get rich
Their sole goal is to accumulate wealth
A typic omen's not for us
We do not believe in typical signs or omens
We can't expect here sign of love
Love is not commonly expressed or shown in our town
The treeless limits of this town
There are no trees in the outskirts of our town
The walls a blanket of greyish dust
The walls of buildings are covered in a coat of gray dust
No ordinary sight to see
There is nothing usual or remarkable about the town's landscape
I feel la peste subconsciously
I sense a feeling of a deadly epidemic lurking in the background
I am so bored with your ideals
I am annoyed by your concepts of what is morally right
I take the air on the balcony
I go outside to get some fresh air on the balcony
Stroll along the boulevard
I walk leisurely down the main street
Hear the voices by the sea
I listen to the sounds of the ocean
Even though there's torment there
Despite the presence of great suffering in our town
They never love to take care
They fail to show concern for the welfare of others
Contributed by Samuel S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Brendan Loyden
"Even though there's torment there/They never learn to take care."
"Citizens, they work hard/Their only aim is to get rich..."
"Cars crash in our town/Sidewalks paved with character/The populace that pass this way/None of them tend to pray..."
"blanket of greyish dust" "stroll along the boulevard" "take the air on the balcony..."
A lot of this is culled directly from the first page of Camus' "The Plague". Appropriate listening/reading for the coronavirus era.
Flaamingos
fucking genius band
Film
There is another version of this too