Born on April 12, 1944 in Kroměříž, today Czech Republic, son of Karel Kryl and Marie Krylová. His father owned printing business, which was confiscated from the family in 1948 upon communist takeover.
Karel Kryl moved to Prague in 1968, as an assistant in Czechoslovak TV. In his spare time he played his songs in numerous small clubs. When armies of Warsaw Pact occupied Czechoslovakia on August 21, 1968 to suppress the democratization movement of Prague Spring, Karel Kryl released album Bratříčku zavírej vrátka (English: Close the Gate, Little Brother), full of songs describing his disgust over the occupation, life under the communist rule, and rude inhumanity and stupidity of the regime. The album was released in early 1969 and was banned and removed from shelves shortly after. This work became icon of anti-communist movement for years to come — when he returned from exile in 1989 during the Velvet Revolution, almost every little child in Czechoslovakia knew the lyrics of these songs by heart.
Faced with certain imprisonment, Kryl left Czechoslovakia in 1969, and lived in West Germany. Most of the time in exile he worked for Radio Free Europe. In exile, Kryl released a number of albums. Some of his songs almost became traditionals, known by everybody in the Czech Republic, sung by all campfires.
During the enthusiastic November days in 1989, Kryl returned to Czechoslovakia only to experience bitter disappointment with the transformation of society.
On March 3, 1994, just a month before his fiftieth birthday, Karel Kryl died of a heart attack in Munich hospital.
He recieved posthumously the Order of the White Lion - the highest czech decoration.
Bridge
Karel Kryl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
basti jsem pastiku
ze jsem mel duvody
strazil jsem na stiku
strazil jsem na stiku
popijel trunk
nacez se z rybniku
ozvalo zblunk!
slecinku kouzelnou
hazela kameny
rucinkou sadelnou
ze jsem mel upito
nekolik piv
ja stare kopyto
jsem na ni kyv
Sedla si na hyzde
k tybniku na blatech
rozsedla hlemyzde
mela flek na satech
mela flek na satech
na satech flek
v cervenych karatech
jsem si k ni klek
Kouknete slecinko
nedbejte na fleky
zhubnete malinko
obujte kramfleky
prijdete z pradelny
flek bude pryc
svet bude nadherny
budem hrat bridge
Sedela v cepecku
slzicky na kraji
i vy muj blbecku
ja karty nehraji
hraji jen maryjas
kanastu skat
ze jste jak Golias
chci s vama hrat
Nez jsem se dobelhal
s kanastou kapesni
slecinku obelhal
slicny pan nadlesni
slicny pan nadlesni
nadlesni pan
cepickou noblesni
zkrizil mi plan
Tak se te slecince
dostalo pohybu
ja sedim v houstince
a strazim na rybu
smizim se s kaprikem
pak pujdu pryc
zahrat si s lesnikem
bridge
The song "Bridge" by Karel Kryl describes a man sitting by a pond enjoying a drink. Suddenly, he sees a beautiful woman throwing stones while riding her horse. She has a spot on her dress, but the man is too drunk to care. The woman sits next to him and they discuss playing Bridge, a card game. The man tries to impress the woman by bringing out his deck of cards, but she is not interested. As he leaves, the man realizes that he has been tricked by the woman and her male companion.
The story in the song is layered with irony and social commentary. The man is portrayed as foolish and easily duped, while the woman is cunning and rebellious. The exchange between them is a commentary on the changing social and political landscape in Czechoslovakia during the time the song was written.
The song was written in 1969, during a time of political upheaval in Czechoslovakia. Karel Kryl was a well-known songwriter and performer who was critical of the communist government. The song "Bridge" was a reflection of the changing attitudes that were taking place among young people in Czechoslovakia at the time.
Line by Line Meaning
Sedel jsem u vody
I sat beside the water
basti jsem pastiku
I had my fishing rod
ze jsem mel duvody
Because I had reasons
strazil jsem na stiku
I guarded the tip
popijel trunk
I sipped some drinks
nacez se z rybniku
From the pond nearby
ozvalo zblunk!
A splash was heard!
Spatril jsem zmameny
I saw a bewildered
slecinku kouzelnou
Enchanting young woman
hazela kameny
Throwing stones
rucinkou sadelnou
With a cute hand
ze jsem mel upito
Because I was drunk
nekolik piv
A few beers
ja stare kopyto
I'm an old nag
jsem na ni kyv
I nodded towards her
Sedla si na hyzde
She sat on the pole
k tybniku na blatech
By the pond on the mud
rozsedla hlemyzde
She unbridled the mare
mela flek na satech
She had a stain on her dress
na satech flek
The dress was stained
v cervenych karatech
In red shoes
jsem si k ni klek
I knelt beside her
Kouknete slecinko
Look, miss
nedbejte na fleky
Don't mind the stains
zhubnete malinko
Lose some weight
obujte kramfleky
Put on some boots
prijdete z pradelny
Come from the laundry
flek bude pryc
The stain will be gone
svet bude nadherny
The world will be beautiful
budem hrat bridge
We'll play bridge
Sedela v cepecku
She sat with a bonnet on
slzicky na kraji
Tears on the edge
i vy muj blbecku
Even you, my foolish man
ja karty nehraji
I don't play cards
hraji jen maryjas
I only play marigold
kanastu skat
Tarok and Skat
ze jste jak Golias
You're like Goliath
chci s vama hrat
I want to play with you
Nez jsem se dobelhal
Before I could catch up
s kanastou kapesni
With my small basket
slecinku obelhal
I outwitted the girl
slicny pan nadlesni
Good-looking forester
nadlesni pan
The forester
cepickou noblesni
With a noble bonnet
zkrizil mi plan
Messed up my plan
Tak se te slecince
That's what happened to the girl
dostalo pohybu
She got moving
ja sedim v houstince
I'm sitting in the thicket
a strazim na rybu
And guarding the fish
smizim se s kaprikem
I'll sneak out with the trout
pak pujdu pryc
Then I'll go away
zahrat si s lesnikem
To play with the forester
Contributed by Gabriella Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.