Karel Plíhal (born August 23, 1958 in Přerov) is a Czech folk and jazz musi… Read Full Bio ↴Karel Plíhal (born August 23, 1958 in Přerov) is a Czech folk and jazz musician, singer, songwriter and record producer.

He graduated from the Industrial College of Engineering and then worked as a designer and boilerman in the Olomouc theatre, finally becoming a singer (even though he had no musical schooling). He has played the guitar since he was 15 year old. First, he played in various underground country-swing bands in Olomouc: Hučka, Falešní hráči and Plíharmonyje. He produced his first solo album in 1983. Between 1985 and 1993, Plíhal worked with Emil Pospíšil, and from 1995 to 1999 he produced music with Petr Freund. He has also won four Porta folk music awards as of 2006. His 2005 album Karel Plíhal in Olomouc was recorded in his home town in Moravia in a 2004 concert.

Plíhal has composed music for numerous productions at the Moravian Theatre in Olomouc, among others Zlatovláska, Sluha dvou pánů, Utrpení Dona Perlimplína, Manon Lescaut, Cyrano, Zimní pohádka, Pašije and Giroflé-Giroflá. He has set music to a few of Josef Kainar's poems, and he has directed recording for albums by artists such as Jarek Nohavica, Petr Fiala, Eben brothers and Bokomara band.

He once tried to stop talking, completely, with nobody. The reason? He said he wanted to hear the melody of other people's voices. And he said, if we stop talking, we can hear our own melody.

Discography

Karel Plíhal v Olomouci (2005) - two CD recording of a concert in Olomouc
Karel Plíhal v Telči (2005) - DVD recording of a concert in Telč
Nebe počká (2004) – poems of Josef Kainar
Rok Ďábla (2002) – music for the movie of the same name
Kluziště (2000) - album with new arrangements of old songs
Napadl Sníh (Sova Sněžná) (2000) - a single released as a Christmas CD of Česká spořitelna
Králíci, ptáci a hvězdy (1996)
Takhle nějak to bylo ... (1994)
Karel Plíhal 1985-89 (1992) – summary edition of the two previous albums with added song Žlutí sokoli
Karel Plíhal...Emil Pospíšil... (1989)
Karel Plíhal (1985)
Plíharmonyje - concert recording, not released officially
Mávej, mávej - concert recording, not released officially

External links
Karel Plíhal - official site (in Czech Language)

Pepita
Karel Plíhal Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

1. Šel jsem si koupit kravatu
A vzal jsem první zprava, tu,
Co byla křivě sešitá,
Je ale príma, je pepita.

2. Šel jsem si koupit košili,
Ti by mě vyhastrošili,
Tak jsem jim řek', že je mi ta,

Zrovna ta se vzorem pepita.

3. Šel jsem si koupit na kabát,
Člověk se zkrátka nemá bát,
Že něco zrovna nelítá,
Tak jsem si koupil pepita.

4. Šel jsem si koupit kalhoty
A koupil jsem dost draho ty,
Co se jich špína nechytá,
Jsou ale príma, jsou pepita.

5. Šel jsem si koupit fuchsie
A už si říkám:"Kup si je,"
Tak jsem si koupil jelita,
Neboť řezník měl blůzu pepita.

6. Šel jsem si koupit aparát
A uviděl mě kamarád,

Povídá ke mně tichounce:
"Co jsi za pepitomce?"

Overall Meaning

In Karel Plíhal's song Pepita, the singer details his shopping experiences, mentioning how he purchased a tie, a shirt, a coat, pants, and even a camera, all with pepita pattern. Pepita, in this context, refers to a small-scale, diamond-shaped pattern common in men's fashion, which the singer seems to favor. The repetition of this pattern in all the items he purchases suggests that the singer is content with his style and is not very adventurous when it comes to fashion choices.

However, the last verse of the song takes a different turn, where the singer’s friend asks him: “What kind of pepitomaniac are you?” This can be interpreted in various ways, but it seems that the singer's friend is commenting on the peculiarity of the choices the singer has made. The word “pepitomaniac” can be understood as someone obsessed with pepita patterns, implying the singer's fixation with the pattern is slightly abnormal.

Overall, the lyrics of Pepita showcase Plíhal's ability to take mundane topics and turn them into humorous and entertaining songs. The repetition of the word “pepita” in the chorus adds to the song’s light-hearted tone, while the final verse provides a twist to the otherwise straightforward lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

Šel jsem si koupit kravatu
I went to buy a necktie

A vzal jsem první zprava, tu,
And I took the first one to the right,

Co byla křivě sešitá,
Although it was sewn crooked,

Je ale príma, je pepita.
It's still great, it's pepita.

Šel jsem si koupit košili,
I went to buy a shirt,

Ti by mě vyhastrošili,
They would have dressed me up nicely,

Tak jsem jim řek', že je mi ta,
So I told them that I wanted the one,

Zrovna ta se vzorem pepita.
The one with the pepita pattern.

Šel jsem si koupit na kabát,
I went to buy a coat,

Člověk se zkrátka nemá bát,
You simply can't be afraid,

Že něco zrovna nelítá,
That something won't fit right,