She released her first, self-produced solo album, Kamien (Stone), in 1996. It was a great success, consisting of melancholy pop songs. In the same year, she was voted ‘Vocalist of the Year’ by the Polish music industry and received a Fryderyk in recognition of her achievements.
In 1997, she received another Fryderyk, this time for the album Zebra, in the category of ‘Composer of the Year’. With Zebra she changed her style, moving in the direction of American soul music.
In 1999, she recorded one of the most popular Polish albums ever, with the Balkan composer Goran Bregović, entitled Kayah & Bregović: it is a blend of old Slavic songs and modern rhythms. Most of the music was composed by Bregović for the band Bijelo Dugme (White Button), which he had been a part of and movie soundtracks that he had worked on. The lyrics are both translations of the original text and inspired. In the same year she was awarded a Wiktor and another Fryderyk, in the category ‘Vocalist of the Year’.
In 2000, she released the album Jaka Ja Kayah which featured pop, jazz, and techno-influenced songs. She also released the single "Aniol Wiedzial" ("The Angel Knew") from the album, duetted with Cesaria Evora in Portuguese, and recorded English-language versions of some of her songs.
She was twice cast in advertisements for Polish mobile phone's Web - Orange POP (formerly Idea POP).
Sites: En.Wikipedia.
Nie Wiedziałam
Kayah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Czekałam ciągle na ciebie,
A wieczorami w oknie sypialnianym, gdy
światła gasły, stawiałam świecę, by
Płomień jak latarnia wskazał ci brzeg
W oceanie po co tobie tułać się
Znajdź mnie
Wtedy już kochałam ciebie
I w każdym ciebie szukałam
Lecz o tym nie wiedziałam
Nie, nie, nie, nie, nie, nie
Zanim wiedziałam, że nadchodzisz
Słyszałam twoje ciche kroki.
W nocą kiedy mrok podkradał się pod dom,
A cisza zła patrzyła się ze ścian
Noc litościwa gwiazdę zrzuciła mi,
By spełniło się moje życzenie
żebyś tu był, kochany
Zanim wiedziałam, że będziesz
Wtedy już kochałam ciebie
I w każdym ciebie szukałam
Lecz o tym nie wiedziałam
Nie, nie, nie, nie, nie, nie
Nie wiedziałam, nie, nie
Nie wiedziałam, nie, nie
Nie wiedziałam, nie, nie
Nie wiedziałam, nie, nie
In the song "Nie Wiedziałam" by Kayah, the lyrics express the feeling of anticipation and the unknowingness that comes before a loved one arrives. The singer confesses that before she knew he would come, she was constantly waiting for him. She would light a candle in the bedroom window at night when the lights went out, hoping that the flame would guide him back to her. She questions why he would wander aimlessly in the ocean when she is waiting for him on the shore. The lyrics paint a picture of longing and longing for love to be reunited.
The second verse continues with the theme of not knowing. The singer admits that even before she knew he would be there, she already loved him deeply. She searched for him in everyone she encountered, not realizing that he was the one she was looking for. The lyrics suggest that love can be felt even before one fully comprehends it. The third verse describes the singer's senses being attuned to her lover's presence even before she knew he was coming. She heard his footsteps in the night when darkness crept into the house, and she felt the gaze of an ominous silence from the walls. However, a compassionate night gifted her with a star to grant her wish, which was for him to be present.
Line by Line Meaning
Zanim wiedziałam, że przybędziesz
Before I knew you were coming
Czekałam ciągle na ciebie,
I was constantly waiting for you
A wieczorami w oknie sypialnianym, gdy światła gasły, stawiałam świecę, by Płomień jak latarnia wskazał ci brzeg
And in the evenings at the bedroom window, when the lights went out, I placed a candle to guide you like a lighthouse
W oceanie po co tobie tułać się Znajdź mnie
Why wander in the ocean, find me
Zanim wiedziałam, że będziesz
Before I knew you would be
Wtedy już kochałam ciebie
By then I already loved you
I w każdym ciebie szukałam
And in each and every one I searched for you
Lecz o tym nie wiedziałam
But I didn't know that
Nie, nie, nie, nie, nie, nie
No, no, no, no, no, no
Zanim wiedziałam, że nadchodzisz
Before I knew you were approaching
Słyszałam twoje ciche kroki.
I heard your silent footsteps
W nocą kiedy mrok podkradał się pod dom, A cisza zła patrzyła się ze ścian
In the night, when darkness crept under the house, and the evil silence stared from the walls
Noc litościwa gwiazdę zrzuciła mi, By spełniło się moje życzenie żebyś tu był, kochany
The merciful night dropped a star for me, to fulfill my wish for you to be here, my beloved
Nie wiedziałam, nie, nie
I didn't know, no, no
Nie wiedziałam, nie, nie
I didn't know, no, no
Nie wiedziałam, nie, nie
I didn't know, no, no
Nie wiedziałam, nie, nie
I didn't know, no, no
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind