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.
Too Close
Kayah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Outside your deepest dream
Of paper dragons
Lanterns
Colours
All within
One life with me
Isn't enough for you
There's another
Behind your eyes where you go
And every night
You can't wait to sleep
So you can go to Asia
And hold A sword-one two
And a dragon's head
Lies dead-it's only paper
Yes yes you tiger
Yes yes you hero
Traveler explorer and gentle lover
Your body signs and speaks in Tai Chi
So you can gaze into her asian eyes deep
I am too close to be your dream
The lyrics to Kayah’s song “Too Close” tell the story of a woman whose partner doesn’t see her in his dreams anymore. In fact, every night he leaves her outside of his deepest dream. Instead, his dreams are filled with paper dragons, lanterns, and colors – all things that exist within his dream world. The woman sings that she is too close to be his dream, suggesting that he can’t separate her from his reality.
The song also touches on themes of unrequited love and longing. The woman notes that one life with her isn’t enough for her partner, as there is another person behind his eyes where he goes. He can’t wait to sleep every night so he can go to Asia and hold a sword and a dragon’s head. The woman acknowledges her partner’s love of adventure and exploration but laments that she can’t be a part of his dreams, as she is “too close” to his reality. The woman recognizes that her partner is a “traveler, explorer, and gentle lover,” and that his body language speaks in Tai Chi. She is aware of his deep love for Asian culture and is even willing to gaze into the eyes of another woman who represents his dream world. Ultimately, she resigns herself to the fact that she cannot be his dream and that she is too close to reality for him to include her in his imaginative world.
Line by Line Meaning
Every night you leave me
You never include me in your innermost thoughts and desires, you simply leave me behind every night.
Outside your deepest dream
You keep me at arm's length and I am never a part of your most intimate, inner dreams.
Of paper dragons
Your imagination is filled with mythos and magic, which is made up of creatures like giant paper dragons.
Lanterns
There are also beautiful paper lanterns in your dreams, illuminating the darkness.
Colours
Your dreams are immensely colorful, with vivid hues and shades, vivid and lively.
All within
Your innermost desires are situated inside you, and it's a paradise of magic and wonder.
I am too close to be your dream
I am too real to be part of your daydreams, I exist in the real world, which is not a part of your dreams.
One life with me
You are not ready to make a commitment with me, you are still unsure of our relationship.
Isn't enough for you
You are looking for more than just being in a single relationship, you want something more adventurous and exciting.
There's another
You have someone else in mind, who is a part of your desires and dreams.
Behind your eyes where you go
This person is situated deep inside your desires and thoughts, and you subconsciously gravitate towards them.
And every night
Every day and night, you are filled with desires and thoughts that don't include me.
You can't wait to sleep
The only way for you to be truly free is to sleep, where you can dream and live in your imagination.
So you can go to Asia
You want to travel to the Far East, where your dreams and desires were born, and where the mythical creatures of your imagination exist.
And hold a sword - one two
You want to experience the thrill of being a warrior, holding a sword and living mythical battles of your dreams.
And a dragon's head
You aspire to conquer magical and mythical creatures, as symbolized by the head of a dragon.
Lies dead - it's only paper
The magic dies quickly, as those creatures exist only in your head, and are made out of paper and not flesh and blood.
Yes yes you tiger
You see yourself as a fierce and powerful tiger, a predator that can conquer any obstacle.
Yes yes you hero
You see yourself as a hero who braves all dangers.
Traveler explorer and gentle lover
You envision yourself as a free spirit, exploring and discovering new worlds of adventure while still being a tender and caring lover.
Your body signs and speaks in Tai Chi
You express yourself through the meandering and graceful moves of the martial art Tai Chi, embodying the balance of life and achieving inner peace.
So you can gaze into her asian eyes deep
You long to meet someone with Asian heritage, someone that will make you see another world and culture, and who has a depth of soul that speaks to your innermost self.
I am too close to be your dream
I am simply too much of a real person, here and now, to be part of your complex and fantastic daydreams.
Contributed by Jack F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.