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.
Uratujcie Go
Kayah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
dziś runęło w plamy słońca u mych stóp
na sygnale wieźli go, a ludzi tłum
poszedł dalej, ja zostałam tu
Uratujcie go, jest tyle przecież słów,
których jeszcze mu
nie zdążyłam powiedzieć
Wobec śmierci czymże nawet zdrada jest
przecież jeśli inną kochał, żyłby gdzieś
zawsze mogłabym dzwonić, gdyby było ze mną źle
on by słyszał tylko tajemniczy szept
uratujcie go, jest tyle przecież słów
których jeszcze mu
nie zdążyłam powiedzieć
Gdy nie kobieta, ale śmierć odbierze mi go
z łzami na powiekach w kłębek zwinę się jak kot
a ta co mieszkała we mnie
po cichutku wyjdzie stąd
nigdy już nie będę nią bez jego rąk
Uratujcie go, jest tyle przecież słów,
których jeszcze mu
nie zdążyłam powiedzieć
The above lyrics are from Kayah's song "Uratujcie Go," which translates to "Save Him" in English. The song is about a woman who is heartbroken over the loss of her lover. In the first two verses, she describes how she mourns his death, and how the people around her have moved on while she is still standing in the same spot.
The woman then pleads for someone to save him, as there were so many things she wanted to say to him before he died. She contemplates the idea that even infidelity would be trivial compared to death, and that she would have called him whenever she was feeling low if given the chance. The chorus repeats her plea for someone to save him, as there were so many words left unsaid.
In the final verse, the woman imagines herself grieving and hiding away like a cat if death takes him from her. She regrets not telling him all the things she wanted to say and how she'll never be the same without him. Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of deep loss, regret, and a desperate plea for a chance to make things right.
Line by Line Meaning
Jego ciało, słodki owoc dla mych ust
His body was like a sweet fruit that I craved to taste
dziś runęło w plamy słońca u mych stóp
Today, it lies broken at my feet under the sun
na sygnale wieźli go, a ludzi tłum
They took him away on a stretcher, amidst a crowd of people
poszedł dalej, ja zostałam tu
He went on, but I stayed behind
Uratujcie go, jest tyle przecież słów, które jeszcze mu nie zdążyłam powiedzieć
Save him, there are still so many words that I have not had the chance to say to him
Wobec śmierci czymże nawet zdrada jest, przecież jeśli inną kochał, żyłby gdzieś
In the face of death, what is even considered betrayal? If he loved someone else, he would still be alive somewhere
zawsze mogłabym dzwonić, gdyby było ze mną źle, on by słyszał tylko tajemniczy szept
I could always call him if I was in trouble, and he would only hear a mysterious whisper
Gdy nie kobieta, ale śmierć odbierze mi go, z łzami na powiekach w kłębek zwinę się jak kot
If it's not another woman, but death, that takes him away from me, I will cry myself into a ball, like a cat
a ta co mieszkała we mnie po cichutku wyjdzie stąd, nigdy już nie będę nią bez jego rąk
The part of me that lived inside will quietly leave, and I will never be that person again without his hands
Contributed by Samuel S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.