He was, or is, a member of the following bands: Poland (founded in 1979), Novelty Poland (founded in 1981), Kult (founded in 1982), Kazik Na Żywo, El Dupa, Buldog. He also took part in the Yugoton project.
His genre is most accurately described by the term "eclectic" or "crossover", as various instruments, styles, citations, extracts and tributes appear. The music itself contains elements of rock, punk, hip-hop, dub, ska, reggae, traditional folk tunes, ballads, classical music and -more recently- yass, which is a Polish variation of jazz. Most of his solo records are self-produced, made using multiple, both live and synthetic, instruments and various sampling techniques. Kazik himself sings, plays saxophone and guitars, uses drum machines, synthesizers, samplers. He frequently asks various musicians to join his recordings, some of them are regular members of Kult, some are freelancers or session musicians.
Kazik, as a songwriter, uses explicit, often offensive, foul language, he does not avoid provocative, accusative lines and statements. He uses both simple, common vocabulary and complex, sometimes sophisticated and difficult syntax. His dense lyrics (sometimes sung, sometimes rapped) contain a lot of social, religious and political criticism and commentary, but also relate to each other. He is known for his broad sense of humour, his lines are often hilarious, ironic, intertextual, intellectually and culturally involved. Previous works (both his own and his bands') are sometimes sampled or quoted directly. Some of his works are re-arranged, played by KNŻ and Kult. Two of Kazik's albums, "Melodie Kurta Weila i coś ponadto" and "Piosenki Toma Waitsa" are made up of cover songs of Tom Waits and Kurt Weil. These were released under his full name Kazik Staszewski, probably to distinct them from his original material.
Kazik never gives live shows of his solo recordings (except for the two tributes, which were made with a bit more "regular" line-ups, so could be presented on stage). Despite his doubtless popularity in Poland, his recordings don't appear too frequently in media, except for a few single promo tracks. Apart from his musical career he acted in off-movies and used to write columns for a popular Polish newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza.
Kazik has been releasing his records via S.P.Records label, which is owned by Sławek Pietrzak, his friend, a former member of Kult, a musician that appears occasionally on Kazik’s LPs.
Discography (solo albums only):
1991 Spalam się - probably the first rap album in Poland, although Kazik has been mostly recording rock music since then.
1993 Spalaj się! (double album)
1995 Oddalenie
1997 12 Groszy
2000 Melassa
2001 Melodie Kurta Weila i coś ponadto (as Kazik Staszewski)
2003 Piosenki Toma Waitsa (as Kazik Staszewski)
2004 Czterdziesty Pierwszy (double album)
2005 Los się musi odmienić
W Obliczu Końca
Kazik Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Są noce, kiedy rozumiesz lepiej
Jest czas, kiedy widzisz wszystko
Gdy boisz się: "To już blisko"
Są chwile, kiedy wiesz więcej
Są chwile, gdy widzisz lepiej
Są chwile, kiedy wiesz wszystko
Witaj tak, jakbyś pierwszy raz witał
Żegnaj tak, jakbyś widzieć już nie miał
Żyj życie, jakbyś miał już nazajutrz
Ze śmiercią twarzą w twarz stanąć
Są chwile, kiedy wiesz więcej
Są chwile, gdy widzisz lepiej
Są chwile, kiedy wiesz wszystko
Co tracisz i co zyskasz
Witaj tak, jakbyś pierwszy raz witał
Żegnaj tak, jakbyś widzieć już nie miał
Żyj życie, jakbyś miał już nazajutrz
Ze śmiercią twarzą w twarz stanąć
Bo...
Są chwile, kiedy wiesz więcej
Są chwile, gdy widzisz lepiej
Są chwile, kiedy wiesz wszystko
The lyrics of Kazik's song "W Obliczu Końca" (In the Face of the End) express the idea that there are moments in life when we learn and understand more deeply, when we see everything clearly, and when we become aware of the nearness of death. The song encourages the listener to greet each day as if it were the first, to say goodbye as if we might never see each other again, and to live as if tomorrow may not come. The lyrics also suggest that in these moments of deep understanding, we become more aware of what we are gaining and what we are losing. The repetition of the phrase "Są chwile, kiedy wiesz wszystko" (There are moments when you know everything) emphasizes the idea that there are times when we have a clear understanding of life and its meaning.
The song's chorus encourages the listener to face death with courage, to live life fully, and to embrace both the joys and sorrows that come with it. The phrase "Ze śmiercią twarzą w twarz stanąć" (To face death face to face) suggests that the end of life is inevitable and that we should not fear it, but rather embrace it as a natural part of the human experience.
Overall, the song conveys a message of wisdom and acceptance of life's impermanence, urging the listener to live each day fully and with intention.
Line by Line Meaning
Są dni, kiedy uczysz się więcej
There are days when you learn more
Są noce, kiedy rozumiesz lepiej
There are nights when you understand better
Jest czas, kiedy widzisz wszystko
There is a time when you see everything
Gdy boisz się: "To już blisko"
When you're afraid: "It's already close"
Są chwile, kiedy wiesz więcej
There are moments when you know more
Są chwile, gdy widzisz lepiej
There are moments when you see better
Są chwile, kiedy wiesz wszystko
There are moments when you know everything
Co tracisz i co zyskasz
What you lose and what you gain
Witaj tak, jakbyś pierwszy raz witał
Greet as if you were greeting for the first time
Żegnaj tak, jakbyś widzieć już nie miał
Farewell as if you were never going to see again
Żyj życie, jakbyś miał już nazajutrz
Live life as if tomorrow was certain
Ze śmiercią twarzą w twarz stanąć
To face death head-on
Bo...
Because...
Są chwile, kiedy wiesz więcej
There are moments when you know more
Są chwile, gdy widzisz lepiej
There are moments when you see better
Są chwile, kiedy wiesz wszystko
There are moments when you know everything
Contributed by Miles Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
brumborry
Zawsze jak sobie robię piwo-party z Youtube'm,nieważne jak bym nie błądził to i tak po 3 browarze trafiam na Kazika
Agnieszka Pawelska
Mam to samo <3
Smutny
mam tak samo jak ty :)
Brakpseudonimu
piwo party z yutubem to chyba znak naszych czasow
konsument
Kazek był wtedy w najlepszym wieku i formie
myszor111
Jeden z najlepszych utworów. Miażdżący swą prostotą tekst, który nikogo "nie puści" bez refleksji. Do tego ten "atak" klarnetu z podkładem. Ge-nial-ne. Kazo Mistrz.
Lucek Kalafiorek
@Marcin Braus Gustaw to jest takie troche gotyckie..
Marcin Braus Gustaw
no ten mix klarnetu ze skreczem to naprawdę mistrzostwo świata, nie wiem czy nie najlepszy kawałek kazika.
Angelika Antczak
Jeden z najlepszych teksciarzy piosekaszy I w ogole kocham kochm
wisienna
Lubię powracać do tego kawałka jest taki dotkliwie prawdziwy.