She became famous in 1973 with the song "Małgośka" with lyrics by Agnieszka Osiecka. A year later, during the World Cup Opening Ceremony in Munich, she performed a song "Futbol" (Football).
The singer's body of work comprises over 600 recorded songs, with over 20 polish albums as well as albums in English, Czech, German and Russian. Apart from "Małgośka" the artist's most famous songs are "Niech żyje bal" (Long Live the Ball*), "To już było" (This has already been), "Wielka Woda" (The great water), "Rozmowa przez ocean" (A talk over the ocean), "Bossanova do poduszki" (A bedside bossanova), "Łatwopalni" (flammables) and her latest album's hits such as "Wszyscy chcą kochać" (Everybody wants to love) and "Będzie co ma być" (What ought to be, will be). In 2005 she recorded an album "Kochać" (to love) with lyrics by Katarzyna Nosowska. On the occasion of World Cup 2006, she recorded a song "Za Janasa" (For Janas) with the same songwriter's lyrics.
Maryla Rodowicz had performed in concert worldwide: in Europe, America, Australia, and Asia. She has won many awards for her singing. She has also articipated in various festivals including outside the borders of Poland, for example in Oklahoma City, Los Angeles, and Tulsa, as well as in Poland including "Festiwal Piosenki i Piosenkarzy Studenckich" (The Student Songs and Singers' Festival) in Krakow and at "Krajowy Festiwal Piosenki Polskiej" (The National Polish Song Festival) in Opole.
Rodowicz is also an actor who has performed in several movies and musical entertainment. She regularly performs in a Polsat TV channel series "Rodzina zastępcza" (A Foster Family).
In 1992 she released her autobiography under the title of "Niech żyje bal" (Long Live the Ball*).
*Ball, as in party, not the spherical object.
Pol oddechu
Maryla Rodowicz Lyrics
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W pół oddechu wyjść
Wykrzyknikiem strasz
Cofnij mnie spod drzwi
Bo wybiegnę w noc
Bo sie porwać dam
Byle komu do
Klepię życie jak różaniec
Jak paciorki bliźniacze dni
Smaku! Jak w opłatku mi brak
Z butelki sączyć chcę abstrakcję
Zrobić skok w namiętność - na łęb
Dreszczy deszczu mi brak
Nie pozwalaj mi.
Tonie słońce w horyzoncie
Mnie zalewa proza, ech!
Rymów! Jak w wierszu mi brak
Gdzie motyle kolorowe
Fale, pod sercem sztorm
Pustka! Byle ćmy nawet brak.
Nie pozwalaj mi.
The lyrics of Maryla Rodowicz's song "Pół oddechu" convey a sense of urgency and desperation, as well as a longing for something more meaningful and passionate in life. The repeated phrase "Nie pozwalaj mi" (Don't let me) suggests a plea to someone, perhaps a lover or a close companion, to not hold the singer back from pursuing their desires.
In the first verse, the singer asks not to be allowed to leave "w pół oddechu" (half-breath) or in a hasty, incomplete manner. The use of the exclamation mark and the command "cofnij mnie spod drzwi" (pull me back from the door) imply a fear of the unknown and a desire for someone to keep them grounded.
The second verse indicates a willingness to run into the night and be carried away, regardless of the consequences. The phrase "byle komu do, byle gdzie na złość" (to anyone, anywhere, out of spite) suggests a rebellious attitude and a craving for excitement or rebellion against perceived restrictions.
The following lines "Klepię życie jak różaniec, jak paciorki bliźniacze dni" (I count my life like a rosary, like twin beads of days) reveal the singer's approach to life. They see life as a series of repetitive actions, monotonous and lacking true fulfillment. The comparison to a rosary, a religious object used in prayer, suggests a sense of emptiness or dissatisfaction.
The lyrics continue with metaphors and vivid imagery, such as "Z butelki sączyć chcę abstrakcję" (I want to sip abstraction from a bottle), indicating a desire for something elusive and intangible. The longing to make a leap into passion ("Zrobić skok w namiętność - na łęb") and the absence of the shiver of rain ("Dreszczy deszczu mi brak") further emphasize the singer's yearning for intensity and emotional experiences.
The third verse highlights the singer's disillusionment and resignation. The drowning sun in the horizon represents a loss of hope and inspiration. The absence of rhymes ("Rymów! Jak w wierszu mi brak") and the colorful butterflies and waves that typically symbolize beauty and freedom, are replaced by emptiness and an absence of meaning.
The final line, "Pustka! Byle ćmy nawet brak" (Emptiness! Not even moths exist), further emphasizes the singer's feeling of nothingness and the lack of even the smallest traces of beauty or purpose.
Overall, "Pół oddechu" expresses a yearning for something deeper and more passionate in life, while simultaneously acknowledging the mundane and empty aspects of existence. It reflects a desire to break free from restrictions and embrace intensity, but also a resignation to the harsh reality of emptiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Nie pozwalaj mi
Do not let me
W pół oddechu wyjść
Leave halfway breathless
Wykrzyknikiem strasz
Frighten with exclamation marks
Cofnij mnie spod drzwi
Pull me back from the door
Bo wybiegnę w noc
Because I will run into the night
Bo sie porwać dam
Because I will let myself be carried away
Byle komu do
To anyone
Byle gdzie na złość
Anywhere, just to defy
Klepię życie jak różaniec
I count life like a rosary
Jak paciorki bliźniacze dni
Like beads of twin days
Smaku! Jak w opłatku mi brak
Taste! I lack it like a communion wafer
Z butelki sączyć chcę abstrakcję
I want to sip abstraction from a bottle
Zrobić skok w namiętność - na łęb
Take a dive into passion - headfirst
Dreszczy deszczu mi brak
I lack the shivers of rain
Tonie słońce w horyzoncie
The sun is drowning on the horizon
Mnie zalewa proza, ech!
Prose is overwhelming me, ech!
Rymów! Jak w wierszu mi brak
Rhymes! I lack them in my poem
Gdzie motyle kolorowe
Where are the colorful butterflies
Fale, pod sercem sztorm
Waves, a storm under my heart
Pustka! Byle ćmy nawet brak.
Emptiness! Even moths are missing.
Nie pozwalaj mi.
Do not let me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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