Mieczysław Fogiel was born May 30, 1901 in Warsaw, then a provincial town in Imperial Russia. He spent his childhood there and, after graduating from a local gymnasium in 1922, he started working as a railway worker. About that time he also joined the choir of the St. Anne's Church. There his friend, Ludwik Sempoliński, made him join the classes of music organized by Jan Łysakowski, Eugeniusz Mossakowski, Wacław Brzeziński, Ignacy Dygas and many other notable Polish musicians of the epoch. Initially a hobbyist, in 1928 he met Władysław Daniłowski Dan, who chose him as a solist for his newly-formed Dan's Choir. The choir became extremely popular the following year when Jerzy Petersburski's song Tango Milonga became an international hit. This and other tangos and romances performed by the choir in the famous Qui pro Quo theatre led Fogiel to become one of the most popular Polish singers. After 1932 Fogiel, under a new pseudonym of Fogg, toured a number of countries, including Germany, Latvia, USSR, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Austria and Italy. In the United States the group toured 31 states.
His popularity was increased by the fact that Fogg was keen on languages and was able to sing in local languages of the countries he toured. He also appeared in a number of duos with other popular artists of the time, including Hanka Ordonówna, Stefcia Górska, Zula Pogorzelska and Adolf Dymsza. He also appeared in 11 films. After the Dana Choir was disbanded in 1938 Fogg started a solo career. The same year he was chosen as the most popular Polish singer by the Polish Radio. He toured the country with a trio composed of himself, Mira Zimińska and Tadeusz Sygietyński. Among the authors of his songs was also Marian Hemar.
After the outbreak of World War II Fogg remained in Warsaw, where he joined the underground Armia Krajowa. He gave concerts in the few cafes available to Poles under German occupation. During the Warsaw Uprising he gave countless concerts both on the barricades, in hospitals and in the bomb shelters beneath the city. For his efforts to keep high the morale of the soldiers and civilians of the fighting city he was awarded with some of the highest Polish decorations.
After the war, in 1945 he opened up his own cafe in the ruins of Warsaw. The cafe, located at Marszałkowska 119 Street, was the first music theatre opened after the war in the destroyed city and served as one of the very few centres of culture. However, the following year it was nationalized by the new communist authorities of Poland and closed soon afterwards. Fogg continued to give hundreds of concerts in all parts of Poland and also headed his private music record firm Fogg Records, which shared the fate of Fogg's cafe in 1951. His popularity as a singer remained high and in 1958 he was again chosen the most popular Polish singer by the audience of the Polish Radio - 20 years after he was given the same title for the first time.
He continued to give concerts almost until his death in 1990. Throughout his 60-years long career he gave more than 16,000 of them in all countries of Europe, Brasil, Israel, Ceylon, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the US. His everlasting popularity led to the creation of a number of anecdotes. In one of them, the Polish archaeologists supposedly discovered an Egyptian mummy. After they unfolded it, they were surprised by the mummy asking a short question: "Is Fogg still giving concerts?"
Mieczysław Fogg died in Warsaw on September 3, 1990. He is buried at the Powązki Cemetery.
Fascination
Mieczysław Fogg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kiedy Broadway lśnił gamą czerwonych gwiazd?
Rozkochanych par
Mijaliśmy moc
Co jak ptaki nocą wracają do swoich gniazd
Potem spacer przez Central Park
Ściana domów patrzących nam prosto w twarz
By zapomnieć ten wieczór nasz
Romantyczny ten starszy pan
Zapomina, że miłość ma też swój kres
Że minęły już
Wiosny jego dni
I że nie powinien miłości już widzieć łez
(2x:)
Wybacz, miła ma, słabość mą
Ale taka noc, gwiazdy, ty na tym tle
Zostaw mnie w pamięci na zawsze i w sercu swym
Bywaj zdrowa mi, żegnam cię
The song "Fascination" by Mieczysław Fogg is a nostalgic tribute to a beautiful night spent on Broadway. The lyrics open with the question whether the listeners remember that wonderful night when Broadway shone with a range of red stars. The street was filled with enamored couples passing by each other like nocturnal birds returning to their nests. The lyricist takes the listeners on a journey through Central Park, walking past buildings that seem to stare straight into their faces. It seems impossible not to appreciate the beauty of the night, as the chorus reflects the singer's sentiment of wanting to remember the night and the beloved on the background of the shining stars.
The second verse brings up the concept of age and the fear of the end; the lyricist describes a romantic older man who seems to forget that love has an end. The nostalgic tone of the song invokes a feeling of melancholy, but the overall message is to cherish moments of beauty and love that eventually pass. The song transcends time and place, appealing to anyone who has experienced a lovely, fleeting moment of passion and love that has stayed in their memory.
Line by Line Meaning
Czy pamiętasz tę cudną noc
Do you remember that marvelous night
Kiedy Broadway lśnił gamą czerwonych gwiazd?
When Broadway shone with a range of red stars?
Rozkochanych par
Couples in love
Mijaliśmy moc
We passed many
Co jak ptaki nocą wracają do swoich gniazd
Like birds returning to their nests at night
Potem spacer przez Central Park
Then a walk through Central Park
Ściana domów patrzących nam prosto w twarz
The wall of houses staring straight at us
Trzeba nie mieć duszy i serca artysty
You must not have an artist's soul and heart
By zapomnieć ten wieczór nasz
To forget that night of ours
Romantyczny ten starszy pan
This old man is romantic
Zapomina, że miłość ma też swój kres
He forgets that love also has an end
Że minęły już
That bygone are already
Wiosny jego dni
The spring of his days
I że nie powinien miłości już widzieć łez
And that he shouldn't see tears in love anymore
(2x:) Wybacz, miła ma, słabość mą
(2x) Forgive me, my dear, my weakness
Ale taka noc, gwiazdy, ty na tym tle
But such a night, stars, and you in the background
Zostaw mnie w pamięci na zawsze i w sercu swym
Leave me in your memory forever and in your heart
Bywaj zdrowa mi, żegnam cię
Farewell, my dear, be well
Contributed by Oliver R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MARIA LESCZYŃSKA
Piekna piosenka,wzrusza do łez...❤💕🤗
Marzena Bilska
ulubiony utwór mojego Taty 🖤
franka kitka
Łza się w oku kręci!!
Ania Tez
"Wybacz mi..., wybaczy i zapamiętaj... ZAWSZE KOCHAĆ I TYLKO KOCHAĆ NIE TYLKO TEN DOSKONAŁY GŁOS, ALE TYCH KOCHAJĄCYCH NAS💝💝💝 WSPANIAŁY UTWÓR ŚWIETNEJ JAKOŚCI DZIĘKI WYSOKIEJ KLASY SPECJALISTOM, KTÓRZY O TO ZADBALI🌻🌻🌻 BARDZO DZIĘKUJĘ🌻🌹🌻
Ania Tez
BARDZO DZIĘKUJĘ🎵🎵🎵
KOCHAM WAS ZA ŚWIETNĄ MUZYKĘ💝💝💝
franka kitka
♥️