Parni valjak ("Steamroller") is a Croatian and former Yugoslav rock band, f… Read Full Bio ↴Parni valjak ("Steamroller") is a Croatian and former Yugoslav rock band, formed in 1975. They were one of the top acts of the former Yugoslav Rock scene, and one of the top rock-and-roll bands in Croatia.

On their first record, the members of the Zagreb group said that they were a rock 'n' roll band. They then proved it with numerous successful live appearances. On their second album, they promised that they were willing to go headlong through walls, while on their third album, the first to be internationally distributed, they said that they were city kids who beside being musicians were fond of stories.

The fourth album "Vruce igre" ("Hot games") which was like it predecessor recorded in the CBS Milan studios dwelt on the favorite themes of the founding members, singer Aki Rahimovski and guitarist/composer Husein Hasanefendic. To cool things down, they went to Sweden to record the next, prophetically titled album "Vrijeme je na nasoj strani" ("Time Is On Our Side") but there was no way to keep the steam down and in the Eighties and Nineties "Parni Valjak" (in Croatian "Steam Roller") fulfilled all the promises of previous albums, all of which went gold or platinum and achieved sales in the millions. The current group has played together since 1988.

During the recording of the album "Sjaj u ocima" the rhythm section was rejuvenated and infused with new musical ideas with the arrival of bass player Zorislav Preksavec and drummer Drazen Scholz, who joined the remaining founder members Hasanefendic and Rahimovski. This winning team which has claimed by far the most "Porins", the Croatian music awards, was joined in 1988 by the keyboard player Berislav Blazevic and the actual crew was completed in 1991 with the arrival of the lead guitarist Marijan Brkic. The twentieth anniversary of the group was celebrated by recording the excellent unplugged retrospective "Bez struje - Live in ZeKaeM" (1995), definitive proof that the public reaction to Husein Hasanefendic's songs does not depend on the amount of electricity used and the warmth of the plugs. The undiluted striving for musical progress and the highest standard of musicianship attracted the attention of the managers of the powerful company "Warner Chapell", which has represented "Parni valjak" since 1996 throughout Europe and manages their publishing rights worldwide.

After a successful experiment with different instrumentations on "Bez struje - Live in ZeKaeM", the group on the next album "Samo snovi teku uzvodno" (1998) again leans on a pronounced guitar based rock sound.

The same features are present on "Zastave" (2000) but the album that celebrated the twenty fifth anniversary of the group activity has inspired Hus to write several brilliant songs in which he has confronted mature life experience with youthful ideals.

The last studio album was "Pretezno suncano" (2004), and their last public performance in 2005 was a concert on New Year's eve in Ban Jelačić Square in Zagreb, CroatiaZagreb, Croatia though they stated that more concerts may be held in future. In November 2009, they began a reunion tour in Croatia, performing in nine Croatian cities, finally ending the tour on December 26, 2009.

Aki Rahimovski, the band’s lead vocalist, died on 22 January 2022, at the age of 66. After a year of touring with various singers, they hired Igor Drvenkar as a new lead vocalist, immediately releasing new single "Moja glava, moja pravila"

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Parni Valjak Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dakle, ja imam nešto što želim da ti dam,
Pruži mi šansu da pokušam.
U ovim godinama, zaboga,
Stvarno nema smisla da to radim sam.

Slaba hrana, sve me se prima.
Ljeti vruće, a zimi zima.
Ne mogu više kao nekada,

Jedva dva-tri puta i opadam.

Nađi mi ime kakvo god znaš!
Nađi mi ime kakvo god znaš!

Pazi! Ja nemam stas, al' imam glas,
I strašno volim kada pali bras.
Sjeti se mala imam čaroban prst,
Kada te diram kao da sviram.

Koristim začin, poznajem svijet,
Garantiram sasvim siguran let.
Sve teče glatko kao po pruzi,
Navigator Esnafa tebi na usluzi.

Nađi mi ime kakvo god znaš...

Overall Meaning

The song "Navigator" by Parni Valjak is about a man who wants to have a chance with a woman he loves. He feels that he has something to offer her and it wouldn't make sense for him to do it alone while he could have her by his side. The constant references to the challenges he faces in his daily life such as weak food, seasonal changes, and weakness in his own body, work as a metaphor for his own character flaws. He admits that he can't do things the way he used to and needs help to hold onto things/people he cares about.

The most interesting part of the lyrics is the way the singer portrays himself as a navigator who can steer the woman to safety through all of life's challenges if she gives him a chance. The line "Sve teče glatko kao po pruzi, Navigator Esnafa tebi na usluzi" means everything will run as smoothly as the train tracks with him as the navigator. The word "Esnaf" in this context refers to a skilled worker or artisan, meaning that the singer is confident in his abilities, skills, and knowledge of how the world works.

Line by Line Meaning

Dakle, ja imam nešto što želim da ti dam,
So, I have something that I want to give you,

Pruži mi šansu da pokušam.
Give me a chance to try.

U ovim godinama, zaboga,
In these years, for heaven's sake,

Stvarno nema smisla da to radim sam.
It really doesn't make sense to do it alone.

Slaba hrana, sve me se prima.
Weak food, everything affects me.

Ljeti vruće, a zimi zima.
Hot in summer, and cold in winter.

Ne mogu više kao nekada,
I can't do it like I used to anymore,

Jedva dva-tri puta i opadam.
Just two or three times and I fall apart.

Nađi mi ime kakvo god znaš!
Find me a name, any name you know!

Pazi! Ja nemam stas, al' imam glas,
Watch out! I don't have a figure, but I have a voice,

I strašno volim kada pali bras.
And I love it when the brass gets going.