Band is formed at the beginning of 2002 by Sebastian (guitars), Yonca (guitars) and Pablo (drums). Band's lineup is soon augmented with Taff (vocals). The project is a realisation of a certain vision - none of its founders have an ambition to start any new trends. All the founders are musicians with some experience under their belts, and ROOTWATER is no one's first band. Taff got famous with GEISHA GONER, Sebastian ran SPARAGMOS for 12 years, Paweł played drums in the Warsaw lineup of NEOLITHIC, and Yonca never tasted fame, but he played with everyone in this country. Six months of rehearsals in the former SPARAGMOS' rehearsal studio CONTRAS is the time spent writing songs for the band's first unofficial recording (demo - reh.). Rehearsal is recorded in July 2002, still without a bass player. In August 2002 Przemo (bass) joins the band and the lineup is at last complete. ROOTWATER begins playing live shows and immediately becomes one of the best live acts in Warsaw. After a series of rehearsals, some polishing touches and final arrangements of songs ROOTWATER enters the 'KOKSZOMAN & Złota Skała' studio at the beginning of October 2002, where it begins recording its debut. ROOTWATER's music is a crossover of various styles, ranging from heavy, hardcore riffs, thrash metal rhythms and mystical ambients to punk-style expression backed by Taff's charismatic singing.
The year 2004 starts with some major changes. After some musical and personal discrepancies Yonca leaves the band to join LICOREA as the second guitar player. Pablo's departure soon after that forces ROOTWATER to back out and regroup. After almost a year of looking for the right people the band returns with young but very talented guitar player Mike and former LICOREA's and BIAN's drummer Artur.
Hava Nagila
Rootwater Lyrics
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Matka mej matki kłamała, kłamała
Jej matka tak żyła, ty w ciszy żyj
Ojciec mej matki nie mówił nic
Oszczędzał jej bólu, oszczędzał jej krwi
Umarli, zdechli z nazwiskiem na –ski
Zmienieli na -ski, nazwiska na -ski
W ryj mi dawali za oczy nie te
Na dół ulicą, pomiędzy światłami
Spotykam twe oczy genami cuchnące
Nie mów nic, a w ciszy przejdziemy bez znaku
Jesteśmy holo-, holo-, holo-wnukami
Hava nagila, hava nagila, hava nagila, hava hej!
Miriam, matko mojej matki, Miriam
Popiół twego ciała w ziemi od lat
Poli kibuci bronuje nieświadom
Że brona co wiosnę popiołów tnie płat
W dupie mam to, czy zarżnął cię Polak
Czy zarżnął cię Niemiec, Rosjanin czy Żyd
Matkę mą, córkę swą rzuciłaś przez mur
Ja twojej śmierci do dziś noszę ślad
Nie obrzezali mnie i tajemnica matki trwa
Córka ochrzczona, o ciszę wszystkich dbam
Polska – nienawiść, ejwa ve ejma
Nienawiść i strach
Ata nizhar, ata yodea, ve chutz mimcha, ish lo shomea
Nigdy nie będę u siebie
Nigdzie nie będę u siebie
Nie przyznam się
Ma córko, zaśpiewaj, córeczko, zaśpiewaj…
Lirkod ve lehaki, ben sheli zimra
Lirkod ve lehaki, kulam lishmoa
Hava nagila, hava nagila, hava nagila, hava hej!
The lyrics to Rootwater's song Hava Nagila are a blend of different languages, emotions, and themes. The chorus of the song, "Hava Nagila, Hava Nagila, Hava Nagila, Hava Hej!" is a Hebrew folk song that means "let's rejoice." The first few stanzas, on the other hand, are in Polish and tell the story of the singer's mother, who lived a quiet life despite her own mother lying to her. The father of the singer's mother also kept silent and did not reveal the truth about the family's surname change. The singer's ancestors died with a last name that ended in "-ski," but it was changed to "-ski" to hide their Jewish identity. The singer was punished for revealing this secret, and the pain of this experience is still with them.
The second part of the song switches to Yiddish, a language often associated with Ashkenazi Jews. The singer talks about their great-grandmother, Miriam, and how her body has been buried for years. The kibbutz is trying to defend the land that is cultivated yearly from the ashes of her body against those who might harm it, regardless of whether they are Polish, Russian, German, or Jewish. The singer then addresses their mother, who left her daughter over the wall, and how the memory of her death still lingers. The singer was never circumcised, but the secrets of their mother still weigh on them.
Line by Line Meaning
Hava nagila, hava nagila, hava nagila, hava hej!
Let's rejoice, let's rejoice, let's rejoice, let's say hey!
Matka mej matki kłamała, kłamała
My grandmother lied, she lied
Jej matka tak żyła, ty w ciszy żyj
Her mother lived in silence, you live in silence
Ojciec mej matki nie mówił nic
My grandmother's father said nothing
Oszczędzał jej bólu, oszczędzał jej krwi
He spared her pain, he spared her blood
Umarli, zdechli z nazwiskiem na –ski
They died with a surname ending in -ski
Zmienieli na -ski, nazwiska na -ski
They changed their surnames to end in -ski
W ryj mi dawali za tę tajemnicę
They hit me in the face for that secret
W ryj mi dawali za oczy nie te
They hit me in the face for not having the right eyes
Na dół ulicą, pomiędzy światłami
Down the street, between the lights
Spotykam twe oczy genami cuchnące
I meet your eyes reeking of genes
Nie mów nic, a w ciszy przejdziemy bez znaku
Don't say a word, and we'll pass by silently, without a sign
Jesteśmy holo-, holo-, holo-wnukami
We are gran-, gran-, gran-, grandchildren
Miriam, matko mojej matki, Miriam
Miriam, my grandmother's mother, Miriam
Popiół twego ciała w ziemi od lat
Ashes of your body in the ground for years
Poli kibuci bronuje nieświadom
The Polish kibutz (commune) defends unconsciously
Że brona co wiosnę popiołów tnie płat
That the plow that cuts through ashes every spring
W dupie mam to, czy zarżnął cię Polak
I don't give a shit if a Pole killed you
Czy zarżnął cię Niemiec, Rosjanin czy Żyd
Or if a German, Russian or Jew killed you
Matkę mą, córkę swą rzuciłaś przez mur
You threw your mother and daughter over a wall
Ja twojej śmierci do dziś noszę ślad
To this day, I carry the trace of your death
Nie obrzezali mnie i tajemnica matki trwa
They didn't circumcise me and my mother's secret lives on
Córka ochrzczona, o ciszę wszystkich dbam
A baptized daughter, I care about everyone's silence
Polska – nienawiść, ejwa ve ejma
Poland - hatred, father and mother
Nienawiść i strach
Hatred and fear
Ata nizhar, ata yodea, ve chutz mimcha, ish lo shomea
You are careful, you know, but outside of you, nobody listens
Nigdy nie będę u siebie
I will never be at home
Nigdzie nie będę u siebie
Nowhere will I be at home
Nie przyznam się
I won't admit
Ma córko, zaśpiewaj, córeczko, zaśpiewaj...
My daughter, sing, my little daughter, sing...
Lirkod ve lehaki, ben sheli zimra
To dance and to rejoice, my son is my song
Lirkod ve lehaki, kulam lishmoa
To dance and to rejoice, everyone will hear
Hava nagila, hava nagila, hava nagila, hava hej!
Let's rejoice, let's rejoice, let's rejoice, let's say hey!
Contributed by William B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Czernoboh
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Text translation
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Translation results
My mother's mother lied, she lied
Her mother lived like that, you live in silence
My mother's father said nothing
He spared her pain, spared her blood
They died, they died with the surname being -ski
They changed to -ski, surnames to -ski
They gave me a mouth for this secret
They gave me the wrong eyes
Down the street, between the lights
I meet your gene-stinking eyes
Do not say anything and we will pass without a sign in silence
We are holo-, holo-, holo-grandchildren
Hava nagila, hava nagila, hava nagila, hava hey! x2
Miriam, my mother's mother, Miriam
Ashes of your body in the ground for years
Poli kibbutz defends the unconscious
That the harrow cuts the ashes every spring
I don't give a shit if you were slaughtered by a Pole
Did you get slaughtered by a German, a Russian or a Jew?
You threw your mother and your daughter over the wall
I have a trace of your death to this day
They have not circumcised me, and my mother's secret continues
My daughter is baptized, I care for everyone's silence
Poland - hate, ejwa ve ejma
Hate and fear
Ata nizhar, ata yodea, ve chutz mimcha, ish lo shomea
I'll never be home
I'm not gonna be home anywhere
/ I won't admit it
My daughter, sing, little daughter, sing ...!
Lirkod ve lehaki, ben sheli zimra
Lirkod ve lehaki, kulam lishmoa
Hava nagila, hava nagila, hava nagila, hava hey!
@zwierciadloart
Ktoś jeszcze słucha? Ciekawe czy po tych latach zostałem sam? 2023
@janlegiec7737
E tam 2023….
Wielka sobota 2024 🤘
@TheMarudaaa
Po latach wracam do tego zespołu, ogrom wspomnień 2024
@JamesRevan
I have always found it very amusing that the best music videos, when it comes to polish bands, are always from metal bands. The most popular polish bands outside of the country are metal bands, but the TV and radio promotes only the popular waste of space, trying to copy western style, pop music.
Thank the universe for the internet.
@Camilcornelivsrex
people in Poland drink alkohol and then listen disco polo becouse you need to be drunk or stupid to say that this genre of music is good. As PewDiePie says ,,trust me bro" i know what i'm talking about. I live in Poland. Hail to all metalheads!
@chantsofyore1943
there are many people who respect metal music in Poland, even those who listen to disco or hip hop
@uchicha666
Yeah but metalheads are in minority. At least they are not victimized as they used to be in past
@biziblanco
Exactly. The only good music made in Poland is rock music (especially from the 80's and the 90's), metal music and maybe just a few rap artists. The rest is S H I T T
@aleksandrahelenapasieczna6414
The lyrics can be easily translated, but not easy to understand for anyone who didn't face it. People here grow up and die not aware of their real roots. Not because of the antisemitism now, which is not really that strong. But because all the past is in our vains, I believe, and the previous generations feared what will happen to their children and grandchildren. Then, some of us, accidentally find out about the truth, started connecting the dots, and many mixed feelings, whys and hows, happiness and anger, all is coming to our minds.
@DeuceBoyBilly
Best version of Hava Nagila ever!! Love the manic sick sound...although i don't understand what they're singing it sounds very strong! I want that album!