Zabranjeno Pušenje ("No Smoking") was/is a Yugoslavian garage rock band fro… Read Full Bio ↴Zabranjeno Pušenje ("No Smoking") was/is a Yugoslavian garage rock band from Sarajevo, closely associated with the New primitivism cultural movement and the radio and television satire show Top Lista Nadrealista. They were one of the most popular musical acts of the 1980s in Yugoslavia, selling hundreds of thousands of records. During the Yugoslav wars, members of the band separated, and two off-shoot bands continue to work in Sarajevo/Zagreb and Belgrade. The Serbian version of Zabranjeno Pušenje (the one lead by dr Nelle Karajlić) is now called Emir Kusturica & No Smoking Orchestra while the Bosnian group still exists with the same name. The band was formed in 1981 in Sarajevo by a group of friends who worked on the early radio version of Top Lista Nadrealista. Contrary to the then prevalent punk rock and new wave, Zabranjeno Pušenje created a distinctive garage rock sound with folk influences, often featuring innovative production and complex story-telling, sometimes even dark premonitions of war. They went on to record four albums and tour the country extensively, occasionally sparking controversy and even getting into trouble with authorities for their, usually mild and sympathetic, criticism of the socialist system, and the habit of making light of issues considered sensitive at the time.

After the band's popularity reached new heights in late 1980s, spurred on by the televised version of Top Lista Nadrealista, the Yugoslav Civil War which saw the breakup of the band, with one off-shoot continuing to work in Belgrade (now under the name No Smoking Orchestra, at first using an original name), and the other in Zagreb, using the original name. Nevertheless, many of the songs of Zabranjeno Pušenje have attained an anthemic status and their music remains popular across former Yugoslavia.

Meteor
Zabranjeno Pušenje Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Idem uz aleju, kiša kapa
U grudima mi struje dva Ðerdapa
Na vrhu me èekaš, zasjedu spremaš
Htjela me, ili ne, svejedno je

Ne grli me, oko vrata mi je žica
Ne ljubi me, jezik mi je zmija otrovnica
Leða me svrbe od noževa,

Lice mi grubo od pogleda
Poljubit æeš me, ili ne, svejedno je

Vjeruj mi
Moja je želja jedina
Da se vinem put visina
I da tamo gore visoko
Sagorim kao meteor

Ne želim da volim, nisam spremam
Ne želim da mrzim, vremena nemam
Ne želim da imam putanju,
Ja sam prvak svijeta u lutanju
Vjerovala, ili ne, svejedno je

Vjeruj mi
Moja je želja jedina
Da se vinem put visina

I da tamo gore visoko
Sagorim kao meteor

Overall Meaning

The song "Meteor" by Zabranjeno Pušenje tells the story of a person who is walking down a street in the rain, feeling the pain of two different emotional struggles within their chest. They are headed towards someone who is waiting for them at the end of the street, someone who may or may not have feelings for them, but regardless, they are waiting with an ambush. The singer of the story is cautious, knowing that the person waiting might try to hurt them, so they keep a distance and a barrier between them, even though they crave their embrace. The singer is battling within themselves, not wanting to love or hate, not wanting to have direction in life, drifting, free, and without purpose.

The chorus of the song is where the singer's true desire is revealed. They want to rise, to ascend to the heavens, and to disappear like a blazing meteor. The metaphor of the meteor suggests that the singer wants to be remembered, to stand out, even if it's just for a brief moment.

Overall, "Meteor" is a complex song that speaks to the pain of emotional battles, the desire for something more, and the struggle to find a place in the world. It's a song about wanting to make a lasting impact, to be remembered, and to be seen.

Line by Line Meaning

Idem uz aleju, kiša kapa
I am walking down the alley, rain is dripping on me

U grudima mi struje dva Ðerdapa
There are two power plants flowing in my chest

Na vrhu me èekaš, zasjedu spremaš
You are waiting for me at the top, preparing to ambush me

Htjela me, ili ne, svejedno je
Whether you wanted me or not, it doesn't matter

Ne grli me, oko vrata mi je žica
Don't hug me, a wire is wrapped around my neck

Ne ljubi me, jezik mi je zmija otrovnica
Don't kiss me, my tongue is a venomous snake

Leða me svrbe od noževa,
My back itches from knives

Lice mi grubo od pogleda
My face is rough from stares

Poljubit æeš me, ili ne, svejedno je
You will kiss me or not, it doesn't matter

Vjeruj mi
Believe me

Moja je želja jedina
My only wish