Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Jozin z bazin



It seems that this has been a massive viral hit so I may be a little behind the times, but I've been obssessed  by this You Tube film since I saw it a few months ago on Robert Popper's website. Apparently the singer, Ivan Mládek is something of a national treasure to Czechoslovakians and the song instantly familiar to millions of mittel European folk of a certain age. I even came across a Facebook group dedicated to spreading Jozin z bazin to the entire world. Ivo Pesák's dancing is an absolute joy, I certainly hope you're all doing it at home.

A translation that I can in no way vouch for runs like this:

I'm driving Skoda 100 to camp here on Orava.
That's why I'm hurrying, taking a risk - going through Moravia.
The monster lives there comes out of the bog.
Who eats mainly Prague citizens, his name is Jožin.
Jožin from the bog creeps through swamp,
Jožin from the bog closes in on the village.
Jožin from the bog edges it's teeth,
Jožin from the bog bites, strangles.
To defend against Jožin from the bog, who could imagine-
Only works an crop-dusting airplane.
 I crossed through the village of Vizovice
The village mayor greeted me, and said to me over some slivovitz
The one who brings Jožin in dead or alive
I'm going to give him my daughter as a wife as well as half of a collective farm
I said: give me an airplane and powder, mayor,
I'll bring you Jožin, I see no trouble about that
The mayor helped me, in the morning I went up in the sky
The powder from the aircraft prettily fell on Jožin.
Jožin from the bog is already all white
Jožin from the bog is escaping from swamp
Jožin from the bog hit the stone
Jožin from the bog it is the end of him
I caught him, I'm keeping him
Money is money, I'll sell him to Zoo