Ted and I had a drink between each set of the Bang on a Can Millenium marathon. We were pretty plastered and talking to everybody. Iva Bittova played-- running impishly between 5 or so microphones, just singing & violin. It was the first time I'd heard her. Ted's band Krakatoa had played at the same festival as her in Prague. By the time a security guard told us about the secret after-party (?) it was beyond question that we would sneak in.
We hid in the bathroom for about 1/2 hour until the party started when we not-slickly snuck in. After imbibing our complimentary drinks [yikesh] we were talking too much to too many people. It's a blur but I remember Pamela Z and Ralph from Ethel being super nice. Ted went up to a woman he thought was Iva Bittova and complimented her on her set. He told her he'd played with her in Prague. She told him she was not Iva Bittova and she was not impressed. I lost my jacket, and Ted got to meet about half of the Finnish yelling choir. We made complete asses of ourselves and I look back sentimentally upon it as one of the best nights of my 26th year.
Val from Krakatoa gave me this CD for my birthday. Thanks Val. It is one of the most beautiful albums I've ever heard in my young dumb life. I made a copy for Chris Cram and his wife Liz Hronkova and Liz was nice enough to translate the lyrics for me. If you think you know the Danish parts better, please email me. Cheers- Ben.
DISK I
Vzpominka (A Memory)
The snow was falling, for the cowards to their rooms
And for the powerful to their desolate end
The sparrows flew together and gathered
Rattling in the yard.
The tiny footsteps pressed
When they sat down in the snow
The snow, a cloud of hope
On the frozen rocks.
Here in the snow there were many stars
The flowers of the birds' paths were shining
And the village disappeared.
Only one child footprint
Like a wilting branch
It pressed itself in the cursed whiteness
And fell through as the snow began to thaw.
Uspavanka (A lullaby)
I'm a little hole of clean
Refreshing water
And a little silver bed of stars
During sweltering nights
Frightened does come to drink from
My shallow end...
And a little well
It never lies
Because every
Human lie
Will drown in the well
even if it's as big
As a tower
Sirka v louzi (A match in a puddle)
A black half, half white,
A sad little boat made of bark
Had a soul of fire
But it burnt out
She doesn't know when and because of who
Maybe between shadows of blame
Perhaps on the way home
Black, white foam
A thorn in a dream of poppies.
Feathers. Where are you, bird?
A thrown away match.
A death comes after tobacco
Sto let (A hundred years)
Sir, when my eyes fell upon you once.
I believe you in everything, I don't have to be frightened
But - that maybe your heart could perhaps grow cold
And completely torture
itself with time
My dear darling, if you love me so much
Perhaps you can hug me for a hundred years
Kdoule (firecrackers)
Burnt out firecrackers (hard fruit)
On the tablecloth,(fit to be bitten into)
Strange smells, (the hunger of the feast)
Copper hair.(Of the bitter taste)
A scented forehead,(The enchanted rock)
A kiss (between thorns.)
A smell of rust(the lanterns of)
A trembling heart.(Careful virgins)
The warmth of a palm,(the oil is poured)
Smells of smells,(the closed palm)
The pollen from the field(the shins and knees)
In the sunshine(are shining)
It gave us the fruit(the oil is cooling)
Wax and bees.(The fire isn't igniting)
The lips that burn,(the big and warm)
Won't gain moisture.(Are walking with lanterns)
Zeleny vinecek (a little green wreath) - this is a famous old folk song
A little green wreath is blossoming on my head
Some young lad wants it from me
Don't , don't ask me for it
You have to go and ask my mother for it
But my darling mommy should I give it to him
Or should I keep it a while longer so that it can keep blossoming
Moucha (a fly)
A black fly on the blanket
The spark of white inferno
Under which the sleep of lustful dreams
Is drawing symbols and words
Of six sharp little legs
Will fulfill the chaos of destiny.
Is licking the wounds of happiness
The souls of rainbows in the wings of flowers
Will fly away to the clouds
The thorn in the cursed ceiling
Tuned away, it will get lost on the ceiling
In a spider web? To vertigo.
A black spark under the heavens
Burnt out somewhere, is blinking, somewhere,
The rainbow of wings, frightened claws
A star is flying, above the dream of forests
DISK II
More (the sea)
The sea is a face so beautiful The sea is a swan, who is singing,
That the heart is red thunder which crushes stone
stumbling as though
it's on the waves...
next to the waves
next to the crustaceans (it churns its waves)
next to the stars in the sky (like a blue cradle)
next to the rain, next to the rainbow (like a golden bell)
next to the oyster (next to the rain,)
next to the rainbow<
next to the oyster
the sea full of fish fans out like (it fans out like a)
a peacock's tail (peacock's tail)
the sea is the shark's
stomach full of fish
the sea is a beautiful face.
Stary mlyn (the old mill)
The strangers are carrying the seeds
They're coming from faraway places
They don't stop at the gates
They're coming through them closed
As though through walls of smoke
In the evening fires
The mill is welcoming them with its long song
It's still yearning for them like the seeds of flour
Like the breath of bread
It's complimenting the shed
The charms of the whitening water
Gifts of fields to the paths and roofs
Je tma /it's dark)
It's dark
In the white bones of coldness and frost
You're the blood of my heart
My clay butterfly
Don't forget
Chury churuj - ("old, folk czech"???)
Get up Joanna your laughter (you see, the flame is shining)
Brightens the day (just stay for a moment)
White adorns you and gold (now it hid in your palms)
Lets out your dream (and is whispering...)
The butterfly was dancing with his wings (the gold accompanies you)
through the dream
You're rising with him (and you're looking there)
The brown color of your eyes (where autumn leaves are)
Is gazing towards the field of daisies (changing and)
again they're flying away from us
I'm singing myself this song further
It's white in us
That unbeaten path and is
Seducing me to you again
Zvon (bell)
The bell which knolls
The bell heart
My heart
knolls
The bell which knolls
My bell heart
Knolls
*** she's using "bell" as an adjective and it sounds as weird in czech as it
does in english...
huljet - sorry, this is danish here is my stab at it with the help of german
huljet --probably means cry....
cry, cry little child
something something still young
something spring until winter
is but a "cat's leap" (short time)