Karel Kryl- Democracy

Democracy flourish, albeit with a cosmetic defect:

those who steal over the years, now double steal,
those who tortured us for years, we throw the work,
and those who sing the truth, today had made a traitor.
Those who tortured us for years, we throw the work,
and those who sing the truth, today had made a traitor.

Democracy thrive without us and pragmatic,

we talk together for beer, as we have always grumbled,
pastor promised heaven and waiting for the property,
we will feed Forbes for two or three dimes
pastor promised us heaven and waiting for estates,
we will feed Forbes for two or three dimes.

Democracy prevailed, sings us Gott and Walda,

we eat without soybean fat at McDonald's uncle,
King Wenceslas is a bunch of shit with moneychangers under one roof
with a party on the gravy train meets.
King Wenceslas is a bunch of shit with moneychangers under one roof
with a party on the gravy train meets.

Democracy exists from Humenné to Aš,

velvet and tenderness in the Lord and teeth were broken off,
gave us the new harness and, although we Oxbow burns,
occupy positions, rather than standing.
They gave us a new harness and, although we Oxbow burns,
occupy positions, rather than standing.

Democracy matures into gastric ulcers,

without honesty, without the right and above whatever,
and it is a misconception private,
perhaps an optical illusion that the place has a heart,
stomach and soul instead of his mouth.
A misconception is that private,
perhaps an optical illusion that the place has a heart,
stomach and soul instead of mouth.

http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/karel_kryl/
http://www.musicology.upol.cz/www/iaspm/thelife.html

Karel Kryl, the interesting Czech folk singer was born on April 12th 1944 in the Moravian town of
Kroměříž where he also spent his infancy. His grandfather established a printing house in the town of
Nový Jičín. This was probably among the three best printers in the precommunist Czechoslovakia.
They printed works by the best-known Czech and Slovak writers and poets, for example Karel Čapek
or Jiří Deml, but they also printed many German books. Thanks to his surroundings Karel read many
books since his childhood and he loved literature very much. When he was 5 years old, the Communist
party won the general election in the Czechoslovakia, and a few months later he was forced to watch
while communist militia men destroyed their printing machines. His father had to go work in a factory.
Karel did not have many positive memories about people in his surroundings during his childhood. In
his writings he often recalled the scoffs of his school-mates, because he usually wore old, patched
clothes. They very often did not have enough money to buy new clothes, because of his father's
political inaction. They also lived in an old house with icebounded walls during each winter and with
many rats. In spite of such slightings and material trouble he had a place full of love in his family.
Though at school he usually made A's, he did not receive good references for his studies, because of
politics again. When he was 15 years old, after he finished his primary education, he went to the Treat
School of Ceramics in the town of Bechyně. There, in the dormitory, a happier period in his live began.
Karel made new friends, started learning playing the guitar and wrote a lot of verses for girls and
women he had admired. He made jokes about those years of his treat school many years later:" You
know, guy, if you are short and ugly, you must be interesting, at least." He also started playing in
amateur theatricals.
After he had passed his graduation exam, he worked in a factory and then, in 1963, he had to fulfill his
military obligations. "It was a terrible experience and a completely stolen time", said Karel Kryl about
it. His barracks were located in a former convent, that had been destroyed by the army. For the bulk of
his time in the army he worked as a draftsman. He was not an exemplary good soldier at all therefore
he was not granted much free time to go out. That is probably why he finally decided to volunteer at a
library in the barracks . He wanted to create an island of freedom there and he started calling the library
"Krylárna" which comes from his last name. There, in "Krylárna", soldiers read books, talked about
politicians and listened to news of the radio-station Free Europe. The station was jammed with special
machines in Czechoslovakia but they had good, non-interfered listening, because they could receive the
frequency of Free Europe from military radars. On the radio-station, there were nice songs, too.
Therefore they listened to them not just in "Krylárna" but they also released them for the local relay
radio in the barracks. Everything was all right, until one of the new station-monitors overslept and after
the songs ended, the news, which was forbidden, started to be broadcast. Kryl and several other soldiers
who were involved in that affair, received a punishment. Kryl and other barracks-mates also wrote a
play named "Nálet na blby" which means "The Raid On Idiots". The play showed in a very ironical
way the conditions inside the army and politics. The play was taken into consideration and its authors
went to perform the play in a general military competition. But then some judges realized, what and
whom the play was about. The play was prohibited in the end.
After completing his military obligations, Kryl worked as a scorcher in a ceramics factory and
continued writting his songs and poems. In that time he definitively established his style - singing
narrative songs with the simple accompaniment of his guitar. He never wanted to be an excellent
musician and words were much more important for him, than the music. Although the trend at that time
was to compose lyrics in English or in a kind of "English" dialect, Kryl preferred to use the Czech
language . This made it possible for such a narrative style as to bring across his message. In December
1966 he performed his songs in the Czech town of Litvínov. There, for the first time, they called him a
"protest-singer". Songs that he had written in that time, for example "Tráva" (The Grass) or "Anděl"
(The Angel), had a strong accent against militarization and war. Then he recorded some of his songs at
a local radio-station. He was very proud of himself and expected to be famous but nothing remarkable
happened. He still worked as a scorcher until he accidentally demolished a furnace.
Afterwards he left the factory, and a blues band asked him to write lyrics to their songs. Karel
lost the job in the end because the members of the band wanted English lyrics while Karel wanted to
write in Czech. Like many people in Czechoslovakia Karel did not speak English at all and did not
want to write anything, which would be impossible when using some borrowed, but not understood
English words and phrases. Then he changed several jobs and among others he worked as a helper at
Prague's TV-station.
The political climate in 1968 was rather relaxed, Karel gave several concerts and some of his songs
climbed the charts in Czechoslovakian hit-parades. But then, in August of 1968, the Russian army
started to occupy Czechoslovakia to bring politics in line with Russian policy. In response to the
Russian invasion Karel published a project "Bratříček" (Little Brother) with a very successful song
"Bratříčku, zavírej vrátka" (Little Brother, Close the Gate).
The situation in the field of politics and civil rights was gradually changing and people who did
not agree with the official politics, became "unconfortable". Several of Karel's concerts were canceled
and publication of his new book of verses was prohibited. In September 1969 Karel was very lucky and
received a 14-day´s visa to Western Germany where he took a part in a festival of folk singers. At the
same time the political situation worsened and politicians of the Eastern Block erected the Iron Curtain.
Karel would speak only Czech and Russian, he did not speak German at all, nevertheless he decided to
stay there and be free. His 14 days were extended to 20 years. Karel Kryl worked for the radio-station
Free Europe covering sports, and he had his own program about music and songs. He also wrote many
poems and songs there, recorded them and published his books, usually at his own expenses. In spite of
the big effort to jam the frequency of Free Europe, people in Czechoslovakia listened to this radio
station and they also learned Kryl´s songs. Many people recorded them secretly and wrote down the
lyrics. In paradox, some younger people including myself learned Kryl's songs in summer camps for
children that were organized by Czech Socialistic Association of Young People [ČSSM].
The record "Bratříčku, zavírej vrátka" seems to be definitively the most famous Kryl's album. It
was recorded just before he left Czechoslovakia. Kryl became a symbol of the struggle for political,
civil and social rights for many people.
After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, he moved back to Czechoslovakia. His concerts were a
great success and some people started to idolize and worship him. Kryl disliked this treatment and
publically condemned it. In interwievs made with him around 1990th he said he did not want to be a
kind of a living memorial. The euphoria of the Velvet Revolution gradually wore off and several
months later Kryl noticed deminished crowds at his concerts. He was satisfied with the fact. He knew,
that they were people who liked his songs and verses, not those, who wanted to see him as a living
rarity.
After the separation of Czechoslovakia into the Czech and Slovak Republics, Kryl together with
his wife decided to move back to the West Germany. He was never in agreement with the separation.
He said several times that his native country used to be Czechoslovakia and his lovely native country
no longer existed because of the stupidity of some people. He also said that both houses where he lived
and places he remembered before he escaped to the Western Germany, were demolished, so he simply
did not have any substantial remembrance of his former life. But neither in the Western Germany he
stayed for a long time. He died of cancer on March 3rd 1994. After his death he once again achieved a
legendary status. This was just before the general elections in the Czech Republic and suddenly many
politicians proclaimed Kryl as a good friend of theirs. At some political meetings his songs were sung
and quotations from his books were read. Kryl also received several posthumous prices for his songs. A
memorial CD entitled "Děkuji" (Thanks) is a good compilation of his songs from 1963 to 1994. The
CD also includes a cycle of several spiritual songs with the name "Carmina Ressurectionis". The best-
known song from this collection is definitively the song "Děkuji". Kryl's very good friend, abbot
Anastáz Opasek, said about the song:" If Karel had composed nothing but the song, his life would have
been worth living."
Little Brother, Close the Gate
Little brother, do not cry
those are not ghosts
those are just soldiers
they arrived in square, iron caravans.
With a tear on an eyelid
we watch each other
stay with me, little brother
I'm worried about you
on difficult roads
little brother, put on your shoes.
Ref.: It's raining and it is dark outside
this night will not be short
the wolf hunts for a lamb.
Little brother, did you close the gate?
Little brother, do not cry
do not waste your tears
swallow the angry words
and save your strength.
You mustn't blame me
If we do not finish the journey.
Learn this song,
it is not so difficult
lean against me, little brother
the road is destroyed
we will stumble over rocks
but we cannot go back.
Ref.: It's raining and it is dark outside...

Thanks
God created
Created a branch
So as I could make wreaths
Thanks
Thanks for the pain
That teaches me to question
Thanks
Thanks for the failure
That teaches me to work harder
So that I could bring a gift
Despite my weakness
Thanks, thanks, thanks Thanks

Thanks for the weakness

That teaches me to be humble
To be humble with joy
To be humble without any bondage
Thanks
Thanks for tears
That teach me to be sensitive
To be sensitive for those who suffer
Who suffer and cry out for mercy
Thanks, thanks, thanks
Thanks
Thanks for the desire for beauty
That gives me something to long for
Thanks for the fact
That love combats spite
For the sweetness
Sweetness of falling asleep
Thanks for the feeling of tiredness
For blazing of fire
For rushing of rivers
Thanks
Thanks for the thirst
That was revealed by my weakness
Thanks
Thanks for the torment
That inspires good deeds.
For the fact
That I love
Although my heart is constricted by anxiety
Lamb,
Thank you
You did not die in vain.
Thanks, thanks, thanks