Józek z bagien – 30 years old Czech hit loved by the Poles

Polish people found the music video at youtube, which was made 30 years ago by Ivan Mladek and his group ‘The Banjo Band’. They equipped the video with Polish subtitles. The popularity, which the video after gained in Poland, was sudden and huge. (click to see the video)

_{The music video on youtube is available with Polish subtitles. Ivan Mladek on the left acts mostly serious, the guy on the right does funny dance.}

The Poles like Czech humor, especially the kind of humor where Czechs make fun of themselves. And they know the things the songs is about – Jozin eats especially Prague citizens, Skoda 100 is an old car still used in Eastern Europe. We have similar

experience, we can laugh at the same things. Ivan Mladek himself is glad, because of sudden Polish media interest, but as he has never stopped playing, the thing that matters for him is whether there will be a tour in Poland.

ENGLISH lyrics of Jozin z Bazin:

1. I drive Skoda 100 to camp here on Orava So I hurry, take a risk – go through Moravia The monster lives there, comes out of the bog Eats mostly Prague citizen, its name is Jozin (Joseph)

Chorus: Jozin from the bog creeps through swamp Jozin from the bog closes to the village Jozin from the bog edges its teeth Jozin from the bog bites, strangles To defend Jozin from the bog, who could imagine, only works a plane with manure (white powder)

2. I was driving through the village on road to Vizowice The village mayor greeted me, said to me during drinking Sliwowica (DIY plum vodka) ‘The one who will bring Jozin dead or alive gets my daughter and a half of National Agrarian Farm

Chorus: Jozin…

3. I said: ‘give me a plane and powder, mayor, I’ll bring you Jozin, I see no trouble about that’, Mayor helped me, in the morning I went up in the sky The powder from the plane prettily fell on Jozin.

Chorus: Jozin… …I got Jozin, I seized him, Every penny is fine, I’ll sell him to a Zoo.