Grbavica (song)

{{Short description|1993/1997 song performed by Tifa}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Grbavica

| cover =

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| type = song

| artist = Mladen Vojičić Tifa

| album = Grbavica

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| released = 1993/1997

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| recorded = 1993/1997

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| genre = Rock ballad, Football chant

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| writer = Dragan Jokić

| composer = Mustafa Čizmić

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"Grbavica" is a Bosnian patriotic song recorded by Bosnian rock vocalist Mladen Vojičić Tifa for his fourth studio album of the same name (1997). It was written by Dragan Jokić and composed by Mustafa Čizmić.

Writing, composing and recordings

"Grbavica" was first recorded in 1993 by prominent Bosnian rock vocalist Mladen Vojičić Tifa, in Sarajevo under the siege, during the Bosnian War.{{cite web |title=Mustafa Čizmić: "Grbavicu" je napisao moj prijatelj Dragan Jokić |url=https://avaz.ba/showbiz/jet-set/258381/mustafa-cizmic-grbavicu-je-napisao-moj-prijatelj-dragan-jokic |website=Avaz.ba |accessdate=27 January 2019 |language=bs-BA}} After the war in 1997, following the song's huge popularity especially among Sarajevo residents, Tifa included Grbavica as the title song of his eponymous solo rock-album of the same name. The song also became the unofficial anthem for Sarajevo-based football club FK Željezničar Sarajevo, and the most popular chant amongst the club's main supporti group.

Popularity and receptions

Željezničar's main support group, The Maniacs, and its many affiliate sub-groups, perform Grbavica before the kick-off in every game at home stadium Grbavica.{{cite news | url=http://www.sarajevo365.com/tifa-ce-na-kosevu-bodriti-plave-svojom-pjesmom-grbavica/ | title=Tifa će na Koševu bodriti Plave svojom pjesmom Grbavica | publisher=sarajevo365.com | accessdate=13 August 2015}}

Background

Grbavica is an urban neighborhood in the city of Sarajevo, across the Miljacka river which cuts through the city's longitudinally. During the period of the siege in the war, from 1992 until reintegration in 1996, the neighborhood saw heavy fighting, with all of its non-Serb population murdered or expelled, while its many urban parts with architectural and public landmarks, such as the iconic Hotel Bristol and Grbavica Stadium, ended being burnt or razed to the ground. The stadium, home-ground of FK Željezničar, was hit by numerous large caliber and incendiary ammunition and ordnance from Bosnian Serb forces positions with heavy artillery, getting eventually incinerated. After initially bombing its pitch, it was turned into the front line and laden with many land-mines by Serb militias.{{cite book |last1=Klip |first1=André |last2=Sluiter |first2=Göran |title=The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia 2003 |date=2008 |publisher=Intersentia |isbn=9789050957946 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hCspAQAAMAAJ&q=grbavica |accessdate=27 January 2019 |language=en}}

Lyrics

"Grbavica" lyrics in Bosnian and English.{{cite news | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-hgE-SojMg | title=Tifa singing live Grbavica at the FK Zeljeznicar stadium - Tifa pjeva svojoj Grbavici | publisher=YouTube.com | accessdate=13 August 2015}}

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Lyrics in Bosnian||English translation
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Hej Grbavice, rano ljuta

Pritisla me teška tuga

Na trenutak i pomislim

Da si sada neka druga.

Hej Grbavice, bolna si mi

Iz daleka gledam ulice tvoje

Tamo su slike djetinjstva moga

Tamo je sve što je moje

Ko život cijeli Miljacka dijeli

Mene od krila tvog

I ne znam kad ću al' znam da ću

Doći do doma svog

A onda Željin, stadion gledam

Vidim ponos tvoj

Život ću dati, al' tebe ne dam

Jer ti si život moj

Ne budi tužna kad čuješ pjesmu

Bol što naša srca mori

Jer svaki od nas što pjesmu pjeva

Do zadnjeg se za tebe bori

Zbog toga bola kad sa Bristola

Na tebe gledamo

Zbog ove pjesme, nazad se ne sm'je

Nikom te ne damo

|width="25%" valign="top"|

Hey, Grbavica, open wound

A heavy sadness presses me down

For a moment I presume

That you're different now.

Hey, Grbavica, you're ailing

At your streets I gaze from afar

Where I left my childhood pictures

All is left there that is mine.

Whole my life, the Miljacka splits apart

Me from your lap

And I don't know when, but I know that,

I will come to my home.

And then I gaze at stadium Željo's

I behold your pride

I'll lay down my life, but never give up on you

For my life is you.

Don't be sad when you hear a song

The pain that slays our heart

Because each of us sings the song

Fights for you to the last.

For that pain, when from Bristol

We gaze upon you

For this song, there is no going back

We won't give you up to no one.

See also

References

{{Reflist}}