Jožin z bažin
Encyclopedia
Jožin z bažin is a song
by Czech musician
and comedian
Ivan Mládek
, and is among his best known songs. He even called it the "National Anthem
" of his TV show "Countryshow". In January 2008, the song became popular in Poland
, winning several radio hitlists. It is also popular in Hungary
, Austria
and Russia
, sporting a cult following on blogs, and several versions of various translations. The song is a surreal
tale of a mysterious man-eating monster living in the swamps
(Jožin z bažin, Joey from the swamps). In the song, the monster is eventually defeated with the use of a cropduster. A Polish
cabaret
called Kabaret pod Wyrwigroszem created a parody
of "Jožin z bažin", entitled "Donald marzy" ('Donald dreams'), about the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk
. The Russian band Мурзилки International, made a Russian parody under the title "Путин едет в Пикалёво" ("Putin goes to Pikalyovo"), about Russia's former president and current prime minister, Vladimir Putin
. There is also Serbian version of the song: "Medo Brundo" - Brundo the Bear. The Ivan Mládek
Banjo Band
created a Polish
version of "Jožin z bažin". The nearest equivalent musical style in English is that of the Wurzels. Lithuania
had also created several parodies of the song, which are mainly about the country's most nefarious
politicians and their actions.
finds a village terrorized by a monster named Jožin, who eats mainly tourists
from Prague
. The chairman of the local collective farm (Czech: JZD) promises half of the JZD, and his daughter's hand in marriage, if the man defeats the monster. The man asks for a cropduster plane, the only known weapon against the monster, catches Jožin, and then decides to just sell him to a zoo
.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by Czech musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
Ivan Mládek
Ivan Mládek
Ivan Mládek is a Czech songwriter, composer, and comedian.-Biography:Ivan Mládek was born in Prague, where he spent most of his childhood. His father, a lawyer and painter, taught him to paint, but he preferred music and started his now-famous Banjo Band.The Banjo Band first performed in 1966...
, and is among his best known songs. He even called it the "National Anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
" of his TV show "Countryshow". In January 2008, the song became popular in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, winning several radio hitlists. It is also popular in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, sporting a cult following on blogs, and several versions of various translations. The song is a surreal
Surreal humour
Surreal humour is a form of humour based on violations of causal reasoning with events and behaviours that are logically incongruent. Constructions of surreal humour involve bizarre juxtapositions, non-sequiturs, irrational situations, and/or expressions of nonsense.The humour arises from a...
tale of a mysterious man-eating monster living in the swamps
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
(Jožin z bažin, Joey from the swamps). In the song, the monster is eventually defeated with the use of a cropduster. A Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
called Kabaret pod Wyrwigroszem created a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of "Jožin z bažin", entitled "Donald marzy" ('Donald dreams'), about the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk
Donald Tusk
Donald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician who has been Prime Minister of Poland since 2007. He was a co-founder and is chairman of the Civic Platform party....
. The Russian band Мурзилки International, made a Russian parody under the title "Путин едет в Пикалёво" ("Putin goes to Pikalyovo"), about Russia's former president and current prime minister, Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
. There is also Serbian version of the song: "Medo Brundo" - Brundo the Bear. The Ivan Mládek
Ivan Mládek
Ivan Mládek is a Czech songwriter, composer, and comedian.-Biography:Ivan Mládek was born in Prague, where he spent most of his childhood. His father, a lawyer and painter, taught him to paint, but he preferred music and started his now-famous Banjo Band.The Banjo Band first performed in 1966...
Banjo Band
Banjo Band
Banjo Band is a Czech band led by Ivan Mládek.-Members:*Ivan Mládek*Ivo Pešák *Jan Mrázek*Lenka Šindelářová*Lenka Plačková*Milan Pitkin*Libuše Roubychová...
created a Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
version of "Jožin z bažin". The nearest equivalent musical style in English is that of the Wurzels. Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
had also created several parodies of the song, which are mainly about the country's most nefarious
Nefarious
Nefarious may refer to:*Nefarious, an alias for rapper X-Raided*Nefarious, the bassist and vocalist for the band Macabre*"Nefarious", a song by Spoon from their 1996 album TelephonoIt may also refer to:*Count Nefarious, a character in Toonstruck...
politicians and their actions.
Story
The song is a parody on medieval tales, where a brave knight rescues a remote kingdom terrorized by a horrible monster, marries the princess, and receives half the kingdom as a reward. A man driving through the Czech region of MoraviaMoravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
finds a village terrorized by a monster named Jožin, who eats mainly tourists
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
from Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. The chairman of the local collective farm (Czech: JZD) promises half of the JZD, and his daughter's hand in marriage, if the man defeats the monster. The man asks for a cropduster plane, the only known weapon against the monster, catches Jožin, and then decides to just sell him to a zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
.