Gavrilo

"Gavrilo" (Serbian Cyrillic: "Гаврило") is a an adaptation of a song performed by prominent Serb war singer Baja Mali Knindža. Much like "Morem plovi jedna mala barka" from Stan'te paše i ustaše, its original author is not properly credited with Baja taking sole authorship instead of using "odbrada" as seen in his future work.

"Гаврило"
Song by Баја–Мали Книнџа
from the album Рат и мир
English title	Gavrilo
Released	1993 (1993)
Genre	Novokompovana
Length	3:25
Label	SuperTon
Producer(s)	Цветин Тодоровић

Music and lyrics

While Baja took sole authorship of the song, "Gavrilo" is named after the original author, Gavrilo Princip the man who was responsible for the assassination Archduke Franz Ferdinand and is often blamed for the start of World War I. The song is adapted from the poem "Umiranje" (Serbian Cyrillic: "Умирање", lit. "Dying") written by Gavrilo Princip while he was in prison. The poem goes as follows:

"Umiranje"

Tromo se vreme vuče
I ničeg novog nema,
Danas sve kao juče,
Sutra se isto sprema.

Al‘ pravo je rekao pre
Žerajić, soko sivi:
Ko hoće da živi, nek mre,
Ko hoće da mre, nek živi.

I mesto da smo u ratu
Gde bojne trube ječe,
Evo nas u kazamatu
Na nama lanci zveče.

Svaki dan isti život
Pogažen, zgnječen i strt
Ja nijesam idiot
Pa to je za mene smrt.

Initially written in 1914, it was officially published posthumously on 17 March 1919 in the newspaper, Zvono. However over the years, the poem would go under other names, such as "Sarajevski atentat 1914" (lit. "Sarajevo Assassination 1914") and the more generic "Pesma Gavrila Principa". While the original poem would be etched on an object of some sort, it would end up being published in the paper as Gavrilo's friends were able to smuggle it out of prison. The second verse is a tribute to Bogdan Žerajić, a Serb who attempted to assassinate a Bosnian general four years prior and someone Gavrilo looked up to. There may have been more to the poem, though any potential material Gavril would have wrote the poem on are lost.

Being an adaptation, "Gavrilo" alters the original poem, though most of these changes are meant to benefit lyrical flow rather than modernizing it (see: "Za koga sam ratovao" and "Pješke idem iz grada"). The most change occurs on the second verse (which serves as the song's chorus), as the direct mention to Žerajić changes to an indirect one with the song now referring him to "Soko Sivi" (lit. "Grey Falcon"). In addition to the name change, the last two stanzas are rearranged.

Lyrics

Lyrics: Sporo se vreme vuče I ničeg novog nema Danas isto ko juče Sutra se isto sprema. Dobro je rekao Soko Sivi Mnogo godina pre: ko hoće da mre nek živi ko hoće da živi nek mre. Umesto da smo u ratu Gde bojne bombe jeće Evo nas u kazamatu Na nama okovi zveće. Dobro je rekao Soko Sivi Mnogo godina pre: ko hoće da mre nek živi ko hoće da živi nek mre. Svaki dan isti život Poguren, zgnjećen i strt Šta ja nisam idiot To je za mene smrt. Dobro je rekao Soko Sivi Mnogo godina pre: ko hoće da mre nek živi ko hoće da živi nek mre.

Lyrics (English): [TBA]