Bilo jednom u Hrvatskoj

Bilo jednom u Hrvatskoj (Once upon a time in Croatia) is an album of the Croatian singer Marko Perković Thompson. It was released on December 8, 2006.^[1]

All songs on the album were written by Marko Perković, with the exceptions of Lipa Kaja written by Zdenko Hršak and Tamo gdje su moji korijeni written by both M.P. Thompson and Fayo.^[2]

In 2007, 45,000 copies of the album were sold, making it Croatia Records' best-selling album of the year.^[1]

Songs

From the first songs the album almost qualifies itself as a historic, or better mythical Rock Opera about Croatia.

It begins with Početak, which starts with the opening lines from the Gospel of John and then continues with God's creation of the world and humanity's actions in it. It then continues with Dolazak Hrvata, or the Arrival of the Croats, which deals with how the Croatian people came to their lands. The third song Duh ratnika, is a dramatic dialogue between the M. P.Thompson and the ghost of a Croatian warrior. The warrior doesn't recognize Croatia, as it was in his dreams which he died for. The song is a call to make sovereign Croatia a nation to be proud of. It continue after with Diva Grabovčeva, a song about a legendary Croatian maiden from Rama, Bosnia and Herzegovina who refused to marry a Turkish bey during the region's Ottoman occupation, and was then killed. After it with Moj dida i ja the singer and author pays a moving homage to the man that educated him and taught him these old histories, his Grandfather. The first side of album ends with Neko ni'ko ne dira u moj mali dio svemira, a direct, energetic reply to the accusations about band's alleged sympathies with neo-fascism. I've fought for this land's independence, singer says and I've never asked to stranger's nothing more than her freedom, and now some lowly penmans, that were hiding themselves like rats during war, want to use me for red-tape press. I don't care about their accusation, only let's say all together "that no-one dare to touch my little part of universe".

The B-side begin with a love song (but with a patriotic meanings inside), "Lipa Kaja", it was previously edited as a single hit and it has become very popular, The song after Kletva kralja Zvonimira is about another popular Croatian legend. When the Croats betrayed their King Dmitar Zvonimir and killed him, Zvonimir cursed them so that they would never again have a ruler of their own blood. This curse was supposedly broken with Croatian independence in 1991, but now corrupt and coward politicians are betraying the country: they have sold out our dreams and now the curse words are echoing anew through the mountains and the back-up vocals also cry them back in a terrorizing climax.

Reached with this song, the verge of Drama, it is up to the subsequent song, Ratnici svjetla to solve it, resounding with commotion, pride and hope. It talks in fact about the fallen soldier's memory, asking personally to everyone to keep alive their memory and ends showing the figures of their brothers in arms, families and common people, banding together again with candles in their hands like "soldiers of light". There are still people who have not renounced dreaming and will keep on to the good fight.

Tracks

References