29 November was “Dan Republike” (Republic Day), Yugoslavia’s national day.
Republic Day commemorated two important events on this day that shaped socialist Yugoslavia: the second sitting of the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ) in 1943 in the Bosnian city of Jajce, and in 1945 when the monarchy was abolished and the Federative People’s Republic proclaimed (later upgraded to “Socialist Federative Republic” status in 1963).
Since the fall of Yugoslavia, today has become a time for reminiscing the past, though in most cases that usually means blindly posting the 1987 song “Dan Republike” by Sarajevo band Zabranjeno Pušenje on social media profiles.
I say “blindly” because it seems most of the nostalgic ex-Yugoslavs who post this song, many of whom otherwise wax lyrically of socialist Yugoslavia being free of any ills and/or had not even been born at the time, have not paid much attention to the song’s lyrics.
Recorded when Yugoslavia was economically in bad shape (hyperinflation, constant strikes) and starting its descent into ethnonationalist destruction, “Dan Republike” captures the malaise that had set in at the time, providing a realistic picture of the lament of the song’s protagonist – Dragan, the singer’s former-partisan father – shared by many others. The ideals that the partisans had fought for and the imagery perpetuated in official tribute were simply no longer relevant. The song also touches on topics prevalent in Yugoslavia at the time – the widening generation gap, mass emigration and alcoholism – issues that are remain relevant today in the successor ex-Yugoslav republics. Despite this negativity, there’s still an underlying hope to the song that things will, or have to, come round.
Here are the lyrics:
Danas je Dan Republike
I stari je popio malo
Na televiziji Lepa Brena
I stari se sjeća ratnih vremena
Da bi danas bilo bolje
Oni su poturali svoja pleća
Gazili hladne rijeke
Jeli koru s drveća
Žao mu je što neki misle
Da je život negdje drugdje
I ne sanja se više stari san
Čekaju pasoš da odu van
(Chorus/Ref.)
Danas je dan, Dan Republike x 3
I stara kaže Dragane šuti
Skrati jezik mogu te čuti
Dan, Dan Republike
Danas je dan, Dan Republike
Danas je Dan Republike
I stari se sjeća ratnih dana
Žao mu je što se ni klinci
Više ne igraju partizana
Danas svako zna
Da je glava samo jedna
Danas svako zna
Pred kim pasti na koljena
Danas je Dan Republike i stari kaže
Otvorite prozore, pijan je i čini mu se
Da logorske vatre u daljini gore
Logorske vatre, u daljini gore
Chorus/Ref.
I stara kaže
Jesi l' normalan Dragane
Zatvaraj prozore, ne radi grijanje
Chorus/Ref.
I stara kaže Dragane šuti
Skrati jezik, mogu te čuti
Chorus/Ref.
In that case, “Dan Republike” is then the perfect song to remember Yugoslavia by.
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