Lombard is a Polish pop-rock band with a history of popularity. Over its history, the band has released 27 albums and 17 singles, altogether building a lasting history of productivity and popularity. The band’s current lineup includes Grzegorz Stróżniak (keyboards, vocals, lead), Marta Cugier (vocals), Daniel Patalas (guitar), Michał Kwapisz (bass guitar), and Mirosław Kamiński (drums).
Lombard’s existence dates back to 1981, when it was founded under the name Scandal (Skandal). The band recorded three singles and debuted with “No Profit, No Loss” (“Bez zysków, bez strat”). In the summer of 1982, the band gained popularity with the album Death Disco! (Śmierć dyskotece), which would reach a gold ranking and sell more than 400,000 copies. However, this album was recorded amid increasing team tension and personal conflicts; by the time the band began touring in the fall, it had a new lineup, including a new drummer and vocalist.
The band kept up an intense schedule of recordings and tours until the beginning of 1986, when they decided the schedule was unsustainable and they took a break. After a six-month break, they were back in business, embarking on a series of concerts in Poland and a tour in the Soviet Union.
The band’s tenth anniversary in 1991 lead to a “greatest hits” album and another string of concerts before another suspension of activity starting in June 1991. They returned with a beer commercial in 1994. In 1997, the band was truly back in business, returning to regular performances.
In 2004, Lombard entered the political realm with a charity concert at a United Nations event in Israel. In 2005, they supported the campaign Law and Justice (Prawa i Sprawiedliwości) with the Polish Spring (Wiosna Polaków) series of concerts. In 2008, they participated in a performance called In Tribute to Solidarity—Roads to Freedom” (W hołdzie Solidarności—Drogi do wolności) for the anniversary of the Pacification of Wujek, a conflict between striking miners and the Polish army and police forces that was connected with the beginning of martial law in Poland in 1981. Two band members visited the miners and entered the mine to see the working conditions there.
Since then, Lombard has continued to play regularly and maintain a fan base. It recently celebrated its 35th anniversary, for which it released the album Lombard Swing (original title in English).
Lombard’s early hit “No Profit, No Loss” (“Bez zysków, bez strat”):
Lyrics for “Bez zysków, bez strat”:
W czterech ścianach zamknięty
Obszar, przestrzeń i dal
Wiele miejsca na sprzęty
Mało miejsca na żal
Dwie wskazówki od nowa
Kreślą lata i dni
Wiele czasu na słowa
Mało czasu na łzy
Bez zysków, bez strat
Jakoś idzie, wciąż jeszcze gra
Bez plusów, bez wad
Jedno łóżko i stół – jeden świat
Источник teksty-pesenok.ru
Jeden stół, dwa pokoje
Wspólny portret bez ram
Chleb dzielony na dwoje
Zawsze smak ma ten sam
Mokry bruk, drzewa mokre
Deszcze ciągną od wzgórz
Gdzieś daleko za oknem
Został nasz rejon burz
Bez zysków, bez strat
Jakoś idzie, wciąż jeszcze gra
Bez plusów, bez wad
Jedno łóżko i stół – jeden świat
And a later hit, “Road to Freedom”:
Lyrics for “Road to Freedom”:
Feels like I’m a shadow
So many heroes
(Wiemy – zrujnowany jest kraj)
(Ale to nie krasnoludki go zrujnowały)
(Lecz system sprawowania władzy)
(Nie ma wolności) (x2)
(Ogłaszam, że w dniu dzisiejszym ukonstytuowała się)
(Wojskowa Rada Ocalenia Narodowego)
Some people, they’ll never change
They’ll go around and that’s their way
Some people, they’ll never change
Talking, talking without any sense
(Rada Państwa)
(W zgodzie z postanowieniami konstytucji)
Some people, they’ll never say
It was a really big mistake
Some people, you’ll never know
They seem to be like winter’s snow
Feels like I’m a shadow
So many people cold as ice
(Nadal jeszcze czujemy na plecach oddech Stalina)
Feels like I’m a shadow
Too many people cold
Nobody gonna stop, stop
Road, road to freedom
Nobody gonna change, change
(Powstanie Zrzeszenia było wyrazem buntu)
(Wobec braku perspektyw życiowych)
Some people
(My, Naród)
(We, the People)
People
Everything changes
(Nie może być Europy sprawiedliwej)
(Bez Polski niepodległej na jej mapie)
So many people good like God
Feels like I’m a shadow
So many heroes
Road, road to freedom
Road, road to freedom
Change, change
Nobody gonna stop, stop
Road, road to freedom
Nobody gonna change, change
Road, road to freedom
Road, road to freedom
Nobody gonna stop, stop
Road, road to freedom
Nobody gonna change, change
Nobody gonna stop, stop
Change, change
Road, road to freedom
Nobody gonna stop, stop
Road, road to freedom
Nobody gonna change, change
This entry was written by Helen Herring, a finalist for a Home and Abroad Scholarship through SRAS.
