Ne volim te Alija
| "Не волим те Алија" | |
|---|---|
 Still from official music video. | |
| Song by Баја Мали Книнџа | |
| from the album Живеће овај народ | |
| English title | I Don't Like You, Alija |
| Released | 1993 |
| Genre | Novokompovana |
| Length | 2:55 |
| Label | Nina Trejd |
| Producer(s) | Жељко Грујић |
"Ne volim te Alija" (Serbian Cyrillic: "Не волим те Алија", lit. "I Don't Like You, Alija") is the fifth track and opening to side B in the 1993 album Živeće ovaj narod, written and performed by Serb war singer Baja Mali Knindža. It quickly became very popular and ended up as one of his most recognizable songs. Both wartime concerts we have footage of[1][2] and select post-war concerts still have the song in their setlists, although theres no evidence of the song being performed after 2009. The song has also been released on the live albums Sve za Srpstvo, Srpstvo nizašta and the unofficial live album Kralj mijenja kralja, car mijenja cara, as well as the compilations Koktel srpskih pevača and Moje najljepše, one naše !? Vaš Baja Mali. Journalist Risto Đogo also included the song in a skit mocking Bosnian television, which aired on both Republika Srpska television and Yugoslav television.[3]
In the present day, "Ne volim te Alija" would gain infamy in online circles due to the song criticizing Alija Izetbegović, the then-president of Bosnia and Hercegovina. Its legacy on the internet is one of controversy as it is either used as evidence to portray Serbs in a negative light or misinterpreted as gloating about war crimes,[4] much in the same way as the Koridor song, "Oj Alija, Aljo". This campaign worked as uploads of the song are either age-restricted or removed[5], with Nina Trejd's uploads of the song being removed for guideline violations.
Music and lyrics
"Nisam politički opredeljen i ni jedan narod ne mrzim. Ali, kad su mi zaklali ujka i ujnu, zarobili rođenog brata i poubijali prijatelje od bola sam uzviknuo: 'Ne volim te, Alija!' Pesme je posvećena samo njemu i krivo mi je što je pogrešno shvaćena"
— Baja Mali Knindža, in Biljana Đukić, Na narodnom talasu, Sabor Magazine (13 September 1993)
Baja claims that, contrary to popular belief, the song's aim was not to discriminate Bosnians nor demoralize soldiers. Written as a response to the loss of Baja's close family and friends, as well as the capture of his brother, "Ne volim te Alija" was meant to be a direct criticism of the president.
The song itself references a lot of battles and events in the war to mock Bosnian losses of territory, as well as Alija himself.
The first verse begins with a call to the Bosnian president, "Oj Alija odnijela te voda", which directly translates to "Oh Alija may the water take you" and is a direct insult calling for Alija's downfall/death. It is followed by the first territorial mention of the song, "je l' ti žao Bosanskoga Broda" to mock the loss of, then Bosanski Brod which was taken over by Serb forces in October 1992.
The line "sijetiš li se Prijedora i Sane,/i Kozarca što je s' desne strane" was made to mock Bosnia for losing the city Prijedor and village Kozarac in May/April 1992 and in general having the Sana area fall into Serb hands.[6] The lines "je l' ti žao Bosanskoga Broda" and "bole li te Brčko i Bijeljina" reference Operation Corridor 92, being a strategic victory for Serb forces, again mocks losses of territory. The end of the first verse, "drhte ruke oko Banja Luke", is a reference to the strategic importance of Banja Luka, the capital of Republika Srpska, and it being unreachable for Bosnian forces at the time.
In the chorus, Baja uses the word "Balija" to directly insult Alija. The term Balija has its origin in the 19th century being used as a derogatory word for Muslim farmers in regions of todays Bosnia and Hercegovina. In the 90's the term was predominantly used by Serbs and Croats to refer to Muslims in a derogatory way. Baja also says that Alija "destroyed a peaceful dream", painting him as the main culprit for the outbreak of civil war in Bosnia. The chorus ends with the line "nosila ti Drina sto mudžahedina svaki dan". The use of the word "mudžahedin" is both a way to refer to Bosnian soldiers in a derogatory way and to reference the ARBiH unit 5689 (known by its other name, el-Mujahid). The unit consisted of foreign fighters and was often used to showcase the might of the Bosnian Army.[7] Baja addresses Alija, telling that the river Drina may carry hundreds of his dead soldiers a day. This line was changed in war-time live performances of the song to "Nosila ti Sana 500 muslimana" which can again be interpreted as the Sana river carrying 500 dead soldiers. However, this can also be seen through a more nationalistic light as the word used here is "muslims", which is broad enough to mean muslims in general.
The line "kvragu dali i Maglaj i Jajce" is a reference to losing the "Maglaj finger"[8] from a Croat and Serb joint effort and Jajce falling to Serbian sources due to ammunition supply running out.[9] The mention of Goražde and Višegrad is a reference to the continuous siege of the towns.[10][11][12] "Oj Alija tvoju li ti sliku" is a euphimism for "Oj Alija jebem li ti sliku" which directly translates to "Oh Alija fuck your image/likeness". "Gdje su zelene beretke u Zvorniku" is a reference to the Green Berets (who previously occupied Zvornik) being driven out by Serb forces.[13][14] The line "biće naše Novo Sarajevo" comments on Novo Sarajevo, a part of Sarajevo that has existed since the 60's, which Baja claims will be a part of Republika Srpska.
Music
The song was arranged by Slavko Mitrović "Cale" and follows his general and folk style. It is fast-paced and uses an accordion as the lead instrument, with simple drums and bass. The iconic motif used for the intro and instrumental parts shares a striking resemblance to a motif used in the Dragana Mirković song "Sto ću čuda učiniti", which was released 4 years earlier in 1989.
Music video
Baja, with his arms around a band of girls are in an office, with Baja starting to dance and the girls following along when the song is playing. When he sings "drhte ruko oko Banja Luke", he shows his hands and shakes them. The girls join Baja and sing the chorus with him. When he sings "kvragu dali i Maglaj i Jajce" he has his hands out, and head down. When he sings "oj Alija tvoju li ti sliku", he is seen saying the intended graphic line, which also causes the girls around him to smile. His head is down with a tense expression, as if he is shouting it. He follows it up with "gdje su zelene beretke u Zvorniku," he raises his hands with a smirk. When he sings the line "zapjevaću dugo nisam pjevo, biće naše Novo Sarajevo", he backs up and his arms shoot in the air. When he finishes singing the song, he collapses, arms still around the girls. Throughout the video, wide shots and close-up shots of either Baja or any of the girls are changed in intervals.
Lyrics
Lyrics:Oj Alija odnijela te voda |
Lyrics (English):Oh Alija, may the water take you |
References
- ↑ Elli Bar Ludwigsburg, Baja Mali Knindza, 23.09.1993. GornjaCrkvina. 6 February 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ↑ (Uzivo 1993) Baja mali Knindza. SrbijoMatiNasa. 3 April 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ↑ Најава програма Зелене ТВ. debeljaca1. 31 December 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ↑ Ne Volim Te Alija – Baja Mali Knindža. wartime yugoslavia. 10 September 2023. Archived from the original on 1 December 2023.
- ↑ Baja Mali Knindza - Ne Volim Te Alija (Generacide Tape). Generacide. 21 July 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ↑ Сана и Приједор у одбрани Коридора. debeljaca1. 12 March 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ↑ Schindler, John R (1 January 2007). Unholy Terror: Bosnia, al-Qa’ida, and the Rise of Global Jihad. Zenith Press. ISBN 0760330034. pp.164-167
- ↑ "Muslims hit hard as Croats and Serbs unite: Bosnia's 'Maglaj finger' is cut off as Zepce falls to new allies". Independent.co.uk. 02 July 1993. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ↑ Jajce falls to Serbian forces. UPI. 30 October 1992. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ↑ Лице и наличије Горажда - ратна репортажа. debeljaca1. 8 August 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ↑ Schindler, John R (1 January 2007). Unholy Terror: Bosnia, al-Qa’ida, and the Rise of Global Jihad. Zenith Press. ISBN 0760330034. p.87
- ↑ Вишеград 1993 - ратна репортажа. debeljaca1. 9 December 2022.
- ↑ ГЛОЂАНСКО БРДО КОД ЗВОРНИКА 1992. zlocininadsrbima.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ↑ Борбе у Подрињу - Зворник, Шековићи 1992. katera.news. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.