Polish Anti-Communist Solidarity Song - Mury

''Mury'' (Walls) was a sung poetry protest song written by Polish singer Jacek Kaczmarski in 1978. It was especially popular among the workers of Solidarity (NSZZ Solidarność) and is one of Kaczmarski's best known songs. It became a powerful symbol of the opposition to the communist regime in the People's Republic of Poland and was sung at countless rallies, meetings, protests and strikes throughout Poland during the 1980s.
The lyrics for Mury were written in 1978 to the melody of the song L'Estaca by the Catalan singer Lluís Llach, which Kaczmarski heard on one of several Spanish records he borrowed from a friend in December of that year. The intention of Kaczmarski's lyrics was to examine how a song or poem can cease to become the 'property' of the author after it is 'stolen' by the masses, who may appropriate it for a particular cause even if it wasn't the author's intention in the first place. In this context, the song can be interpreted as supporting the Polish or Catalan struggle for independence, but also as a critique of certain aspects of mass social movements.

[Tantrum]

God bless Poland!! I am from the USA and I love Poland! Poland forever!

[OnkoRz]

Rest in peace to all who have fallen under the communist tyranny.

[fallout]

When your party wins 99 out of the 100 seats in the parliament

[polish]

Pamiętamy bohaterów Rewolucji Solidarności !
Niech żyje III Rzeczpospolita Polska 🇵🇱

[marianoitaliano]

To me this message is: It is not enough to be free. Afterwards one has to take this freedom and make it working. The freedom is not a gift that is forever given. It is a constant work.

[bartoszmarek]

Tylko, że większość nie pamięta o ostatniej zwrotce...

[tygra]

"Mury" is not an anti-communist song, nor is it a "Solidarity song". It is pro-individualistic and anti-collectivist at the same time.

This song is about an artist who creates a song, and then it is taken from him by a mindless mob, and the meaning of the song becomes distorted and used as a "symbol of revolution" - In the end, the crowd decides who is with them, who is their ally and who is against them. For them, a person who is alone, who is an individualist, is their worst enemy - and the artist is alone. Which makes him an enemy of the mindless mob.

the last verse of the song basically says that the Revolution did not lead to freedom, but to another, even worse slavery ("And The walls were growing, growing, growing, The chain was dangling at the feet")

when "Solidarity" sang this song, they very often deliberately skipped the last verse - This stripped the song of all its meaning. They knew that this song was against ALL Mass Movements - Both communists movements and the anti-communist movements - Both Against Solidarity and the Communist Gov - So they did, what their fictional counterparts in the song did - They skipped the last verse and basically Distorted the meaning of the song.

Basically this song Jinxed it's own fate.

[MrAdy]

Down with the communism! We will never forget! Greetings from Romania.

[olgachrzan]

It isn't anti-Comunist song...
*Jacek Kaczmarski said that he wrote "Mury" in 1978 as a song about distrust of all mass movements. He expressed dissatisfaction with the misunderstanding of the song through the song "Mury'87 Podwórko".

[cvetkoiztriglav]

As a catalan, this song for me it's an ode to our folks, to the homeland, a patriotic song...that's why I love this polish version. All my solidarity and support to the belarussian people! Freedom for Belarus! freedom for Catalonia!

[silocz]

Líbí se mi polština. Posílám pozdrav z Čech. / Lubię język polski. Wysyłam pozdrowienia z Czech.

[belarusian]

Давай разрушим эту тюрьму!
Здесь этих стен стоять не должно!
Так пусть они рухнут, рухнут, рухнут!
Обветшавшие давно.
И если ты надавишь плечом,
И если мы надавим вдвоём,
То стены рухнут, рухнут, рухнут
И свободно мы вздохнём!

[БатькаМахно-йу]

Россия будет свободной. Наверное меня от нервного срыва только эта песня и спасает, на пару с Noize MC. Вот прошли выборы и поганая моль нарисовала себе 87% голосов. Пусть рисует и дальше игнорирует реальность. Она встретит его сама. Алексей Навальный умер в тюрьме, так и не дожив до момента, к которому нас вел. Что бы ему точно не понравилось - так это то, что люди сдадутся. Этого делать нельзя, ради себя и будущего своего, своих детей и внуков. Сторонники вымирания человечества вроде Слуцкого и Проханова продолжат брызгать своей желчью. Но люди останутся людьми, хоть насильно в них пропаганду пихай, человечность и совесть не уничтожить. Стены рухнут. Лехе Валенсе, Анне Вылентынович и всем, кто пострадал от авторитаризма и боролся с ним - огромное уважение.

[NaticzkaKaminskaHenryDolphin]

There is often so much confusion about this song. Here are facts: Kaczmarski and LIach wrote it together. Here is a story: The song Mury ("Walls") was written by Polish singer-songwriter and poet Jacek Kaczmarski in 1978. He composed the lyrics to the melody of L'Estaca, a Catalan protest song by Lluís Llach. Kaczmarski was inspired by Llach's music, and he was friends with him.

Mury was intended as a reflection on how artistic works can be appropriated by mass movements, it quickly became an anthem for the Polish opposition, particularly the Solidarity movement, symbolizing resistance against the communist regime in the People's Republic of Poland during the 1980s.

Despite Kaczmarski's original intent, the song's powerful message of struggle and hope resonated widely, leading to its adoption at rallies, protests, and strikes across Poland. Its refrain, "Wyrwij murom zęby krat!" ("Pull out like teeth the bars from the walls!"), became especially iconic. Interestingly, the song's final, more pessimistic verses were often omitted in public performances, which Kaczmarski saw as both a misinterpretation and a testament to the song's impact.
Mury remains one of Kaczmarski's most renowned works and a significant piece of Poland's cultural and political history.

[skotnica]

Trzeba docenić jak pieśń ta jest idealnym opisem rewolucji komunistycznej, od początku do końca.

[mpmp]

Freedom for belarus 🇵🇱🇵🇱❤❤🇧🇾🇧🇾 real belarusians speak almost 100% same language as polish

[neilgoloy]

I just love it when the songs you upload stir the emotions! God bless the people of the great nation of Poland! Thank you so much!

[kingneptune]

Poland will always stand up against Russian communist tyranny. 🇱🇻🤝🇵🇱

[paraoczek]

The best thing about this song is that its final message is that the revolution failed. The people were taken over by rage, the slogans became dogmas, they turned against each other because they believed in their case too much. And this is exactly what happened in real life. Solidarność people were singing it at the top of their lungs, ignoring the final part because the chorus was just too powerful (much to the author's despair). Now the same people that overthrew comunism are policing themsleves over who is a russian agent, who is a comunist, calling eachother traitors and dividing political scene, as the country slowly slips back to putin's sphere of influence. This song goes beyond itself and is written in the lyrics as well as in the real world events. In Poland it is common to believe that the song has not ended yet, and the final test if Poland escaped Russian imperialism for good is still ahead of us. We are yet to see how the song ends.

[getmanteam]

Russia will be free! Long Live Belarus!