Antanas Sabaniauskas "Kodel Neatejai" 1933

"Why Didn't You Come"

Marie, say, why didn't you come?
I waited all day, I waited impatiently.
But really, Marie, why didn't you come?
I was longing for you, tell me where you were?
I am running out of patience,
and for you Marie--it's nothing but a laugh.
Marie, why didn't you come?
I waited all day for you so impatiently.

(Maryt, sakyk kodel neatejai,
as laukiau visa diena, as laukiau nekantriai.
Tikrai, Maryt sakyk kodel neatejai,
man ilgu buvo be taves,
sakyk man kur buvai.
Kantrybes man jau stinga, jau stinga.
O tau Maryt-- o tau tiktai juokinga.
Maryt, sakyk kodel neatejai, as laukiau visa diena,
Taves taip nekantriai.)

Antanas Sabaniauskas Lithuania's leading pop tenor, whose music was played throughout Europe, a wonderful and big-hearted man who died in obscurity, reviled by his government. The tragedy of Sabaniauskas life, parallels the tragedy of Lithuania. Occupied by the Russians with the collaborator Lithuanian government, Lithuania's greatest talents were judged by their love of freedom, rather than talent. When the war ended, Sabaniauskas was able to work as a singer in the Lithuanian National Opera chorus. In 1947, when the Communists found out who he was, he was fired. For the rest of his days he eked out a living doing menial jobs barely able to support himself and his family. In the 70s he was finally allowed to sing in clubs. Like so many things in our lovely little country, who knows how his life would have turned out, and how many people in the world might have enjoyed the singing of this amazing vocalist, had Lithuania remained free.

The last occupants of this riverside home perished deported to Siberia. The father died from eating boiled tree bark as a slave laborer in the Gulag, his wife perished soon after, and only his daughter survived to return to a newly-independent Lithuania.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Antanas
• Sabaniauskas
• Lithuanian
• music
• pre-WWII
• 1930's

[valdiboy1]

geras gabaliukas! A VERY HAPPY TUNE TO IT MAKES IT AL GOOD! I LIKE I LIKE! :):)

[AnaJilK]

Thanks Kostas for sharing... I am so glad you like voice of Antanas Šabaniauskas... And what about lyrics? There is a translation posted by the owner of the video...

[kostgian]

great ANTANAS......what voice!we bow to a genious........