# Mury (song)

Mury (Walls) was a sung poetry protest song written by Polish singer Jacek Kaczmarski in 1978. It was especially popular among the members 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. It has become popular among protesters in the aftermath of the 2020 Belarusian presidential election.
From May 2024, a typescript of the song from the collection of the National Library of Poland is presented at a permanent exhibition in the Palace of the Commonwealth.

## Inspiration

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.

## Solidarity's anthem

Despite its pessimistic conclusion (A mury rosły, rosły…, "And the walls grew, grew…") and, ironically, despite Kaczmarski's intention to criticise social movements for sometimes 'stealing' the words of an artist, the song's message of struggling for independence against oppression meant that Mury quickly gained protest song status and it was soon accepted nationwide as the unofficial anthem of Solidarity. Its refrain (Wyrwij murom zęby krat!, "Pull out like teeth the bars from the walls!") later became the signal of the underground Radio Solidarity and the most popular part of the song, while its last pessimistic part was often left out. Kaczmarski came to see this phenomenon as both a misunderstanding of the song's meaning and a vindication of the point he was making when he wrote it. Nonetheless it remains one of his most popular songs.
In 1987, after several years of severe repression by the communist regime in the People's Republic of Poland had managed to erode some of the support for Solidarity, and before the Polish Round Table Agreement of 1989, Kaczmarski expressed his disappointment with the disillusionment he saw in Polish society by writing 'Mury '87'. In this song, which is set to the same melody and which Kaczmarski referred to as an 'antonym' of 'Mury', he argues that instead of singing and hoping, people need to be taking action once again.
In 2005, 'Mury' was performed by Jean Michel Jarre jointly with the Gdańsk University Choir and the Polish Baltic Philharmonic during the concert Przestrzeń Wolności (Space of Freedom, 26 August 2005) on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the formation of Solidarity.

## Lyrics

| Mury | Walls |
| On natchniony i młody był, ich nie policzyłby nikt. | Young and inspired the singer was; Their numbers—too high to count. |
| On im dodawał pieśnią sił, śpiewał że blisko już świt. | With his song he gave them might; He sang that dawn was in sight. |
| Świec tysiące palili mu, znad głów podnosił się dym, | Thousands of candles lit his way; Smoke rose above, drifting away, |
| Śpiewał, że czas by runął mur... | He sang: time for the wall to fall... |
| Oni śpiewali wraz z nim: | And so, they heeded his call: |
| Wyrwij murom zęby krat! | Rip out the iron fangs from walls! |
| Zerwij kajdany, połam bat! | Break off the chains, may no one crawl! |
| A mury runą, runą, runą | And the walls will fall, fall, and fall |
| I pogrzebią stary świat! | Burying the old world once for all! |
| (x2) | (x2) |
| Wkrótce na pamięć znali pieśń i sama melodia bez słów | Promptly, they knew the song by heart, and the mere melodic part |
| Niosła ze sobą starą treść, dreszcze na wskroś serc i głów. | Bore a tale from days of yore; Sent shivers right to the core. |
| Śpiewali więc, klaskali w rytm, jak wystrzał poklask ich brzmiał, | Still they sang, clapped to the beat; Applause as a blast – loud and swift, |
| I ciążył łańcuch, zwlekał świt... | While chains lay heavy, stalling day... |
| On wciąż śpiewał i grał: | He still sang, come what may: |
| Wyrwij murom zęby krat! | Rip out the iron fangs from walls! |
| Zerwij kajdany, połam bat! | Break off the chains, may no one crawl! |
| A mury runą, runą, runą | And the walls will fall, fall, and fall |
| I pogrzebią stary świat! | Burying the old world once for all! |
| (x2) | (x2) |
| Aż zobaczyli ilu ich, poczuli siłę i czas, | Then they saw how many there were; They felt time was right and fair, |
| I z pieśnią, że już blisko świt szli ulicami miast | And singing that the dawn was near, marched out devoid of fear. |
| Zwalali pomniki i rwali bruk – "Ten z nami! Ten przeciw nam!" | They tore down statues, ripped up the stone – “This one’s with us, that one – begone!” |
| "Kto sam ten nasz najgorszy wróg!" | “And who’s alone, must be our gravest foe!” |
| A śpiewak także był sam. | Yet the singer was also alone. |
| Patrzył na równy tłumów marsz, | He watched the marching crowds align, |
| Milczał wsłuchany w kroków huk, | Went silent, lost in steps' hard grind, |
| A mury rosły, rosły, rosły | And the walls kept rising, rising tall |
| Łańcuch kołysał się u nóg… | Chains swung heavy, bound to all... |
| Patrzy na równy tłumów marsz, | He looks as the marching crowds align, |
| Milczy wsłuchany w kroków huk, | Goes silent, lost in steps' hard grind, |
| A mury rosną, rosną, rosną | And the walls keep rising, rising tall |
| Łańcuch kołysze się u nóg... | Chains swing heavy, bound to all... |
| (Instrumental chorus and hum of chorus) | (Instrumental chorus and hum of chorus) |