During EMA 2019 — Slovenia’s national selection for Eurovision — Zala Kralj and Gasper Santl blazed a trail unlike any other. Set amid stars and harnessing an ethereal, ambient quality, they didn’t sing from their throats but from the deepest reaches of their souls. It’s no wonder they won in a landslide.
Zala’s voice — subtle yet somehow stirring — rises above the light electro production, creating a heady mix of spirituality and sensuality. This is all enhanced by the lyrics of the song, sung entirely in Slovene, which testify to the strength of the duo’s bond — and the capacity to love found in each of us.
What do the lyrics of “Sebi” mean?
The duo’s on-stage chemistry gives away the song’s meaning: this is all about the close connection between two people. It could be an intimate or familial relationship or just a friendship. Regardless of the nature of that bond, it’s deep and the pair will be damned if you can break it. For these two it’s very clearly a relationship of the romantic sort — and one showcased through intimate staging. The audience disappears as Zala and Gasper stare into each other’s eyes.
The rhythm and flow of Slovenian carries mystery and intrigue for non-native speakers. You feel it in “Ko so tvoje misli polne/ lahko poslušaš, kako mi bije srce/ ko težko je tvoje breme/ k meni se lahko zatečeš”. Unpack the meaning and you’ll discover a symbiotic relationship, where stress and strain pass from one to the other — as does the strength to carry on: “When your mind is full/ You can listen to my heart beating/ When your burden is heavy/ You can take refuge in me”
The lyrics make it clear Zala accepts Gašper as he is. Any perceived shortcomings he may feel mean little to her — he’s already perfectly formed in her eyes. When he falls they fall together. The solution isn’t to feel like a failure, but to realise the triumph is in being together. As she sings: “The stars are not always visible/ Stay true to yourself/ Don’t tell me to forgive you/ You don’t need to prove yourself/ The same tears and the same fear bind us.”
Despite all the setbacks the pair will face, Zala needs her man to know sometimes you just have to let go. Struggle and strife won’t always have a perfectly packaged message to walk away with or a lesson to glean: “Look at me, it’s not necessary that everything has a meaning.” Sometimes the act of being — and being with the one who cares most — is enough.
Sebi Lyrics / Translation – Zala Kralj and Gasper Santl
Original lyrics
Ko so tvoje misli polne
lahko poslušaš, kako mi bije srce
Ko težko je tvoje breme,
k meni se lahko zatečeš
Vprašaj, kaj me vodi dalje
so dosežki in razdalje
Kot list gre z vetrom in se mu upira
jaz grem s tokom in se mu upiram
Vedno se ne vidi zvezd
sam ostani sebi zvest
ne govori mi oprosti
Vedno se ne vidi zvezd
sam ostani sebi zvest
ne govori mi oprosti
Solze v tvojih so očeh
pusti, da tečejo
Ko najine želje so različne
sprejmeš me in sprejmem te
Poglej me
da ima vse pomen
Večnost in ta planet nista prijatelja
in jaz sem kot snežinka, ki čaka na pomlad
Vedno se ne vidi zvezd
sam ostani sebi zvest
ne govori mi oprosti
Vedno se ne vidi zvezd
sam ostani sebi zvest
ne govori mi oprosti
Ni ti treba se dokazovat
Vezejo nas iste solze, isti strah
Vedno se ne vidi zvezd
sam ostani sebi zvest
ne govori mi oprosti
Vedno se ne vidi zvezd
sam ostani sebi zvest
ne govori mi oprosti
Vedno se ne vidi zvezd
sam ostani sebi zvest
ne govori mi oprosti
Vedno se ne vidi zvezd
sam ostani sebi zvest
ne govori mi oprosti
Sebi – English translation
When your mind is full
You can listen to my heart beating
When your burden is heavy
You can take refuge in me
Ask me what keeps me going
It’s achievements and distances
When a leaf goes with the wind and resists it
I go with the flow and resist it
The stars are not always visible
Stay true to yourself
Don’t tell me to forgive you
The stars are not always visible
Stay true to yourself
Don’t tell me to forgive you
There are tears in your eyes
Let them keep falling
When our wishes differ
You accept me and I accept you
Look at me
It’s not necessary that everything has a meaning
Eternity and this planet are not friends
And I am like a snowflake that waits for spring to come
The stars are not always visible
Stay true to yourself
Don’t tell me to forgive you
The stars are not always visible
Stay true to yourself
Don’t tell me to forgive you
You don’t need to prove yourself
The same tears and the same fear bind us
The stars are not always visible
Stay true to yourself
Don’t tell me to forgive you
The stars are not always visible
Stay true to yourself
Don’t tell me to forgive you
The stars are not always visible
Stay true to yourself
Don’t tell me to forgive you
The stars are not always visible
Stay true to yourself
Don’t tell me to forgive you
What do you think of the lyrics to “Sebi”? Does the text take the song to another level for you? Let us know in the comment section down below!
This is poetry. Period.
What a contrast with Spain’s infuriatingly ridiculous, nonsensical lyrics (not to mention the abysmal musical quality of our entries). Thank God not a lot of people in Europe speak Spanish.
Year after year RTVE selects the absolute worst among candidates, the last few years it’s been embarrassing.
I love the way these lyrics see love, and not just the romantic kind. I appreciate every single part of the message. I also love the singer’s voice and the song’s style. I don’t know if it’s just me, but during the performance I think it was visible the two shared a wonderful bond.
My native language is Serbian, so listening to the song probably feels a bit closer to me than to native speakers of languages that aren’t so similar to Slovene, anyways I find it a cute language.
These are spectacular lyrics. The juries should reward them for that. Unfortunately, some juries seem too attached to find basic radiofriendly songs, ignoring any artistically risks taken.
Agree
Their OFFICIAL English lyrics are different and already on the internet.
It’s something like that:
You can’t always see the stars, just stay true to who you are. Etc
Still thanks for the article :*
Best lyrics of the year, hands down.
Slovenia is coming for top 3
Yaaaaas