Jasenovac i Gradiška Stara
Jasenovac i Gradiška Stara (transl. Jasenovac and Stara Gradiška) is a Croatian song promoting the Ustaše massacres in World War II.[1] The lyrics celebrate the holocaust in Croatia and genocide of Serbs at the Jasenovac and Stara Gradiška concentration camps and in Herzegovina.[2] The original author of the song is unknown.
Lyrics
| Lyrics in Croatian[3] | Lyrics in English |
|---|---|
| Jasenovac i Gradiška Stara,
to je kuća Maksovih mesara. |
Jasenovac and Stara Gradiška,
that is the house of Max's butchers |
| Kroz Imotski kamioni žure,
voze crnce Francetića Jure. |
Through Imotski trucks are rushing,
they are driving the Legion of Jure Francetić |
| U Čapljini, klaonica bila,
puno Srba Neretva nosila. |
In Čapljina there was a slaughterhouse,
many Serbs were carried away by Neretva |
| Oj Neretvo teci niza stranu,
nosi Srbe plavome Jadranu. |
Hey, Neretva, flow downhill,
carry the Serbs into the blue Adriatic. |
| Ko je moga zamisliti lani,
da će Božić slavit partizani. |
Last year who would have thought,
that the Partisans would be celebrating Christmas |
| Tko je reka, jeba li ga ćaća,
da se Crna Legija ne vraća. |
Fuck him who said that
the Black Legion would not return |
| Gospe sinjska ako si u stanju, | Our Lady of Sinj if you are able, |
| Oj Račane jeba ti pas mater,
i onome tko je glasa za te. |
Oh Račan, fuck you,
and whoever voted for you. |
| Sjajna zvijezdo iznad Metkovića,
pozdravi nam Antu Pavelića. |
Shining star above Metković,
greet for us Ante Pavelić. |
Controversies
In 2003, Matija Babić, a journalist at Index.hr, criticized the Croatian band Thompson for performing the song, as well as Croatian Radiotelevision, Croatia Records and other media for continuing to cover Thompson as a mainstream artist.[2] In 2007, Efraim Zuroff, while reporting in The Jerusalem Post on a Thompson performance at Maksimir Stadium, claimed that Marko Perković, the lead vocalist, gained notoriety for having performed the song which was overtly fascist, and criticized Thompson concerts as an occasion for a display of extremist nationalists.[4]
Perković first acknowledged, then later denied performing the song[1][2][5] stating that "he is a musician, not a politician".[6] An organizer for a Thompson tour of New York City in 2007 defended Perković, claiming the musician did not write the song nor is a copy available on any of his albums.[7] According to the Anti Defamation League, "various media accounts report that Thompson's concerts in Europe begin with the traditional 'war cry' of the Ustashe. Concertgoers, mostly young people, many wearing black shirts with Ustashe insignia and carrying banners with anti-Serb, anti-Jewish and anti-Roma rhetoric, often respond with Nazi salutes. Ustashe paraphernalia is allegedly sold at the concerts, as well."[6]
References
- ^ a b Barković, Neven (24 July 2018). "Thompson je davno priznao da je pjevao pjesmu o klanju Srba". Index.hr.
- ^ a b c Matija Babić (18 December 2003). "Thompson - domoljub ili fašist? Konačan odgovor je..." (in Croatian). Index.hr. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ "Thompson, Jasenovac i Gradiška Stara" (in Croatian). lupiga.com. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ Zuroff, Efraim (25 June 2007). "Ustasa rock n' roll". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ "PROUSTAŠKA KUKAVICA Tompson bezočno laže da nikada nije pevao o KLANJU SRBA i veličanju Jasenovca". Blic.rs. 17 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Backgrounder: Marko Perković and Thompson". Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ Lando, Michal (27 October 2007). "Croatian singer's alleged Nazi sympathies strike a sour note". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 21 October 2008.