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When I Was Little lyrics and meaning

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Kolei buvau mažas, Dar mažutėlis, Kolei buvau mažas, Dar mažutėlis, Tada aš vaikščiojau, Tada uliavojau Pas motinėlę, Tada aš vaikščiojau, Tada uliavojau Pas motinėlę. Kai suėjau metų Dvidešimt pirmų, Kai suėjau metų Dvidešimt pirmų, Tada man reikėjo, Tada man reikėjo Į karą išjot, Tada man reikėjo, Tada man reikėjo Į karą išjot. Davė man karalius Pilkus drabužius, Davė man karalius Pilkus drabužius, Davė man karalius, Davė man karalius Pilkus drabužius, Davė man karalius, Davė man karalius Pilkus drabužius. Davė man mandierą Žaliosios spalvos, Davė man mandierą Žaliosios spalvos, Davė man mandierą, Davė man mandierą Žaliosios spalvos, Davė man mandierą, Davė man mandierą Žaliosios spalvos. Davė man karalius Bėrą žirgelį, Davė man karalius Bėrą žirgelį, Davė man karalius, Davė man karalius Bėrą žirgelį, Davė man karalius, Davė man karalius Bėrą žirgelį. Da ir prie žirgelio Tymo balnelį, Da ir prie žirgelio Tymo balnelį, Da ir prie žirgelio, Da ir prie žirgelio Tymo balnelį, Da ir prie žirgelio, Da ir prie žirgelio Tymo balnelį.

Meaning

This song can be understood as a recruit's song about the passage from childhood into military service. At the beginning, the singer says that while he was still small he walked about and made merry with his mother. This image can be interpreted as carefree childhood at home.

At the age of twenty-one, he had to ride to war. This turn can be understood as the compulsory taking of a young man into the army, breaking off his former life.

The song then lists what the king gave him: gray clothes, a green mandiera, a bay horse, and a leather saddle. These objects can be interpreted as signs of a soldier's clothing and new fate. This is one possible meaning, but the motif of moving from childhood to military service is clear in the song.

Symbols

Childhood with mother
The small child's carefree life at home. It marks a lost peace.
Twenty-first year
The age when the young man had to ride to war. It marks his taking into the army.
Gray clothes and green mandiera
The soldier's clothing given by the king. It marks the new lot of service.
Bay horse and leather saddle
The horse and saddle given by the king. They mark the signs of the soldier's campaign.

History

"When I Was Little" belongs to military-historical songs: it is a recruit's song about the transition from carefree childhood into military service. The song begins with an image of childhood beside the mother, and when the young man reaches twenty-one he must ride to war. It then lists what the king gave him: gray clothes, a green mandiera, a bay horse, and a leather saddle. The king's gift of clothing and a horse, together with the motif of being taken into the army, are typical features of this genre.

The specific place and time of recording are not given on this page, so the song is presented according to genre features; motifs of the recruit and soldier's clothing occur in various Lithuanian regions. The song's structure is held together by abundant stanza and line repetition, which strengthens the feeling of transition from childhood to service and lists the soldier's lot object by object.

Sources