Selma is a rock ballad recorded in former Yugoslavia by the influential Bosnian rock band

Bijelo Dugme () is a Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav Rock music, rock band, formed in Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1974. is widely considered to have been the most popular and the best-selling band ever to exist in the former S ...

. This song appeared for the first time on their 1974 debut album '' Kad bi bio bijelo dugme''.

Background

"Selma" is a song about a young girl traveling to university. The narrator is saying goodbye to her but is unable to express his feelings for her. All he can say is goodbye and please do not lean out of the train window. The text of the song was written by Vlado Dijak, a former Yugoslav poet and songwriter, based on a real event in 1949, when he accompanied Selma Borić, the young

Zenica Zenica ( ; ) is a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and an administrative and economic center of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Zenica-Doboj Canton. It is located in the Bosna (river), Bosna river valley, about north of Sarajevo. The ...

-born girl in which he was secretly in love with, to the train station in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

. Selma died in January 2021 at age 91. The music was composed by

Goran Bregović Goran Bregović ( sr-Cyrl, Горан Бреговић; born 22 March 1950) is a recording artist born in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is one of the most internationally known modern musicians and composers of the Slavic speaking countries in the ...

Versions

Studio version

The version that we hear on the record is approximately six minutes and ten seconds in length. The song has two verses, but the second verse is repeated for the 3rd verse. There is an organ solo done by organist Vlado Pravdić as well as guitar riffs played by Bregović. The song features

Picardy third A Picardy third, (; ) also known as a Picardy cadence or Tierce de Picardie, is a major chord of the tonic (music), tonic at the end of a musical Musical form, section that is either musical mode, modal or in a minor scale, minor key. This is ach ...

''Koncert kod Hajdučke česme'' version

For their 1978 live release '' Koncert kod Hajdučke česme'' the band had a much shorter version of the song. This version ran for only 3.5 minutes, and the second verse was not repeated. Also the organ solo played in the beginning and the middle of the song was not included thus shortening the song's length as opposed to the studio version. The song uses

Hammond Organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...

''Mramor, kamen i željezo'' version (1987)

The Third version of Selma was released on the band's third live album named '' Mramor, kamen i željezo''. Released as a double album, the material was recorded throughout 1987 during the band's tour in support of their album "Pljuni i zapjevaj moja Jugoslavijo." In this "naked" version, Bregovic took off organ as a previously dominant instrument which gave the song religious sense and decided to simplify the song, bass and drums were set as a main instruments. Although released on live album, the third version of Selma was made up in the recording studio. {{Bijelo dugme 1974 songs