Nobl: A Dive into
Identity and Aging Through Konstrakta’s Lens

Intro
The piano makes my small apartment look noble*
Brown wood and a golden sign - Petrof*,
Etude* my daughter plays, and I listen
And then, we feel noble*

Verse 1
I also have a map of the Adriatic Sea above the piano
The map makes me think of Italy
"Come stai," tutti frutti*
colpo grosso, Sorrentino*
Young Pope - season two, Sharon Stone - episode five*
And Sharon doesn't do Botox
Sharon Stone doesn’t do Botox
And Sharon doesn’t do Botox
She once said she locked herself in the bathroom
Took a bottle of wine and stood straight in front of the mirror
Sharon Stone doesn’t do Botox

Chorus 1
She looked at her face in the mirror
She looked at her body and cried, and cried, and cried
She looked at her face in the mirror
She looked at her body and cried, and cried, and cried

Transition
Tonight, I’ll try
The mirror in my bathroom
I’m in my forties
I have wine in the pantry
Felicità, na-na-na-na-na-na
Felicità

Verse 2
I also have a picture in a lovely frame, oil on canvas
French painter Fay
born in 1912
Like my grandma, Desanka
Fay in Paris paints cities in the mist
Desanka in Glibovac reads fortunes from liver*
The picture makes me think of Paris, where I haven’t been
Pointless, sitting and learning the language for twelve years
Endings for present and future, times past, present, and future
I enter, I entered, I will enter
I enter, I entered, I will enter
Tonight into the bathroom with a bottle of wine
And I repeat the following line
"Growing old, growing old, that's the future"

Chorus 2
She looked at her face in the mirror
She looked at her body and cried, and cried, and cried
I looked at my face in the mirror
I looked at my body and cried, and cried, and cried

Verse 3
Take me to ancient Greece
There they respected the elderly
Why don’t we get it?
The future is aging
The future is aging
Aging is the future
The future is aging
Aging is the future

From my terrace, I see the Genex Tower*
When I look at it, I’m afraid I’ll fall off it, fall off it
(Fall off it, fall off it, fall off it, fall off it)
From my terrace, I can also see a church
And two golden crosses
(Dome, little dome, and two golden crosses)
Genex makes me think of Yugoslavia*
(Socialist*, federal*)
The church makes me think of Serbia
That’s where I’ll die

Outro
Am I to die? (What a horror)
Am I to die? (What a horror)
Am I to die? (What a horror)
Or maybe I won’t? (Horror)

In "Nobl," Konstrakta reflects on the search for value and identity amid aging, material possessions, and cultural expectations. Using symbols like a piano, an Adriatic map, and a painting, she imagines a "noble" life, while questioning what this truly means. Sharon Stone's stance against Botox is a motif that explores authenticity versus societal beauty pressures. Aging, legacy, and identity are central themes, highlighted by references to her family and landmarks like the Genex Tower and a church, which symbolize Serbia's shifting history and her contemplation of mortality.

👆 Konstrakta mixes fun pop culture references with deeper, personal thoughts. She brings in things like "Sorrentino" and "tutti frutti," which are playful and light, but also contrasts them with moments of self-reflection. It’s a way of balancing fun, carefree vibes with more serious inner questions, kind of like flipping between a comedy show and a documentary.

👆 By mentioning these specific pop culture references, Konstrakta mixes the personal with the cultural, (perhaps?) highlighting a sort of detachment from serious matters, or maybe a lighthearted distraction from deeper concerns. It's almost like she's listing things that don’t make much sense together, but still hint at the complexities of modern life, where things are often fragmented but still hold meaning.

“Desanka in Glibovac reads fortunes from liver”
The tradition of reading fortunes from the liver, as mentioned in Konstrakta's song, is a reference to an ancient form of divination called haruspicy, where the liver of sacrificed animals was examined to predict the future or to understand divine will. This practice was especially common in ancient cultures, such as the Romans, Greeks, and even in some parts of the Balkans. The liver was believed to be the seat of life and a key organ for understanding fate.

Yugoslavia was a fascinating mix of cultures, traditions, and ambitions. It had a spirit that was both hopeful and complex, where people from different backgrounds came together to build something unique. Like Konstrakta’s songs, it was full of contradictions—gritty, yet dreamy, with a touch of nostalgia that lingers in the air. A place where you could find unity in diversity, even in the most unexpected places, like the iconic Genex Tower. It was a land of stories, laughter, and a bittersweet kind of beauty—one that Konstrakta’s music gently reminds us of

Socialism is a political and economic system advocating for collective or government control over resources and production, with the aim of reducing inequality and ensuring equal distribution of wealth and services.

Federal refers to a system where multiple states or regions share power with a central government, but each retains certain degrees of independence.