Rakija can even make you forget your own wife.

Time for another great drinking song. This one is from Serbia and called Ili ja ili rakija, which means ‘or I or the rakija’. Now as you probably know rakija is the national strong drink in Serbia, like in most of the Balkan countries. It’s smooth taste can really pick you up after a hard day at work and make you forget totally about your wife at home. Except when she comes to the bar. Like in this song, where the husband is being dragged from the bar and given a choice: or his wife goes or the rakija. A major dilemma of course for the poor guy.

Lyrics:
Dosla zena u kafanu pa vice na mene 
sto u dzepu nemam marke prebijene 
Dosla zena u kafanu pa vice na mene 
sto u dzepu nemam marke prebijene 

Hajde kuci, pijanice, odnio te djavo 
Sve si pare, sve si pare
Na rakiju dao
Ili ja ili rakija 

Dosla zena u kafanu pa me kuci vuce 
opasno se naljutila hoce da me tuce 
Dosla zena u kafanu pa me kuci vuce 
opasno se naljutila hoce da me tuce 

Hajde kuci, pijanice, odnio te djavo 
Sve si pare, sve si pare 
Na rakiju dao Made on rakija
Ili ja ili rakija Or I or the rakija

Dosla zena u kafanu da me kuci vodi 
sto nikada nije bilo to je sad u modi 
Dosla zena u kafanu da me kuci vodi 
sto nikada nije bilo to je sad u modi 

Hajde kuci, pijanice, odnio te djavo 
Sve si pare, sve si pare 
Na rakiju dao 
Ili ja ili rakija 

Translation:
My woman came  to the bar yelling at me
While I don’t even have a stamp in my pocket as a reply
My woman came  to the bar yelling at me
While I don’t have money left in my pocket as a reply

Come home, drunkard, withdraw you devil
All your money, all your money
Spent on rakija
Or I or the rakija

My woman came to the bar and dragged me home
Dangerously angry she wants to beat me
My woman came to the bar and dragged me home
Dangerously angry she wants to beat me

Come home, drunkard, withdraw you devil
All your money, all your money
Spent on rakija
Or I or the rakija

My woman came to the bar and lead me home
It has never been this way
My woman came to the bar and lead me home
It has never been this way

Come home, drunkard, withdraw you devil
All your money, all your money
Spent on rakija
Or I or the rakija