Josef Motyčka

“The song ‘Blízko Little Big Hornu’ was on the first record, which could still be released with the Greenhorns name. The following record was released under the heading Greenhorns / Zelenáči. Eventually they had to be called just Zelenáči because it was simply not possible anymore. They even banned songs of Pepík Šimek, such as 'Já jsem vandrák a karbaník' (I’m a tramp and a gambler) or 'Zkouřenej jsem nehezky' (I’m nasty high). All that could only be recorded after 1990. The boys were high-principled, and, unlike the Rangers, they never played at the political festival in Sokolov nor did they set up their own party group. The one at Rangers was led by Honza Hájek. The only thing they made them do was some festival in Ostrava, with many bands that the boys didn’t like. I also told them that if they decided to play in Sokolov, I would quit as their manager.”

“My wife’s birthday was on May 26. That day I saw her from the prison window being taken out for a walk exactly on the spot where we also used to go. Above it was the watchtower with guards with sub-machine guns, but that’s not important. I want to tell you something that captures my feelings at the time. I figured that I’d try to get her a secret note and wish her happy birthday. Ever since the children’s homes I’d been really good at shooting with a slingshot. I pulled the elastic out of my sweatpants and I doubled it and wrote the note. I hit her pretty well through the slits, even though she was quite far away. It fell on her fellow inmate’s feet. She casually picked it up and asked the others: ‘Is there any Eva here?’ My wife was walking right next to her, so she got the message and I was really proud of myself.”

“Usually, I don’t even have the courage to read that article. But sometimes I read it and I think about how something like this could have been published, how someone could dare write something like this. That’s why our first reaction was how it was. We sent them a letter explaining everything and a request through our lawyer. In the request we asked them to publish a correction within eight days. Which they didn’t do, so we took it to the Municipal Court of Prague. In the first hearing, which was very fast, no one from Květy or Rudé právo showed up. During the second or third hearing my attorney Svačina told the judge: ‘I would just like to remind you that a month ago you fined my client for coming an hour late. Back then he brought you a ticket and a confirmation from the Czechoslovak State Railways that his train wasn’t running.’ The judge said that it was okay and that everyone should come a little early, so that this wouldn’t happen. But Svačina pointed out that the defense counselor had not appeared before the court a single one time and the judge said something I remember to his day: ‘And you think I can fine the Rudé právo magazine?’”