Brod u boci: Pjesme i šansone

The collection reveals Dedić's poetic talent before he became famous as a singer-songwriter. The songs are deeply personal, intertwined with elements of chanson, combined with lyricism, romance and subtle irony. The key themes are the duality of identity – the gap between his Dalmatian homeland (Šibenik, the sea, Mediterranean melancholy) and Zagreb's urban life, Yugoslavia and Europe. Dedić's irony, "a small and gentle sarcasm", binds the opposites: he is "one hundred percent Dalmatian and one hundred percent Zagrebian".

The collection unfolds Dedić's world – the world of childhood, love, existential fears and miracles. Two poems entitled "Miracles" earned him the label of a "religious poet", although Golob emphasized his broader cultural depth in the preface: "Arsen's case is instructive and proves that those whom we so clumsily call the general public know and can support more serious tendencies within entertainment."

Poems like the title track "Brod u boci" evoke intimate comparisons: "Allow this simple gift, this simple comparison: a ship in a bottle – a sailing ship of an indeterminate type... Isn't that like...", a symbol of dreams trapped in reality.

The collection is a bridge between poetry and music, influencing generations, reminding us that "Croatia exists as long as Slobodna Dalmacija, Arsen Dedić and 'Brod u boci' exist".