Dimosthenous Lexis (Dionysis Savvopoulos, 1970)

eventies. In Greece the political situation is unstable with a military junta already since 1967 in power. Strict sencorship and propaganda, powerful spying of any suspect of being against the junta. It lasted till 1973, 4 days after Turkey's invasion of Northern Cyprus. During these 7 years, music was a way to react and help the masses realize. Dionysis Savvopoulos, born in Thessaloniki in 1944, was imprisoned in 1967 by junta because of his political convictions. This song ("Δημοσθένους λέξις" = "Demosthenes' word") was recorded in 1970 for the album "Vromiko Psomi" (= Dirty Bread) and an amateur translation of the lyrics is given below the video. All video scenes are taken at the city center of Athens.

Dimosthenous Lexis [«Δημοσθένους Λέξις»]

Dionysis Savvopoulos [Διονύσης Σαββόπουλος]

What if I am free, out of this prison
Nobody will be waiting for me
Deserted all the streets will be
and my city a complete stranger

All the cafes will be closed
while all my friends will have fled
And I ‘ll just blow with the wind
The day I am free, out of this prison

And the sun will fall asleep
Behind the ruins of Olynthos
And they will be like in a myth
All friends and enemies

They will all stand still
Rhetors and conmen
Beggers, prostitutes and prophets
They will all stand still

I am gonna stand by the gate
Carrying the blankets under my arm
And with a slow move of the head
I am gonna greet the guard

Without will, without a god
Like a king in ancient drama
I am gonna say the word
When I stand by the gate.