An Album Reflecting Three Decades (Dionysis Savvopoulos at "A Little Sea", 1975)

ionysis Savvopoulos (a song of whom has already been presented at the first post of this blog) right after the dictatorship fell in 1974, released an album with several recordings that took place between 1965 and 1975, named "10 Years' Songs". Censorship had officially stopped, so the album could be released. The live concerts that followed in club Kyttaro in Athens are still famous for their energy and influence. One of these songs, named "A Little Sea" is given below. This was not the first recording of the song that initially was played with a guitar, but the one of the 1975 album that piano is leading. A great and quite popular song of 70s. Below the home grown translation, I embed one more video dated a couple of years ago that Dionyssis himself in a TV show is performing this specific song. Enjoy.

A Little Sea

music, lyrics: Dionysis Savvopoulos

A little sea,

a little sea

is what my summer is,

what my love is and my pain.

A little sea

shines in your eyes

every morning

A little sea

it's in your tear, it's in the song,

in every kiss of yours

there is a little sea.

A little sea,

a little sea

and my cup in the corner

for one summer

it was you.

I was singing about you,

like the strings of wind do

on your black hair.

I was following you,

like the tall grass does

the wind.

I was singing you.

A little sea,

a little sea

that told you a bitter goodbye,

is waiting for you.

A little sea.

(Available also in Spanish and Russian)

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.