Χάρις Αλεξίου - Η μπαλάντα του κατάδικου

Could you help me understand these lyrics please? I find them quite confusing.
A sentence was waiting for you during your life's first walk?!? :-0

Η μπαλάντα του κατάδικου
Στίχοι: Χαρούλα Αλεξίου
Μουσική: Νίκος Αντύπας
Πρώτη εκτέλεση: Χαρούλα Αλεξίου

Μια καταδίκη σε περίμενε
Στην πρώτη βόλτα της ζωή σου
Για μια γυναίκα που θα πήγαινε
Ως την άκρη αυτής της γης μαζί σου

Μέσα στης τρέλας σου τον ίλιγγο
Μόνο τα μάτια της ζητούσες
Και στο κορμί της το ανήλικο
Την αθώωση της νιότης σου ποθούσες

Κάνε να λάμψει η νύχτα
Να αλλάξει ο κόσμος όλος σε μια νύχτα

Τώρα της πας τα δώρα της
Την ξαφνική επιστροφή σου
Μα η ερημιά πήγε στην ώρα της
Το γυμνό να ντύσει της σιωπής σου

Σαν αγνοούμενο σε ξέγραψε
Μα πώς να πει πως δεν σε θέλει
Ακόμα, όλα τα γράμματα σου έκαψε
Μα η αλήθεια της πονάει το στρώμα

I try to translate it but my English its not so good.... i hope i help you little

Μια καταδίκη σε περίμενε
One sentencing waiting you
Στην πρώτη βόλτα της ζωή σου
In first walk of your life
Για μια γυναίκα που θα πήγαινε
For a woman that would go
Ως την άκρη αυτής της γης μαζί σου
with you until the edge of earth

Μέσα στης τρέλας σου τον ίλιγγο
Through your madness vertigo
Μόνο τα μάτια της ζητούσες
Only her eyes you sought
Και στο κορμί της το ανήλικο
And at her minor body
Την αθώωση της νιότης σου ποθούσες
The acquittal of your youth you craving

Κάνε να λάμψει η νύχτα
Make the night to shine
Να αλλάξει ο κόσμος όλος σε μια νύχτα
To change the whole world in one night

Τώρα της πας τα δώρα της
Now you going to give her his gifts
Την ξαφνική επιστροφή σου
Your suddenly return
Μα η ερημιά πήγε στην ώρα της
But the wilderness went on time
Το γυμνό να ντύσει της σιωπής σου
To dress the naked of your silence

Σαν αγνοούμενο σε ξέγραψε
She forget you like a missing person
Μα πώς να πει πως δεν σε θέλει
But how she can tell that she don't want you
Ακόμα, όλα τα γράμματα σου έκαψε
She also, burned all your letters
Μα η αλήθεια της πονάει το στρώμα
But the truth hurts her the layer

Originally Posted by xxxThiefxxx

I try to translate it but my English its not so good.... i hope i help you little

Μια καταδίκη σε περίμενε
One sentencing waiting you
Στην πρώτη βόλτα της ζωή σου
In first walk of your life
Για μια γυναίκα που θα πήγαινε
For a woman that would go
Ως την άκρη αυτής της γης μαζί σου
with you until the edge of earth

Μέσα στης τρέλας σου τον ίλιγγο
Through your madness vertigo
Μόνο τα μάτια της ζητούσες
Only her eyes you sought
Και στο κορμί της το ανήλικο
And at her minor body
Την αθώωση της νιότης σου ποθούσες
The acquittal of your youth you craving

Κάνε να λάμψει η νύχτα
Make the night to shine
Να αλλάξει ο κόσμος όλος σε μια νύχτα
To change the whole world in one night

Τώρα της πας τα δώρα της
Now you going to give her his gifts
Την ξαφνική επιστροφή σου
Your suddenly return
Μα η ερημιά πήγε στην ώρα της
But the wilderness went on time
Το γυμνό να ντύσει της σιωπής σου
To dress the naked of your silence

Σαν αγνοούμενο σε ξέγραψε
She forget you like a missing person
Μα πώς να πει πως δεν σε θέλει
But how she can tell that she don't want you
Ακόμα, όλα τα γράμματα σου έκαψε
She also, burned all your letters
Μα η αλήθεια της πονάει το στρώμα
But the truth hurts her the layer

Thank you very much!!! Now only the last line remains a bit unclear to me. το στρώμα - doesn't this mean her bed / her sheets?

i dont understand what he want to say at this line too... στρώμα is mattress

Title: I balanda tou katadikou
Lyrics: Charis Alexiou
Music: Niko Antipas
Sung by Charis Alexiou
CD: Ei (Polygram 1994)
Track no: 10

Link to song -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82HN4AUfI_o


Well first of all, especially for this one, you have to translate the title.

Η μπαλάντα του κατάδικου -> Convict's ballad

The word "ακόμα" is being heard during the previous line,
so the lyrics should be :

Μα πώς να πει πως δεν σε θέλει, ακόμα
But how she can tell that she don't want you any more
Όλα τα γράμματα σου έκαψε
She burned all your letters
Μα η αλήθεια της, πονάει το στρώμα
But this truth of hers, is what "hurts" the layer

So what are we talking about?

In the first day of his release, an ex-convict that has been convicted during his
teenage years, he is thinging about finding his girlfriend and makes dreams for
a new life.

But when this happens, she confess that doesn't love him any more
and that she has burnt all of his letters to her.
The fact that doesn't like him anymore makes him feel miserable while he goes
to bed.

So the layer DOESN'T feel pain, but his mind does and that's something that
won't allow him sleep.

Now I am even more confused than before, my dear Amethystos. )) So she doesn't love him anymore?! I thought that those last two lines meant "And although she burnt all your letters, the truth (that she still loves him) makes her sheets hurt."

Originally Posted by Amethystos

Title: I balanda tou katadikou
Lyrics: Charis Alexiou
Music: Niko Antipas
Sung by Charis Alexiou
CD: Ei (Polygram 1994)
Track no: 10

Link to song -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82HN4AUfI_o


Well first of all, especially for this one, you have to translate the title.

Η μπαλάντα του κατάδικου -> Convict's ballad

The word "ακόμα" is being heard during the previous line,
so the lyrics should be :

Μα πώς να πει πως δεν σε θέλει, ακόμα
But how she can tell that she don't want you any more
Όλα τα γράμματα σου έκαψε
She burned all your letters
Μα η αλήθεια της, πονάει το στρώμα
But this truth of hers, is what "hurts" the layer

So what are we talking about?

In the first day of his release, an ex-convict that has been convicted during his
teenage years, he is thinging about finding his girlfriend and makes dreams for
a new life.

But when this happens, she confess that doesn't love him any more
and that she has burnt all of his letters to her.
The fact that doesn't like him anymore makes him feel miserable while he goes
to bed.

So the layer DOESN'T feel pain, but his mind does and that's something that
won't allow him sleep.

Originally Posted by feishtica

Now I am even more confused than before, my dear Amethystos. )) So she doesn't love him anymore?! I thought that those last two lines meant "And although she burnt all your letters, the truth (that she still loves him) makes her sheets hurt."

Well, I AM REALLY NOT an admirer of Alexiou's writing skills

But I will answer you with a question:
Could you find ONE good reason (in these lyrics) for her, feeling unhappy,
if they still love each other?

So I really belive that the guy is the one that's been hurted.....

Originally Posted by Amethystos

Well, I AM REALLY NOT an admirer of Alexiou's writing skills

But I will answer you with a question:
Could you find ONE good reason (in these lyrics) for her, feeling unhappy,
if they still love each other?

So I really belive that the guy is the one that's been hurted.....

As for me, you'd be surprised that I love many of her lyrics. Εσύ με ξέρεις πιό πολύ, Να με λένε Μαρία, Μινοράκι, Οι δικοί μου ξένοι, Μητέρα, φίλη μου παλιά, Φίλα με, φίλα με, Ρομάντζο, Χειμώνας... I find her words warm, human and unpretentious. Well, they simply move me.
But this one in particular I don't understand. To begin, I don't get what "Για μια γυναίκα" means. He was convicted because of her? Is it a real or a metaphorical conviction? Convicted to love her for a lifetime? If she doesn't love him why are we talking of a desert taking his place in her life? Why did she burn his letters (the act of burning is very emotional and dramatic and usually seeks for liberation) and why this line: Μα πώς να πει πως δεν σε θέλει? My version is that although he loved her he left her for some reason - perhaps because he was taken to prison or he was trying to regain his independence or some other reason. And he gifted her with his return too late. She's now too proud to let him back into her life, or perhaps she's used to this level of pain and doesn't want the pain to grow if he leaves her again. In any case, I believe that it is her bed that hurts. But I'm not sure at all. ))
P.S. Take a song, make it a Barbra Kartland kind of analysis like I did and you've ruined it forever.

You can always get yourself a new nick..... I would suggest "Charoula4eVeR"

Originally Posted by feishtica

p.s. Take a song, make it a barbra kartland kind of analysis like i did and you've ruined it forever.

Originally Posted by Amethystos

You can always get yourself a new nick..... I would suggest "Charoula4eVeR"

Forever with Haroula is a temporal extent too long for someone as mortal and as in love with Haroula as I am. My heart's going to burst if I even try to imagine it. "Haroula Now" would suit me better. She's the flavor and the beauty of the moment.