OK, Greek men and women - can you defend your culture against a very serious charge?

I have a Spanish friend (originally from Chile, now Canadian) who runs one of the Live365 stations that plays international music, and he likes "love-songs", so I've been sending him examples of Greek songs that involve "love", at least in my opinion.

But he recently sent me an email saying that none of the examples which I've been sending him actually involve love. According to him, they merely involve lust - either lust of man for woman or woman for man. He says for a song to be about love, the man (or woman) in the song has got to stay longer than breakfast.

And he gave me this example of a Spanish song which really is about love, in his opinion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=470XbMIVZaM

He claims this is about love because the song talks about a LIFE-long relationship, not a NIGHT-long relationship - here is his rough translation of the song:

A lifetime I would be with you,
no me importa en qué forma, I do not care how,
ni cómo, ni dónde, pero junto a tí. or how, or where, but next to you.

Toda una vida te estaría mimando, A lifetime I would be spoiling you,
te estaría cuidando como cuido mi vida, I would be careful and take care of my life,
que la vivo por tí. that I live for you.

No me cansaría de decirte siempre, I wouild never stop to tell you,
pero siempre, siempre, but always, always,
que eres en mi vida ansiedad, you are in my life anxiety,
angustia y desesperación. anguish and despair.

Toda una vida estaría contigo, A lifetime I would be you,
no me importa en qué forma, I do not care how,
ni cómo, ni dónde, pero junto a tí. or how, or where, but next to you.

No me cansaría de decirte siempre, No me cansaría de decirte siempre, I wouild never stop to tell you,
pero siempre, siempre, but always, always,
que eres en mi vida ansiedad, you are in my life anxiety,
angustia y desesperación. anguish and despair.

Toda una vida estaría contigo, A lifetime I would be spoiling you,
no me importa en qué forma, I do not care how,
ni cómo, ni dónde, pero junto a tí. or how, or where, but next to you.

No me importa en qué forma, I do not care how,
ni cómo, ni dónde, pero junto a tí. or how, or where, but next to you.
No me importa en qué forma, I do not care how,
ni cómo, ni dónde, pero junto a tí. or how, or where, but next to you.

So, Greek men and women? What do you think?

Does he have a point or not?

Can you think of any Greek songs that talk about LIFE-long relationships between men and women?

P.S- after I heard his song and read the translation, I emailed him to say that now I understand why Spanish men do so well with women - they tell women all the lies that women need to hear.

Originally Posted by David Halitsky

P.S- after I heard his song and read the translation, I emailed him to say that now I understand why Spanish men do so well with women - they tell women all the lies that women need to hear.

I have to think over it...

But I can answer your question with a new question"What is love?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDMiUPcZst8

short Translation: http://www.shira.net/music/lyrics/tien-afto.htm

Originally Posted by David Halitsky

OK, Greek men and women - can you defend your culture against a very serious charge?

Do we have to?

Culture is what makes a nation differ from another.

__________________________________________

But if I had to answer to your question.

[3nu-0asbCOI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nu-0asbCOI[/video]

Here's the translation by Zvezda -> http://www.allthelyrics.com/forum/sh...l=1#post359201

Κύρ Amethystos - you are like a "card-shark" who always has an "ace up his sleeve" when he needs one.

In this case, your "ace" was the song "Στα εβδομήντα εννιά", because it certainly proves that Greek men and women can lie to each other as well as Spanish men and women (heh heh heh.)

On the other hand, I would like to try and play "devil's advocate" here, if no one minds.

In particular, I am sure my Spanish friend knows the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaAqze81y4Y

from the movie:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casablanca_%28film%29

And so, I ask my Spanish friend to ask ANY woman the following question:

if she had to make a choice, would she rather be loved like Victor Laszlo loved Ilsa Lund, or like Rick Blaine loved Ilsa?

Because if the woman doesn't lie, she will say: "like Rick loved Ilsa".

And in general, Greek love-songs are about THAT kind of love, not the kind of love between Victor and Ilsa.

Not the kind of love between wife and husband.

The kind of love between woman and man - the kind of love where two people know they were meant for each other, EVEN when it CANNOT be:

Αγωνία - 1968
http://www.stixoi.info/stixoi.php?in...s&song_id=2439
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7BwkN9Hpes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjupvxScWoE
http://lyricstranslate.com/en/agonia...a-agony.html-0

Big difference betwen the two kinds of love.

But not mutually incompatible. In other words, if a women is lucky, she will have both kinds of love. The love betwen her and her husband will be the kind of love between a woman and a man, at least until their first child needs a bottle at 3am in the morning (heh heh heh).

PS to Tahira - do you think Ms. Loren did her own singing on that cut? I wonder ...

That's the way we sing about love, so whoever likes

Originally Posted by Duffy Dack

That's the way we sing about love, so whoever likes

You're certainly not a member of the Diplomatic Corps, Duffy

Originally Posted by David Halitsky

Κύρ Amethystos - you are like a "card-shark" who always has an "ace up his sleeve" when he needs one.

In this case, your "ace" was the song "Στα εβδομήντα εννιά", because it certainly proves that Greek men and women can lie to each other as well as Spanish men and women (heh heh heh.)

Under the laws of logic, "you only have to find ONE example, to prove that a sentence is false".....
Mathematicians are familiar with this kind of solution.

Originally Posted by David Halitsky

And so, I ask my Spanish friend to ask ANY woman the following question:

if she had to make a choice, would she rather be loved like Victor Laszlo loved Ilsa Lund, or like Rick Blaine loved Ilsa?

Because if the woman doesn't lie, she will say: "like Rick loved Ilsa".

And in general, Greek love-songs are about THAT kind of love, not the kind of love between Victor and Ilsa.

I once wrote you, I believe, that if you wanna know which are the basics of Greek culture you have to spend some time watching the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympics.

Originally Posted by David Halitsky

Not the kind of love between wife and husband.

Yes, yes, I know what you're talking about ....

Very funny, Amethystos - poor Al Bundy!!!!

Regarding the 2004 Olympics, can you post me the best link where to watch it??. (There must be a thousand versions out there.)

Also, my Spanish friend didn't want his new Greek friends to think that he had no sense of humor, so he sent me this song.

I'm going to post it because it's funny in the context of this thread.

But I'm also posting it because if you listen to the clip, it will immediately occur to you that Manolis Hiotis could have done remarkable things with this song. Viva Manolis!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEtQZA4FFTQ

translation (English):

Teo Galindez - Two women in my life
Dos mujeres en mi vida, Two women in my life,
compadre mío me tienen el río revuelto. amigo, got me in troubled waters.
A una no puedo dejarla One I can not leave
le guardo mucho respeto, out of a lott of respect,
la otra es un vendaval the other one is a storm
of de caricias y de besos caresses and kisses
y esa forma de quererme and that way of loving
que me deja sin aliento. that leaves me breathless.

(Bis) (Bis)

Las dos tienen en su haber Both have to their credit
un ejemplar comportamiento. exemplary behavior.
¨Por belleza no hay apuro Beauty
las dos son un monumento both are a monument
cuando quieren parrandear when I want to party
they van conmigo por supuesto go with me of course
y lo mejor de las dos and the best is that they are both
hogareñas cien por ciento.a hosewihousewifes a hundred percent.

Mis hijos y mi mujer My children and my wife
todo el tiempo están contentos all the time are happy
dicen que yo soy el padre say that I am the best father
mejor de todos los tiemposof all time
But if they could see me withpero al verme con la otra the other.....
si supieran lo que siento if they knew what I feel
no puedo dejar de amarla I can not stop loving her
ni por un solo momento. even for a single moment.

Dos mujeres en mi vida Two women in my life
compadre mío me tiene comprometido My compadre have me committed
a una no puedo dejarla I can not leave
por la otra doy suspiro. on the other I sigh.
El cariño que les doy The love I give
palabra que no es fingido word that is not fake
aunque el amor entre tres although love three
no debe ser compartido. should not be shared.

(Bis) (Bis)

Listen Las mujeres compadrito my pal, women
son un jardín escondido, are a hidden garden,
si se riegan con fervor if irrigated with fervor
se mantendrá florecido will remain flowered
brindándole al jardinero giving the gardener
perfumes y coloridos. perfumes and colorful.
Así mismo es el amor Also is love
cuando es bien correspondido. when well matched.

Que yo no invente la vida I do not invent life
es un dicho conocido. It is a well-known saying.
No creo en casualidades I do not believe in coincidences
escrito esta mi destino, writing is my destiny,
que me perdone el señor forgive me Mr.
por errores cometidos for mistakes
si por amarlas pequé if I sinned loving them
las quiero como castigo. I love them as punishment.

@David: about Sofia Loren: I am not sure if she is singing on her own. I asked myself the same, when I heard it the first time. But she is an actress she had special training on her voice, could be that she was singing on her own. I think ist greek with an accent. But as in Germany all films are synchronized I do not know her real voice and I cant tell.

I do net have an die about a greek love song, telling about endless love, but I remember one from the Beatles "I will"

I sent this song

Καμιά φορά - 1983
Στίχοι: Μιχάλης Μπουρμπούλης
Μουσική: Γιώργος Χατζηνάσιος
http://www.stixoi.info/stixoi.php?in...s&song_id=2258
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKA9iNQ0bik

to my Spanish friend and his girl-friend.

Because it does seem to talk about a "lifelong" love:

Sometimes
I consider turning to another sky
but there's no ways,
and other times
I think of how much I love you
and I say I am sorry

We're no longer children
with light in our hearts
to cover us,
but I love you, I've told you so
and your love, like a Sunday
relaxes me

Sometimes
I consider turning to another sky
but there's no ways,
and other times
I think of how much I love you
and I say I am sorry

You see how times have changed
and the world has turned rainy
full of sleet,
but I love you, I've told you so
and if it all looks like a prison
I do not mind