Αφτοι με φι (Λουδοβίκος Χαμονάκης)
The story
The story behind this song is not new: boy and girl meet, they like each other, they have fun together, but they live far from each other. And that's typically the part we focus on: the but. The fact that it didn't or won't work out because they live apart. In this song, however, I wanted to drive home the idea that, regardless of whether they are still together, they did work out. As the lyrics say, it's not that "they're not going anywhere." In a very concrete sense, "they've already gone." What happens to them next will never change the fact that they lived something that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. So while this story is not new or unique, it's literally just "another day in life," it is definitely special... At least for those living it.
This track came out of a mid-pandemic challenge: get my Greek good enough to write a song. I had the idea for the theme when I was in my room hearing Dimitris (Tau-zeta) playing in the living room. I didn't know the song, but the harmony seemed like it would fit well with a song where a narrator describes a story between him and her. It turns out that my initial idea for melody was not great. But after a few weeks trying out ideas, I landed on the rhythm and notes of Αφτοι με φι and sat down a weekend to write the lyrics.
Now, while my Greek is decent, it is not at songwriting levels. So obviously those lyrics have a lot of grammar issues and some weird phrasings. Then again, they were written using a Greek conjugation dictionary, an actual dictionary, and (of course) some Google translate. Despite this and my foreign pronunciation, my Greek friends assure me that it is possible to understand the story I'm telling.
So in that sense, the song title serves almost as a disclaimer. It is written in an obviously wrong way so you know to take the emotion behind the song seriously, but not the Greek.
The lyrics
Αφτοι με φι
Αυτή η ιστορία καθημερινά συμβεί
Όποτε δεν είναι μοναδική, αλλά είναι ξεχωριστή
Αυτός τη συνάντησε βράδυ παρασκευή
Αυτή φορούσε ασπρόμαυρο όπως μια κλασική
Αυτός παράγγελνε ουζάκι και ρακί
Αυτή μόνο σιγοέπινε λίγο γλυκοκρασί
Αυτοί μίλησαν σαν είχε ‘ναι μόνοι
Οι άλλοι άρχισαν να καταλαβαίνουν
τι είχε συμβεί
Προσπάθησε να της πει ότι τ’αρέσει πολύ
Προσπάθησε όλη η νύχτα να το κάνει και αυτή
Ρεφραίν
Αυτή και αυτός, θρύλος η αληθινός;
Αυτός και αυτή, άλλη μια μέρα στη ζωή
Τ’αρέσει να ξενυχτά για να χορέψει αλλά
Και μένει σπίτι για να βλέπει meme και γελά
Τ’αρέσει επίδης ειδεικά
όταν είναι κοντά
Και όλα τα meme που λαβαίνει στα μηνύματα
Νομίζω θα μιλούσαν όλη την ώρα
Αν δεν ήταν η ώρα τους τόσο μακριά
Έτσι το ένα κοιτάζει του τηλέφωνου πάντα
Περιμένοντας το άλλο να στέλνει ένα μήνυμα
Ρεφραίν
Αυτή και αυτός, θρύλος η αληθινός;
Αυτός και αυτή, άλλη μια μέρα στη ζωή
Για το τέλος της ιστορία εγώ δεν ξέρω τίποτα
Κάποιοι πιστεύουν ότι δεν θα πήγαν πουθενά
Αυτά τα δύο τώρα παραμύθια έχουν γίνει
Μα άλλοι λένε ότι έχουν πάει ήδη
Thei with i*
This story happens every day
So even though it is not unique, it is special
He met her on a Friday night
She was wearing black-and-white like a classic
He ordered ouzo and raki
She just sipped on a little sweet wine
They talked as if they were alone
Everyone else started to realize
what was going on
He tried to tell her that he likes her very much
And all night long, she tried to do the same
Chorus
Her and him, legend or truth?
Him and her, just another day in life
(S)he** likes to stay up all night to dance
And to stay home laughing at memes
(S)he also likes to do that,
especially if (s)he is around,
And also all the memes (s)he gets over SMS
I think that they would talk all the time
If their times weren’t so far away
So they keep checking their phone all the time
Waiting for the other one to send a text
Chorus
Her and him, legend or truth?
Him and her, just another day in life
I have no idea how this story ends
Some believe that they weren’t going anywhere
Those two have now become a tale
But others say that they've gone already
* “Αυτοι” means “they,” but it's written with υ and not φ as in the title.
** This verse is written in Greek using the neutral gender, but there is no good way to translate that.