Throughout his childhood he was influenced by the musics that were coexisting in Egypt. The sound of Arabic music entered into his life at that time and has continued until today as one of his biggest influences. At the age of ten, he was intrigued by Jazz and learnt to play the trumpet. As a young boy he also attended the choir of the Greek Byzantine church of Alexandria and sang for five years as a soloist.
However, when Artemios reached the age of fifteen, his life changed. It was the time of the Suez Canal crisis. His family left Egypt and immigrated to their homeland Greece. Artemios then had to work to support his family. During the day he attended school and, at night, he played the trumpet in various clubs in Athens. Two years later, his first band, "The Idols" was formed. Artemios played the Bass Guitar and sang backing vocals as well. One day, as the lead singer needed to rest, he asked Artemios to replace him for a few songs. That night, when Artemios sang "The House Of The Rising Sun" and "When A Man Loves A Woman" the audience was amazed. From then on Artemios was asked to sing again and again.
Within a short period, Artemios was making a sound reputation. It was at this time that he met the man who would later become one of his most successful composer, Lakis Vlavianos. From that meeting a new band was born, the "We Five", with Artemios as the lead singer.
In 1968 Artemios’s journey crossed the road of two other top Greek musicians, Vangelis Papatanassiou and Loukas Sideras. Their associationbecame one of the biggest musical events of the seventies in the form of "Aphrodite’s Child". This ambitious band decided to travel to the United Kingdom for better commercial prospects. Artemios--who had now shortened his name to Demis--would be the singer and the bass player, Vangelis the main composer as well as the keyboard player, and Loukas would play the drums.
However, they were refused entry to the United Kingdom for lack of a work permit. Instead, Aphrodite's Child travelled to Paris, arriving just as the city was going through the May 68 revolution. After a few concerts in some trendy Parisian clubs, a major company offered to record a song of theirs, one that was inspired by Pachelbel‘s canon called "Rain And Tears". This first album of Aphrodite’s Child sold over a million copies in France alone.
Nine months later, as Demis first daughter, Emily, was born, "Rain And Tears" was the top single all over Europe and a top 20 single in the United Kingdom. The band experienced a huge success for three years.
They then released their legendary last album “666”, after which, for various reasons, Aphrodite's Child decided to split up.
Since Demis was one of the main elements of the band, the record company offered him a chance to recorded his first solo single, "We Shall Dance", which was released on the album "On the Greek Side of My Mind". This album and the single jumped into the top five of all the national hit parades of Italy, Spain, France, Holland, Germany and Scandinavia.
Some months later, Demis met with his old friend of the "We Five", Lakis Vlavianos. Lakis was then going through an inspired period and wrote many songs which Demis recorded; these turned into a string of number one hits all over the world, including: "Forever And Ever", "My Friend the Wind", and "Velvet Morning".
After his second child, Cyril, was born in 1975, Demis toured the globe for eight years with his second wife and child. In Brazil, he packed a stadium of 150 000 people--an event that was achieved in that particular stadium twice only. (The other previous artist was Frank Sinatra.) In fact, Demis sold enough records to gain a name in the Guinness Book of records among the personalities of show business in the 70’s and the eighties. He was awarded more than a hundred golden, platinum, and diamond albums and cassettes.
His unique dressing style was often considered eccentric but Demis was following his instinct which told him that the music he was performing should match with the combination of looks between the glorious Byzantine Empire and the Arabic Caftan.
In 1978 his instinct told him again that he should retire for a while, thinking of new things concerning his career and life. And so he took his family to an area of the world where he was unknown, Malibu Beach, California. There, Demis lost over 50 kilograms. He returned to Europe and lived a quieter life between England and Greece, alone with his son, Cyril.
On June 14 1985, wile he was travelling from Athens to Rome, a decisive event occurred. Demis’s TWA airplane was hijacked by terrorists. After two days in that plane praying, Demis was held three days in the prison of Beyrouth with his third wife. Like many other survivors, he went through the shock of a traumatic experience. After that, Demis said he had never understood so well the importance of the nations living in peace and how precious life is when you see death so close. He felt more than ever that his contribution for a better tomorrow could be via music and so decided to return to the recording and performance scene.
He recorded twenty songs and compiled an album called "The story of Demis Roussos". With this album, Demis started to world tour again and found a nostalgic audience who had missed his magic voice. In 1986 Demis toured the USSR for three weeks and was invited to join important scientists, writers and artists at the forum for peace and disarmament in Moscow, during February 1987.
Later that year, during a tight TV schedule in Chile, Demis insisted on fitting in a visit to the Earth summit in Rio to get a clearer picture of the environmental problems, which were a main concern for Demis.
Since then Demis had been a regular visitor of the charts with singles such as "Quand je t’aime" and "On écrit sur les murs", and albums such as "Voice and Vision" and "Immortel".
Since 2008, Demis had been living in Greece by the sea. After being one of the most talented singers of his century, Demis was still working on more magical offerings, with the blessing of music and God.
He died aged 68, on the Hygeia Hospital in Athens on January 25, 2015.
I'll Be Your Friend
Demis Roussos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I will not deceive you,
I will always be your friend.
I will never leave you,
I will not deceive you,
I'll love to the very end.
I'll be your friend and I will never let you down,
when you're in troubles I will be right friend for you,
I will help you whatever you do.
We were lovers long ago,
I still care for you, I want you to know.
I'll be your friend and I will never let you down,
whatever happens I will always be around
and when you need someone I won't be far away,
friends forever, not only today.
You found someone else and I had to go,
but I'll stay old friend, darling don't you know.
I'll be your friend and I will never let you down,
whatever happens I will always be around
and when you need someone I won't be far away,
friends forever, not only today.
I will never leave you,
I will not deceive you,
I will always be your friend.
I will never leave you,
I will not deceive you,
I'll love to the very end.
The song 'I'll Be Your Friend' by Demis Roussos is a heartfelt ode to friendship, loyalty, and the enduring bonds of platonic love. The lyrics speak of the singer's unwavering commitment to a former lover, pledging to remain a loyal friend even after the end of their romantic relationship. The sentiments expressed in the lyrics are ones of devotion, understanding, and a willingness to stand by someone through thick and thin.
The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the lyrics, promising steadfastness and honesty: 'I will never leave you, I will not deceive you, I will always be your friend.' Roussos then goes on to underscore the depth of his feelings for the other person, declaring that he will 'love to the very end.' The chorus, meanwhile, reinforces the message of friendship and support: 'I'll be your friend and I will never let you down, whatever happens I will always be around'.
The second verse hints at the fact that the two people might have been lovers once, but their relationship ended and the singer left. However, he remains committed to the other person, insisting that he will be there for them whenever they need him. The song ends with a repetition of the opening lines and a final affirmation of friendship.
Overall, 'I'll Be Your Friend' is a touching tribute to the power of friendship, encapsulating the idea that true love doesn't always have to be romantic.
Line by Line Meaning
I will never leave you,
I promise to always be by your side and support you.
I will not deceive you,
I will always be honest with you and never betray your trust.
I will always be your friend.
Our friendship will stand the test of time and I will always be there for you.
I'll love to the very end.
My love for you will never falter, it will endure until the end of time.
I'll be your friend and I will never let you down,
I will always be reliable and dependable in our friendship.
whatever happens I will always be around,
No matter what challenges or obstacles we face, I will be there to help and support you.
when you're in troubles I will be right friend for you,
In difficult times, I will be the friend that you can count on to be there for you.
I will help you whatever you do.
I will lend a helping hand in any situation, no matter what.
We were lovers long ago,
Our relationship in the past is something that I still hold dear in my heart.
I still care for you, I want you to know.
My feelings for you have not diminished and I want you to be aware of them.
and when you need someone I won't be far away,
When you need someone to talk to or to lean on, I will be there for you.
friends forever, not only today.
Our friendship is a lifelong commitment and not just a passing phase.
You found someone else and I had to go,
When you found love with someone else, I had to step back and let you live your life.
but I'll stay old friend, darling don't you know.
Even though our romantic relationship ended, I still want to remain friends with you.
Contributed by Christopher E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Zeli Fogosa
VOZ DE ENCANTAR E CHORAR COM MAGOA POR TERMOS
PERDIDO A VÓS DE SONHO IFINDO!!!
DEMIS, FELIZES OS QUE TE ESCUTARAM AO VIVO!!!
MOSSAS SAUDADES FOR
EVER VÃO ESTAR!
REST IN PEZ WITH GOD !!
ANTIL ON DAY, SUPER VOIC!!!
THANKS FOR THA BEAUTY
SONS YOU GIVE TO ALL OF US!!
BE WITH LORDE!!!!?
Francisco laercio de Souza o prudente de 62
Ele misturou ritmos da música Grega e Árabe com maestria que marcou definitivamente o gosto musical de milhões de pessoas no mundo
Leda Neri
E que maestria!! Voz e canções belíssimas
ира тюрина
Боже, какое наслаждение слышать его чудесный голос, ни за какие ценности на свете я не променяю эти минуты когда слышу голос Demisa Rjussosa ❤❤❤💋💋.
Ruth Davis
Cannot get enough of this Demis . So calming and relaxing . Beautiful , the words touch my heart
Атира Байтулешова
Прелесть! Прекрасно поёт! Легендарный певец! Великий человек! Талант! Притягивает !
Talma Lennon
A voz maia linda do mundo!
CARLA RODRIGUES
Linda voz. Lindo Demis Roussos. Que a sua memória seja eterna. 🙏🙏🙏
Teresa Goluda
Roztaczałeś magię wokół siebie, blask, szczęście, radość życia, Ciebie nie można było nie kochać ❤❤❤ - dziś mija 6 lat, 6 długich lat od dnia, gdy odszedłeś 🖤 DEMISSIE. Swoich odczuć nie umiem wyrazić, moje serce wciąż kocha 💖💖💖 i chce drżeć na dźwięk Twojego magicznego głosu, Czarodzieju 🍀⚘🍀.......
Elce Carneiro
Nunca vou cansar de repetir, adoro essa voz incomparável!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Хриси Л
Обичам го много, много! Зорница та на небето - това е той!!!!!!!!! 😊