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.
Too many dreams
Demis Roussos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And too many times we love in vain
So don't you let our love go down in flames
I remember when you promised we'd last forever
And nothing could ever change your mind
(Well) Now you're cryin'
You say that the fire's dyin', well...
It'd be easy to turn your back now
But we've got to face it somehow
*('Cuz) Too many dreams go down in flames
And too many times we love in vain
I won't be the one to say it's over
So don't you let go, girl
I know it's hard to take the pain
But we'll never get this chance again
So don't you let our love go down in flames
Please forgive me
I know that it won't be easy
Just let me make it up to you somehow
I'm tryin' to tell you I couldn't last a day without you
So let's put our hearts together
'Cuz baby it's now or never
(*Repeat)
There's so much I still have to give you
We've got to find the magic to keep our love alive
The song "Too many dreams" by Demis Roussos is a love ballad that speaks to the fragility of love and the need to hold on to it in the face of challenges. In the opening lines, the singer notes that too many dreams go down in flames, suggesting that love can end abruptly and painfully. He goes on to say that too many times, we love in vain, which speaks to the sense of hopelessness that can accompany a failed relationship. The singer then implores his lover not to let their love go down in flames, suggesting that they can salvage their relationship if they work together.
The second verse starts with a flashback to a time when the couple was in love and the singer believed that their love would last forever. However, now the singer's partner is crying and saying that the fire has died, suggesting that their relationship is in trouble. Despite this, the singer refuses to give up on their love, saying that it would be easy to turn his back but that they need to face their problems head-on. He reminds his partner that too many dreams go down in flames, that too many times they love in vain, and urges her not to let their love go down in flames.
In the final verse, the singer asks for forgiveness and offers to make it up to his partner somehow. He tells her that he couldn't last a day without her and urges her to put their hearts together. He notes that they still have much to give each other and that they need to find the magic to keep their love alive.
Overall, "Too many dreams" is a song about the importance of holding onto love, even when things get difficult. The singer acknowledges that love can be fragile and that relationships can end suddenly, but he also offers hope that a couple can work together to save their love and keep it alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Too many dreams go down in flames
Many hopes and aspirations are crushed by unfortunate circumstances.
And too many times we love in vain
Often, we fail to get the love we deserve and pour our affection in relationships that don't last.
So don't you let our love go down in flames
Please do not let our love become a victim of the same fate.
I remember when you promised we'd last forever
I recollect the time when you assured me that we would stay together for eternity.
And nothing could ever change your mind
And, your conviction was so strong that nothing or nobody could affect it.
(Well) Now you're cryin'
But now, you are crying.
You say that the fire's dyin', well...
You are indicating that the passion between us is losing its intensity.
It'd be easy to turn your back now
It is effortless to give up and abandon this relationship.
But we've got to face it somehow
But, we have to confront and deal with the issues that are plaguing our relationship.
I won't be the one to say it's over
I am not ready to give up on us yet.
So don't you let go, girl
Therefore, please don't give up on us.
I know it's hard to take the pain
I understand that you are going through a lot of anguish.
But we'll never get this chance again
However, we may never get another opportunity to make things right.
So don't you let our love go down in flames
Thus, please don't let our love story come to an abrupt end.
Please forgive me
I earnestly request for your forgiveness.
I know that it won't be easy
I understand that it will take a lot of effort from both of us.
Just let me make it up to you somehow
Please let me make amends in some way.
I'm tryin' to tell you I couldn't last a day without you
I am conveying to you that I cannot spend even a single day without your presence.
So let's put our hearts together
Hence, let's come together and place our hearts as one.
'Cuz baby it's now or never
Because, my dear, this is probably our last chance to make it right.
There's so much I still have to give you
I have a lot more to offer to you.
We've got to find the magic to keep our love alive
We need to discover the enchantment that will revive and sustain our love for each other.
Contributed by Scarlett F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
guentherstoll1
What a masterpiece!
Death Chess
Excellent song.
Carlo Solari
Demis roussos my emotions are very good for me and consulescion and my friends. Fortunately this is in ❤️
Elena Lurie
Моя любимая песня Демиса
Patrizia Odalni
INDIMENTICABILE 💋❤😜
Stefania Brondo
bellissimo DEMIS ai una voce meravigliosa la tua musica e' magnifica sei un grande artista ai creato una musica da favola non sarai mai solo ti sto vicino a farti compagnia cerco di non disturbarti io ti voglio bene cuore mio guerriero Angelo del paradiso stella lucente grandiosa spero che stai bene ti auguro buona notte ti mando un bacio ciao 🌍🌛🌌🌠🌟😇🏞️🐈🌲🏕️🐕🐇🕊️🐎😍💯🥀🌹💋