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.
We Pretend
Demis Roussos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we cling to the things left behind us
Line by line, every rhyme has been written
And time left us here unaware
In our eyes gentle sighs went unspoken
Yes, the days will remain unforgotten
Love went by and we tried once too often
And here we stand, the silent strangers
Afraid to ask which way to go
Our empty hands at last surrender
The reason why we'll never know
We pretend that the end of our rainbow
Cannot die if it lies like a shadow
Willows bend when the wind blows to conquer
The leaves that have withered away
We can't run to the sun like we used to
Nothing lasts from the past that we once knew
You and I can deny that it's over
And yet we must face it somehow
Yet here we stand, the silent strangers
Afraid to ask which way to go
Our empty hands at last surrender
The reason why we'll never know
We pretend that the end hasn't found us
And we cling to the things left behind us
Line by line, every rhyme has been written
And time left us here unaware
In our eyes gentle sighs went unspoken
Yes, the days will remain unforgotten
Love went by and we tried once too often
To save all the dreams that we share
The lyrics to Demis Roussos's song We Pretend could be interpreted as a reflection on love that has ended or is about to end. The opening line ("We pretend that the end hasn't found us") suggests that the couple is trying to avoid facing the reality that their relationship is coming to an end. They cling to the things left behind, such as memories and shared dreams, but there is a sense of resignation to the fact that time has left them unaware and unable to hold onto what they once had.
The second verse ("In our eyes gentle sighs went unspoken") paints a picture of two people who have grown apart, unable to communicate their feelings and needs. They try to save their relationship, but their efforts are in vain - "Love went by and we tried once too often". The chorus repeats the idea that they are "silent strangers" who are afraid to ask which way to go, and that they must face the reality of their situation, even if they don't fully understand it.
The final verse ("We can't run to the sun like we used to") suggests that the couple is no longer able to find joy and solace in the things that used to bring them happiness. They cannot escape their problems or avoid the inevitable - "nothing lasts from the past that we once knew". The song ends with the chorus repeating once again the idea that they pretend that the end hasn't found them, but in reality, they are surrendering to an uncertain future.
Overall, the lyrics to We Pretend convey a sense of sadness and resignation, as the couple comes to terms with the end of their relationship. They are unable to hold onto the things that once made them happy and must face an uncertain future together.
Line by Line Meaning
We pretend that the end hasn't found us
We try to deny that our relationship has come to an end.
And we cling to the things left behind us
We still hold onto memories of the past, unable to let go.
Line by line, every rhyme has been written
Our story is told in every detail, every moment captured in time.
And time left us here unaware
We didn't realize how fast time flew, and how it changed us forever.
In our eyes gentle sighs went unspoken
We could sense something was wrong, but we didn't speak up.
Yes, the days will remain unforgotten
Those days will forever be etched in our hearts and minds.
Love went by and we tried once too often
Our love faded, and we tried too many times to revive it, but to no avail.
To save all the dreams that we share
We desperately tried to hold onto our shared dreams and aspirations.
And here we stand, the silent strangers
We're now strangers to each other, unable to communicate our feelings.
Afraid to ask which way to go
We're lost and scared, not knowing how to move on.
Our empty hands at last surrender
We've given up trying to hold onto what's left of our love.
The reason why we'll never know
We'll never know why our love ended and where we went wrong.
We pretend that the end of our rainbow
We still hold onto the hope that our love will somehow survive.
Cannot die if it lies like a shadow
Our love may still exist, but only as a distant memory or a shadow of what it once was.
Willows bend when the wind blows to conquer
Just like the willows bend in the wind, we must face the challenges that come our way.
The leaves that have withered away
Our love has withered away, like the leaves falling from the trees.
We can't run to the sun like we used to
We can't go back to the way things used to be, when our love shone like the sun.
Nothing lasts from the past that we once knew
We can't hold onto the past, as everything changes and nothing lasts forever.
You and I can deny that it's over
We may try to deny it, but our love is truly over.
And yet we must face it somehow
We must accept that our love is over and find a way to move on.
Contributed by Isaiah W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Marilda das Neves
We pretend that the end hasn't found us
And we cling to the things left behind us
Line by line, every rhyme has been written
And time left us here unaware
In our eyes gentle sighs went unspoken
Yes, the days will remain unforgotten
Love went by and we tried once too often
To save all the dreams that we share
And here we stand, the silent strangers
Afraid to ask which way to go
Our empty hands at last surrender
The reason why we'll never know
We pretend that the end of our rainbow
Cannot die if it lies like a shadow
Willows bend when the wind blows to conquer
The leaves that have withered away
We can't run to the sun like we used to
Nothing lasts from the past that we once knew
You and I can deny that it's over
And yet we must face it somehow
Yet here we stand, the silent strangers
Afraid to ask which way to go
Our empty hands at last surrender
The reason why we'll never know
We pretend that the end hasn't found us
And we cling to the things left behind us
Line by line, every rhyme has been written
And time left us here unaware
In our eyes gentle sighs went unspoken
Yes, the days will remain unforgotten
Love went by and we tried once too often
To save all the dreams that we share
Traduzir para o português
Алексей Марченко
Позволь подарить тебе мои стихи! Ещё горячие, свежие. Они прекрасно ложатся на музыку песни Демиса Руссоса We Pretended. Можешь напевать вместо той аброкадабры, что он поёт.
🌷
Мы мечтаем, что жить будем вечно,
Забываем о прошлом беспечно.
Каждый день в Книгу Жизни записан,
Время дарит счастливые дни.
🌷
Свет в глазах всё сияет сильнее,
Ты поймёшь, что сказать не сумею.
А любовь наша в прошлом осталась,
Хоть пытались её мы спасти.
🌷
Припев
Увы, дорогу мы теряем,
Зачем идём вперёд - не знаем,
И в страхе руки опускаем,
И не узнаем никогда!
🌷
Мы мечтаем, что радуга вечна,
Словно тень вместе с нами беспечно
По дороге летит, где с листвою
Осыпаются жёлтые дни.
🌷
Мы бежали за солнцем, как дети,
В прошлом всё, мы одни на планете.
Ты и я - мы одни на планете,
И другого пути не найти!
🌷
Припев
Увы, дорогу мы теряем,
Зачем идём вперёд - не знаем,
И в страхе руки опускаем,
И не узнаем никогда!
🌷
Мы мечтаем, что жить будем вечно,
Забываем о прошлом беспечно.
Каждый день в Книгу Жизни записан,
Время дарит счастливые дни.
🌷
Свет в глазах всё сияет сильнее,
Ты поймёшь, что сказать не сумею.
А любовь наша в прошлом осталась,
Хоть пытались её мы спасти.
Zushara
We pretend that the end hasn't found us
And we cling to the things left behind us
Line by line, every rhyme has been written
And time left us here unaware
In our eyes gentle sighs went unspoken
Yesterday will remain unforgotten
Love went by and we tried once too often
To save all the dreams that we share
And here we stand, the silent strangers
Afraid to ask which way to go
Our empty hands at last surrender
The reason why we'll never know
We pretend that the end of our rainbow
Cannot die if it lies like a shadow
Willows bend when the wind blows to conquer
The leaves that have withered away
We can't run to the sun like we used to
Nothing lasts from the past that we once knew
You and I can't deny that it's over
And yet we must face it somehow
Yet here we stand, the silent strangers
Afraid to ask which way to go
Our empty hands at last surrender
The reason why we'll never know
We pretend that the end hasn't found us
And we cling to the things left behind us
Line by line, every rhyme has been written
And time left us here unaware
In our eyes gentle sighs went unspoken
Yesterday will remain unforgotten
Love went by and we tried once too often
To save all the dreams that we share
Hamid khoda
We pretend that the end hasn't found us
And we cling to the things left behind us
Line by line, every rhyme has been written
And time left us here unaware
In our eyes gentle sighs went unspoken
Yes, the days will remain unforgotten
Love went by and we tried once too often
To save all the dreams that we share
And here we stand, the silent strangers
Afraid to ask which way to go
Our empty hands at last surrender
The reason why we'll never know
We pretend that the end of our rainbow
Cannot die if it lies like a shadow
Willows bend when the wind blows to conquer
The leaves that have withered away
We can't run to the sun like we used to
Nothing lasts from the past that we once knew
You and I can deny that it's over
And yet we must face it somehow
Yet here we stand, the silent strangers
Afraid to ask which way to go
Our empty hands at last surrender
The reason why we'll never know
We pretend that the end hasn't found us
And we cling to the things left behind us
Line by line, every rhyme has been written
And time left us here unaware
In our eyes gentle sighs went unspoken
Yes, the days will remain unforgotten
Love went by and we tried once too often
To save all the dreams that we share
Настя Ненахова
Какой голос!!! Как ручеек льется песня👍💖💖
Милана Солнышкина
Демис,возвращайся скорее ! Как не хватает в наше время таких Божественных вибраций Души ,которые получаешь слушая твой голос ,когда внутри все трепещет от Любви и Счастья ,которые ТЫ дарил всему МИРУ! СВЕТЛАЯ ПАМЯТЬ !
Алексей петров
это гений!!! величайший тэнор на все времена!!! пока его песни живы в наших сердцах и он жив!!!
Alik Takatti
Слёзы текут и душат, вспоминая юность и эту песню.Сердце рвётся в клочья...💔😥
Покойся в свете, Демис! Спасибо что ты был у нас! 🙏💖
Leila Zanatta Giordani
Eternamente em meu coração ❤😍🙏
Валентина Сиротина
Мне повезло!Я слушала этого гениального певца "вживую"!!!До сих пор переполняют эмоции при воспоминаниях...
Espinosa809
Когда мне хочется порыдать наедине, я обязательно включаю эту песню... Слёзы очищают, значит, моя душа жива:))
Cleusa Da Silva Oliveira
Maravilhoso!!💗💗🎹🎶🎵🎵💕💕💕💕
Даурен Даурен
Лучший из лучших певцов Деми Руссос покорил многие сердца людей своей песней вечная память тебе
Marilda das Neves
We pretend that the end hasn't found us
And we cling to the things left behind us
Line by line, every rhyme has been written
And time left us here unaware
In our eyes gentle sighs went unspoken
Yes, the days will remain unforgotten
Love went by and we tried once too often
To save all the dreams that we share
And here we stand, the silent strangers
Afraid to ask which way to go
Our empty hands at last surrender
The reason why we'll never know
We pretend that the end of our rainbow
Cannot die if it lies like a shadow
Willows bend when the wind blows to conquer
The leaves that have withered away
We can't run to the sun like we used to
Nothing lasts from the past that we once knew
You and I can deny that it's over
And yet we must face it somehow
Yet here we stand, the silent strangers
Afraid to ask which way to go
Our empty hands at last surrender
The reason why we'll never know
We pretend that the end hasn't found us
And we cling to the things left behind us
Line by line, every rhyme has been written
And time left us here unaware
In our eyes gentle sighs went unspoken
Yes, the days will remain unforgotten
Love went by and we tried once too often
To save all the dreams that we share
Traduzir para o português