Her first album ‘Mila mou apla’ (‘ Just speak to me’) was a collaboration with new singers Manolis Lidakis and Melina Tanagri, based on songs composed by Taki Bougas with lyrics from Antonis Andrikaki. With every following album, Dimou’s popularity increased, thanks to her modern, natural and flexible interpretations, combining the more traditional Greek roots with western pop style.
In 1986 she collaborated with Lakis Papadopoulos on her album ‘Kata bathos alepou’ (‘Basically fox’). With her by that time already highly acclaimed husky, sultry voice she sang both ballads and pop-rock songs. In this periode of time, she collaborated with famous artists like Georgios Dalaras and Mikis Theodorakis.
Her 1988 album ‘Prosopika’ (‘Personal’), recorded with G. Spanos, was both artistically as commercially a great success. In the next decade Dimou keeps releasing new albums regularly, always combining Greek folk music with western arrangements and world music influences. In 1990 she released the album ‘Pathis’ (‘Passions’), on which she chanted byzantine hymns on a requiem by D. Papostolou.
In the second half of the nineties, popularity and album sales decreased. A new generation of Greek pop singers seemed to have taken her place. Dimou seemed to be stuck between Greek folk and modern pop, unable to rejuvenate herself. Around the start of the new millennium, inspiration and creativity seemed to have returned, resulting in more frequent album releases and collaborations with international artists like Alpha Blondy, Salif Keita, The Christians, Gipsy Kings and Linton Kwesi Johnson.
In her almost thirty year spanning career, Eleni Dimou recorded more than 20 albums, nine went gold and three platinum in Greece. She is married to producer and engineer Akis Golfidis and the couple have a son named Anthony.
Nero Na Pinis St Onoma Mou
Eleni Dimou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Και δε βρήκα ούτε ένα στήριγμα ούτε ένα φωσ για την ψυχή
Μόνο τρία μέτρα σύννεφο πήρα από τουσ ρωσοπόντιουσ
Τρία μέτρα σκέτο σύννεφο για να σου φτιάξω μια βροχή
Νερό να πίνεισ στ' όνομά μου
Σε όποια γη σταθείσ
Και σ' άλλη νύχτα απ' τη δικιά μου
Τρία μέτρα σύννεφο όλη η ζωή μου
Κι όσα λάθη κι αν χρεώθηκα
Να μ' αγαπάσ να με ποθείσ
The opening lines of the song paint a picture of a person who has wandered through life, feeling lost and alone. The singer describes the long journey they have taken alongside shadowy wanderers, searching for some form of support or light for their soul, yet finding none. Instead, they speak of only taking three meters of cloud from the Russian shores, emphasizing the fleeting and insubstantial nature of their interactions and experiences. The imagery of the cloud symbolizes a temporary and ephemeral connection that the singer tries to use to create rain, perhaps symbolizing an attempt to bring growth and renewal to a barren emotional landscape.
The chorus of the song introduces the theme of longing and connection, as the singer urges the listener to drink water in their name no matter where they may be, ensuring that they never disappear into another night apart from the singer's own. This longing for a lasting connection and presence in the other person's life is palpable in the repeated plea to never be lost. The repetition of the phrase "Νερό να πίνεις στ' όνομά μου" reinforces the deep desire for a meaningful and enduring bond, transcending physical distance and time.
The subsequent verses delve deeper into the singer's feelings of isolation and transience, as they describe their entire life as being made up of only three meters of cloud. Despite acknowledging the mistakes and burdens they have carried, the singer longs to be loved and desired by the other person. The imagery of the cloud continues to signify impermanence and fragility, highlighting the singer's vulnerability and yearning for a love that can weather life's storms.
In conclusion, the lyrics of "Nero Na Pinis St Onoma Mou" by Eleni Dimou express a poignant sense of longing, loneliness, and a desire for connection and love that transcends boundaries. The imagery of clouds, water, and wandering underscores the themes of transience, emotional depth, and the yearning for a lasting presence in the other person's life. Despite the singer's acknowledgment of past mistakes and uncertainties, there is a poignant plea for love and affection that endures beyond life's challenges. The song beautifully captures the human experience of seeking solace and connection in a world that often feels transient and uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
Τόσο δρόμο έκανα με άλλουσ ίσκιουσ πλανόδιουσ
I have walked so many paths with other wandering shadows.
Και δε βρήκα ούτε ένα στήριγμα ούτε ένα φωσ για την ψυχή
Yet I found neither support nor a light for my soul.
Μόνο τρία μέτρα σύννεφο πήρα από τουσ ρωσοπόντιουσ
I only took three meters of pure cloud from the Pontic Greeks.
Τρία μέτρα σκέτο σύννεφο για να σου φτιάξω μια βροχή
Three meters of plain cloud to make a rain for you.
Νερό να πίνεισ στ' όνομά μου
Drink water in my name.
Σε όποια γη σταθείσ
On whatever land you stand.
Και σ' άλλη νύχτα απ' τη δικιά μου
And on a night different from mine.
Ποτέ να μη χαθείσ
Never to be lost.
Τρία μέτρα σύννεφο όλη η ζωή μου
Three meters of cloud for my whole life.
Κι όσα λάθη κι αν χρεώθηκα
And whatever mistakes I was charged with.
Να μ' αγαπάσ να με ποθείσ
To love and desire me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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