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.
Nihta Stin Panepistimiou
Eleni Dimou Lyrics
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Κι ένα ταξί δε βλέπω
Κι ένα ταξί δε βλέπω
Απόψε εαυτέ μου όλα στα επιτρέπω
Σηκώνω χέρι κλείνω σιγά την πόρτα
Θαμπώσανε τα τζάμια από τα χνώτα
Νύχτα στην πανεπιστημίου
Φώτα αναμμένα και σβηστά
Πίσω εγώ κι εσύ μπροστά
Πού πάμε πεσ μου δεν έχω ξαναπάει
Εμένα η καρδιά μου αλλιώτικα χτυπάει
Φώτα αναμμένα και σβηστά
Πίσω εγώ κι εσύ μπροστά
Πού πάμε πεσ μου δεν έχω ξαναπάει
Κανείσ δε μ' αγαπάει
Οι μοναξιέσ γίνονται δυο
Κι η νύχτα κλαίει
Κι η νύχτα κλαίει
Κι αυτά που βλέπει η πανεπιστημίου δεν τα λέει
Κάνε μια στάση να πάρουμε αέρα
Σταμάτα δε μασ βλέπουν εδώ πέρα
Νύχτα στην πανεπιστημίου
The lyrics to Eleni Dimou's song "Nihta Stin Panepistimiou" describe a night spent on Panepistimiou Avenue, a famous street in Athens, Greece. The singer is in search of a taxi, but there are none in sight, implying a feeling of solitude and desolation. The repetition of "Κι ένα ταξί δε βλέπω" (And I don't see a taxi) emphasizes this sense of being alone and abandoned. In this moment of isolation, the singer allows themselves to indulge in their own desires and give in to their impulses, captured in the line "Απόψε εαυτέ μου όλα στα επιτρέπω" (Tonight, I allow myself everything).
The second verse introduces a sense of uncertainty as the singer raises their hand and quietly closes the door, signifying a departure from reality. The windows become foggy, obscuring the view from the outside world. These metaphors might represent the singer's detachment from their surroundings and a retreat into their own thoughts and emotions. It deepens the atmosphere of loneliness that permeates the song.
The chorus of the song repeats the lines "Φώτα αναμμένα και σβηστά, Πίσω εγώ κι εσύ μπροστά" (Lights on and off, behind me and you in front), which can be interpreted as a metaphor for the alternating clarity and confusion the singer experiences. They question where they are going and admit that they have never been there before. Meanwhile, their heart beats differently, suggesting a yearning for something more meaningful or passionate.
As the song progresses, the singer reveals their sense of unrequited love and the feeling that nobody loves them. This sentiment is expressed in the line "Κανείσ δε μ' αγαπάει" (Nobody loves me), conveying a deep sense of loneliness and emotional pain. The repetition of this line strengthens the singer's feelings of isolation and emotional disconnection from others.
In the final verse, the singer reflects on their surroundings, as they see couples or groups of people and realize they are left alone. The night itself becomes an embodiment of their sadness, as it is personified crying. The reference to the things that the Panepistimiou Avenue sees but never tells might suggest the singer's feeling that their pain and struggles go unnoticed or unacknowledged by the world around them.
Overall, "Nihta Stin Panepistimiou" portrays a night of loneliness, emotional turmoil, and introspection. The lyrics invite listeners to delve into the singer's mindset, experiencing their longing for connection, their moments of self-indulgence, and their sense of being unnoticed in a bustling world.
Line by Line Meaning
Νύχτα στην πανεπιστημίου
Night at the university
Κι ένα ταξί δε βλέπω
And I don't see a taxi
Απόψε εαυτέ μου όλα στα επιτρέπω
Tonight I allow myself everything
Σηκώνω χέρι κλείνω σιγά την πόρτα
I raise my hand and gently close the door
Θαμπώσανε τα τζάμια από τα χνώτα
The windows were blurred by the fog
Φώτα αναμμένα και σβηστά
Lights on and off
Πίσω εγώ κι εσύ μπροστά
I'm behind, you're in front
Πού πάμε πες μου δεν έχω ξαναπάει
Tell me where are we going, I've never been there
Εμένα η καρδιά μου αλλιώτικα χτυπάει
My heart beats differently
Κανείς δε μ' αγαπάει
Nobody loves me
Οι μοναξιές γίνονται δυο
Loneliness turns into two
Κι η νύχτα κλαίει
And the night cries
Κι αυτά που βλέπει η πανεπιστημίου δεν τα λέει
And what the university sees, it doesn't say
Κάνε μια στάση να πάρουμε αέρα
Make a stop to get some air
Σταμάτα δε μας βλέπουν εδώ πέρα
Stop, they don't see us over here
Νύχτα στην πανεπιστημίου
Night at the university
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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