Originating from Athens, Evripidis Sabatis landed in Barcelona only two yea… Read Full Bio ↴Originating from Athens, Evripidis Sabatis landed in Barcelona only two years ago, but in no time he was dazz-ling the local scene with his solo concerts. Prolific as Sufjan Stevens, his capacity to compose is nourished by years of music studies. Fourteen years studying piano, chamber music studies and a soloist graduate, Evripidis has a superlative imagination and wide-range of influences. From The Magnetic Fields to Beach Boys, Phil Spector and Red Bird sound, The Velvet Underground, Scott Walker, Nico, Kate Bush, Nick Drake, Belle and Sebastian, Sarah Record’s bands and 50’s doo wop. But it was his passion for vocals chorus in all their forms (60's pop, church chorus and baroque music) that turned Evripidis music into a much more ambitious project. Marisol (Eleva, Elevator), Nora González, Odil and Annie (How dare you) were recruited for doo-wop duites, while violinist Cristina de Sola, bassist Aleix Clavera (Extraperlo), and drummer Jaume Ribell (Epic Kind) build upon Evripidis' songs to create a formation in which each component shines individually and collectively.

This is the first sign that Evripidis and His Tragedies are a truly unique band and have developed their own style. In Evripidis' song writing there is space for pre-Beatles pop as heard on "Ru Ru I'd love to…", to the sinister and grotesque "Transylvania, Some nights are sleepless" and "Cause I shall rise again", the picaresque cabaret "Red is the sky above the harbour" and romanticism "I want to be there”, “Long-Lasting Lovers” or “Straydog" and also singles as "It's June Again!” and “Gregory (we're coming out in the light)".

Conceptually, Evripidis use polarity (reality and fantasy, romanticism and sexual tension, self-parody and idealisation,catastrophe and comedy) to create a work guided by humour and his flirtation with daily tragicomedies. The result is an album that is personal, daring, original and ambitious.

The Reason
Evripidis and his Tragedies Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There’s a sunbeam tickling
Your bare skin as you sleep
I lay silent hardly breathing
I don’t want you to wake up
No, not yet

I don’t think I’m ready
To face the day without you around

Sure we’ll send messages but there’s a certain warmth
That does not travel by telephone lines

Don’t wake up, drift a bit longer in the realm of dreams
And don’t you fret, I am here to guard them and do
The worrying for two anyway

So much to worry about with each and every day
The great barrier reef died, a bombing again, letters from the tax office arrived today
And you came late at night and you were not picking up my calls
And I knew you’d drive without your glasses on

I’d never really prayed but I did when my best friend was in the hospital
He’s gone now so I guess there is no use in talking to the heavens above about us, is there?
Yet sometimes I do
I can’t afford to lose you
Somehow this terror is so brand new

This is no prison, it’s a vast, a wide open sky
Love is the reason we live and die
This is no prison, it’s a vast, a wide open sky
Love is the reason we live and die

This is no prison, it’s a vast, a wide open sky
Love is the reason we live and die

Overall Meaning

In the first verse, the singer is observing the person they love while they sleep. The sunbeam tickling their bare skin creates a sense of intimacy and vulnerability. The singer wants to cherish this moment and doesn't want the person to wake up just yet. It hints at a desire to delay facing the reality of the day without the person's presence.

The second verse explores the fear of being without the loved one. While communication is possible through messages, there is a certain warmth and connection that cannot be conveyed through telephone lines. It implies that physical proximity and presence are important in a relationship. The singer longs for the loved one to stay in the realm of dreams, where worries and concerns can be momentarily escaped. They also express their willingness to carry the burden of worry for the both of them.

The third verse delves into the anxieties and concerns of everyday life. The world seems to be filled with problems like the death of the Great Barrier Reef, bombings, and the stress of receiving letters from the tax office. The loved one's absence and late arrival exacerbate the singer's worries. There's also a hint of recklessness as the loved one drives without their glasses on, adding to the singer's concern for their safety.

The final verse touches on the singer's newfound sense of spirituality and the fear of losing the person they love. The singer mentions praying for their best friend when they were in the hospital, suggesting a sense of helplessness and mortality. With the best friend gone, the singer questions the effectiveness of praying for their own relationship. However, they admit to occasionally turning to the heavens and pleading not to lose their loved one. The revelation of this fear and vulnerability reflects the depth of their love and the significance of the relationship.

The chorus brings a contrasting perspective. The singer declares that the relationship is not a prison but a vast and open sky. It highlights the freedom and boundlessness love can bring. Love is presented as both the reason why people live and the reason why they eventually pass away. It suggests that love gives meaning and purpose to life, transcending the mundane worries and concerns mentioned earlier. The repetition of these lines emphasizes the central theme and the importance of love in the singer's perspective.

Line by Line Meaning

There’s a sunbeam tickling
A ray of sunlight gently touching

Your bare skin as you sleep
Your uncovered body while you are in slumber

I lay silent hardly breathing
I lie in silence, barely taking a breath

I don’t want you to wake up
I wish for you to remain asleep

No, not yet
Not at this moment

I don’t think I’m ready
I feel unprepared

To face the day without you around
To confront the day without your presence

Sure we’ll send messages but there’s a certain warmth
Although we will communicate, there is a specific warmth

That does not travel by telephone lines
That cannot be conveyed through phone conversations

Don’t wake up, drift a bit longer in the realm of dreams
Please continue to sleep and wander in the realm of dreams

And don’t you fret, I am here to guard them and do
Do not worry, I am here to protect your dreams

The worrying for two anyway
And bear the burden of worry for both of us

So much to worry about with each and every day
There is a multitude of concerns every single day

The great barrier reef died, a bombing again, letters from the tax office arrived today
The immense coral reef perished, another act of violence occurred, and I received letters from the tax office today

And you came late at night and you were not picking up my calls
And you arrived during the late hours of the night and ignored my phone calls

And I knew you’d drive without your glasses on
And I was aware that you would drive without wearing your glasses

I’d never really prayed but I did when my best friend was in the hospital
I had never truly prayed before, but I did when my closest companion was in the hospital

He’s gone now so I guess there is no use in talking to the heavens above about us, is there?
He has passed away, hence there is no point in seeking divine intervention for our situation, is there?

Yet sometimes I do
However, occasionally I still do

I can’t afford to lose you
I cannot bear the thought of losing you

Somehow this terror is so brand new
Somehow this fear feels completely fresh and unfamiliar

This is no prison, it’s a vast, a wide open sky
Our situation is not a confinement, but rather an expansive, boundless sky

Love is the reason we live and die
Love is the motivation behind our existence and mortality

This is no prison, it’s a vast, a wide open sky
Our circumstance is not a jail, but rather an immense, unrestricted sky

Love is the reason we live and die
Love is the purpose for our existence and passing

This is no prison, it’s a vast, a wide open sky
Our situation is not a confinement, but rather an expansive, boundless sky

Love is the reason we live and die
Love is the motivation behind our existence and mortality

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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