He blends a lot of musical traditions in his work, from popular to electronic. He has composed a lot of songs based on poems by Greek and foreign poets, such as Euripides, Aristophanes, Constantine P. Cavafy, Giorgos Seferis, Yannis Ritsos, Odysseas Elytis and Nikos Kavvadias as well as Bertolt Brecht, Nazim Hikmet, Wolf Biermann and Maurice Maeterlinck. He has also written operas, symphonic music, chamber music and music for the theatre and cinema.
One of his most popular works was the setting to music of poems by Nikos Kavvadias in his albums Grammes Orizonton (Horizons' Lines) and Stavros tou Notou (Southern Cross). Some of the music was originally written for a TV series, the theme of which was marine. The songs were liked and he went on to the studio to record some more many of which were included in the aforementioned albums.
Thanos Mikroutsikos has also been involved in Greece's political life since the 60's. During the turbulent years of the military junta (1967-1974), he was persecuted by the regime for his anti-dictatorial activities and ideas. When the junta collapsed he continued being actively involved in politics as a member of the maoist EKKE, especially in the first years after the restoration of democracy.
After the elections of October 1993 he was appointed by the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) which formed the new government, as Alternate-Minister of Culture with late Melina Mercouri as minister. In 1994 after the death of the latter he was appointed minister of culture. He remained at this position until 1996. His brother is the popular TV host and musician Andreas Mikroutsikos.
I Balada Toi Thanatou
Thanos Mikroutsikos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
Ποιανού είναι τώρα η σειρά
Καθαρίστε πιο βαθιά
Αυτό το αίμα είναι το σπέρμα
Του θανάτου του σεν είναι τώρα η σειρά
Η λούλου τώρα μοναχή
Χήρα πάλι και φτωχή
Και σε καμπαρέ χορεύει
Κι ένα βράδυ πάει εκεί
Ο δόκτωρ σεν με τη μνηστή
Το νούμερό τησ για να δει
Κι η μοίρα του παραμονεύει
Δε συνεχίζω το χορό
Φωνάζει η λούλου στο κοινό
Δείχνει τον σεν και τη μνηστή
Κι εγκαταλείπει τη σκηνή
Γίνεται θόρυβοσ και σάλοσ
Γύρνα να παίξεισ μπιτ ε σεμ
Κι ανάμεσά τουσ ένασ άλλοσ
Γονατιστόσ ο δόκτωρ σεν
Όλα στη λούλου θα τα δώσει
Και τη μνηστή του θα προδώσει
Με τρόμο βλέπει η ψυχή του
Ν' αρχίζει τώρα η κόλασή του
Καθαρίστε καθαρίστε το καλά
Ποιανού είναι τώρα η σειρά
Καθαρίστε πιο βαθιά
Αυτό το αίμα είναι το σπέρμα
Του θανάτου του σεν είναι τώρα η σειρά
The lyrics of Thanos Mikroutsikos's song "I Balada Toi Thanatou" delve into themes of fate, betrayal, and the inevitability of death. The repetitive call to "cleanse" or "purify" suggests a sense of reckoning or purification that needs to take place. The questioning of whose turn it is now implies a cyclical nature to the events being described, perhaps hinting at the relentless march of time and fate.
The imagery of the lonely flower (λούλου) as a widow, poor and abandoned, finding solace in the arms of a prince, only to be betrayed as he finds a lover in a cabaret, paints a picture of transient and unfulfilling relationships. The mention of a doctor with his betrothed going to a rendezvous, only to have fate intervene, suggests a turning point where choices have consequences that cannot be avoided.
As the flower stops dancing and points out the doctor and his lover to the audience, deciding to exit the scene, chaos ensues. The doctor, now kneeling in a position of supplication, symbolizes a fall from grace or a moment of realization of the gravity of the situation. The betrayal and abandonment portrayed in this scene foreshadow a dark turn of events, setting the stage for a descent into torment and suffering.
The final repetition of the call to cleanse and the assertion that the blood is the seed of death, signaling whose turn it is now, underscores the inevitability of facing one's fate and the consequences of one's actions. The fear in the soul as the torment begins alludes to a reckoning that is both external and internal, as the characters face the repercussions of their choices. The song's lyrics evoke a sense of foreboding and poetic justice, exploring the intertwined themes of destiny, betrayal, and the inescapable cycle of life and death.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind