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.
Pikria
Thanos Mikroutsikos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
τον τρόμο που δοκίμαζα πηδώντας το κατάρτι,
το μπούσουλα, τη βάρδια μου και την πορεία στο χάρτη,
για ένα δυσεύρετο μικρό θαλασσινό κοχύλι.
Τον πυρετό στους Τροπικούς, του Rio, τη μαλαφράντζα,
την πυρκαγιά που ανάψαμε μια νύχτα στο Μανάο.
Τη μαχαιριά που μούδωσε ο Μαγιάρος στην Κωστάντζα
και Σε πονάει με τη νοτιά - Όχι, απ΄ αλλού πονάω.
του καραβιού που κάθισε την πλώρη τη σπασμένη.
Τις ξεβαμμένες στάμπες μου, πούχα για περηφάνια,
για σένα, που σαλπάρισες, γολέτα αρματωμένη.
Τι να σου τάξω, ατίθασο παιδί, να σε κρατήσω
Παρηγοριά μου ο σάκος μου, σ΄ Αμερική και Ασία.
Σύρμα που εκόπηκε στα δυο και πώς να το ματίσω
Κατακαημένε, η θάλασσα μισάει την προδοσία.
Κατέβηκε ο Πολύγυρος και γίνηκε λιμάνι.
Λιμάνι κατασκότεινο, στενό, χωρίς φανάρια,
απόψε που αγκαλιάστηκαν Εβραίοι και Μουσουλμάνοι
και ταξιδέψαν τα νησιά στον πόντο, τα Κανάρια.
The lyrics of the song "Pikria" by Thanos Mikroutsikos convey a deep sense of sacrifice and longing intertwined with themes of betrayal, loss, and resilience. The singer reflects on the things they have given up for the bitter taste of someone else's lips, symbolizing the painful choices made in the name of love or desire. This sacrifice extends to abandoning familiar comforts and navigating through uncertainties, such as jumping the hurdle of fear and forsaking personal direction for an elusive seashell.
The imagery presented in the lyrics further explores the conflicts and contrasts in the singer's emotional landscape. They mention experiences of feverish passion in exotic locales like the Tropics and Rio, as well as referencing a fire kindled in Manaus, Brazil. The mention of a stabbing incident involving "Magyar" and "Costanza" adds a darker tone, suggesting wounds inflicted not just physically but emotionally. The line "And you hurt me with the South wind - No, I hurt from elsewhere" hints at the internal turmoil and external influences causing pain.
The lyrics also touch upon themes of loneliness, longing, and the sense of being adrift. The references to the agony of a ship's crew and the solitude of a sailor orphaned by the sea evoke a sense of isolation and vulnerability. The singer laments the fading imprints of their past achievements, once a source of pride, now lost in the wake of someone who sailed away fully armed. The struggles of the sailor and the yearning for connection are juxtaposed with the singer's reluctance to be consoled by worldly possessions or distant lands like America and Asia.
As the narrative unfolds, the imagery shifts to evoke a sense of desolation and broken connections. The severed wire and the sea's rejection of betrayal paint a picture of shattered trust and irreparable damage. The arrival of Poligyros, turning into a desolate harbor without lights, symbolizes a bleak and unwelcoming reality. The unlit harbor becomes a metaphor for the singer's own inner turmoil and the lack of guiding beacons in their life. The union of Jews and Muslims in the embrace of the night underscores a message of unity amidst diversity, hinting at the power of connection and reconciliation amidst chaos and uncertainty as they journey to distant islands like the Canaries. Overall, the song's poignant lyrics delve deep into themes of sacrifice, longing, betrayal, and resilience, inviting listeners to reflect on the complexities of human emotions and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Ό,τι αγαπούσα αρνήθηκα για το πικρό σου αχείλι:
I denied everything I loved for your bitter lips:
τον τρόμο που δοκίμαζα πηδώντας το κατάρτι,
the fear I experienced jumping off the mast,
το μπούσουλα, τη βάρδια μου και την πορεία στο χάρτη,
the compass, my watch, and the route on the map,
για ένα δυσεύρετο μικρό θαλασσινό κοχύλι.
for an elusive small seashell.
Τον πυρετό στους Τροπικούς, του Rio, τη μαλαφράντζα,
The fever in the Tropics, in Rio, the malapranza,
την πυρκαγιά που ανάψαμε μια νύχτα στο Μανάο.
the fire we lit one night in Manaus.
Τη μαχαιριά που μούδωσε ο Μαγιάρος στην Κωστάντζα
The stab I received from the Hungarian in Constanta,
και Σε πονάει με τη νοτιά - Όχι, απ΄ αλλού πονάω.
and it hurts you with the south wind - No, I hurt from elsewhere.
Του τρατολόγου τον καημό, του ναύτη την ορφάνια,
The sorrow of the sailmaker, the sailor's orphanhood,
του καραβιού που κάθισε την πλώρη τη σπασμένη.
of the ship that anchored with its broken bow.
Τις ξεβαμμένες στάμπες μου, πούχα για περηφάνια,
My faded tattoos, prideful attire,
για σένα, που σαλπάρισες, γολέτα αρματωμένη.
for you, who set sail, armed galleon.
Τι να σου τάξω, ατίθασο παιδί, να σε κρατήσω
What can I offer you, stubborn child, to hold you
Παρηγοριά μου ο σάκος μου, σ΄ Αμερική και Ασία.
My comfort is in my bag, in America and Asia.
Σύρμα που εκόπηκε στα δυο και πώς να το ματίσω
Wire that was cut in two and how to mend it
Κατακαημένε, η θάλασσα μισάει την προδοσία.
Burned one, the sea hates betrayal.
Κατέβηκε ο Πολύγυρος και γίνηκε λιμάνι.
Polygyros went down and became a port.
Λιμάνι κατασκότεινο, στενό, χωρίς φανάρια,
A makeshift port, narrow, without lights,
απόψε που αγκαλιάστηκαν Εβραίοι και Μουσουλμάνοι
tonight when Jews and Muslims embraced
και ταξιδέψαν τα νησιά στον πόντο, τα Κανάρια.
and traveled to the islands in the sea, the Canaries.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: THANOS MIKROUTSIKOS, NIKOS KAVVADIAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Αναστασιος Μπογδανος
Ο καλύτερος ever , by far, ελληνικός δίσκος !!
Τασος Καγιαρ
Μαζι με το ΑΞΙΟΝ ΕΣΤΙ θα συμπληρωνα.
Θεοδωρος Λ.
Μεσα επεσες
Konstantinos Kalachanis
Όλος ο δίσκος προκαλεί ανατριχίλα!
Η ΠΡΙΓΚΙΠΙΣΣΑ ΤΩΝ ΒΙΒΛΙΩΝ
Ποτε μου δεν καταλαβα γιατι αυτο το διαμαντι που ενσταλαζει πικρια
χαμηλωνει στην τελευταια στροφη την οποια δυστυχως δεν την ακουμε ολοκληρη
Θεοδωρος Λ.
Γιατι μαλλον θα φευγαμε ηδη προωρα
elekt vai-ster
Νομίζω οι στίχοι λένε "ξέχασα κείνο το μικρό κορίτσι απ'το Ανόι". Την πρωτεύουσα του Βιετνάμ.
elekt vai-ster
Συγνώμη, εννοεί την κινεζική Xiamen.
dimitris2005
Καλό ταξίδι...