After having taken piano lessons, Vangelis began his professional musical career working with several popular bands of the 1960s such as the Forminx and Aphrodite's Child, with the latter's album 666 going on to be recognized as a psychedelic classic. Throughout the 1970s, Vangelis composed music scores for several animal documentaries, including L'Apocalypse des Animaux, La FΓͺte sauvage and OpΓ©ra sauvage; the success of these scores brought him into the film scoring mainstream. In the early 1980s, Vangelis formed a musical partnership with Jon Anderson, the lead singer of progressive rock band Yes, and the duo went on to release several albums together as Jon & Vangelis.
In 1981, he composed the score for the Oscar-winning film Chariots of Fire, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Original Score. The soundtrack's single, the film's "Titles" theme, also reached the top of the American Billboard Hot 100 chart and was used as the background music at the London 2012 Olympics winners' medal presentation ceremonies. Vangelis also received acclaim for his synthesizer-based soundtrack for the 1982 film Blade Runner.
Having had a career in music spanning over 70 years and having composed and performed more than 50 albums, Vangelis is considered to be one of the most important figures in the history of electronic music.
Vangelis was born 29 March 1943, in Agria, near Volos, Greece. Largely a self-taught musician, he reportedly began composing at the age of three. His earliest memory is "playing piano, some percussion and whatever else that was available that made a noise. Right from the start, I was only interested in playing my own music". He refused to take traditional piano lessons, and throughout his career did not have substantial knowledge of reading or writing musical notation. When he was six, Vangelis's parents enrolled him at a specialist music school in Athens. He recalls "I was lucky not to go because music schools close doors rather than open them". He studied painting, an art he still practices, at the Athens School of Fine Arts.
In 1989 received Max Steiner Award. France made Vangelis a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in 1992 and promoted to Commander in 2017, as well Chevalier de la Legion dβ Honneur in 2001. In 1993 received music award Apollo by Friends of the Athens National Opera Society. In 1995, Vangelis had a minor planet named after him (6354 Vangelis) by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center (MPC) at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory; the name was proposed by the MPC's co-director, Gareth V. Williams, rather than by the object's original discoverer, EugΓ¨ne Joseph Delporte, who died in 1955, long before the 1934 discovery could be confirmed by observations made in 1990. In 1996 and 1997 was awarded at World Music Awards.
NASA conferred their Public Service Medal to Vangelis in 2003. The award is the highest honour the space agency presents to an individual not involved with the American government. Five years later, in 2008, the board of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens voted to make Vangelis an Honorary Doctor, making him Professor Emeritus at their Faculty of Primary Education. In June 2008, the American Hellenic Institute honoured Vangelis with an AHI Hellenic Heritage Achievement Award for his "exceptional artistic achievements" as a pioneer in electronic music and for his lifelong dedication to the promotion of Hellenism through the arts. On 16 September 2013, he received the honour of appearing on the Greek 80 cent postage stamp, as part of a series of six distinguished living personalities of the Greek Diaspora.
So Long Ago So Clear
Vangelis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How we chased a million stars
And touched as only one can
Once, we did play
How the past delivered you
Amidst our youth we'd dream away, away
As if I knew the words I'm sure you'll hear
Once, we did love
Long ago how did I forget
Holding you so closely
Look, how I move
Chance would have me glance at you
To know how you move me, me
All barriers fall around us as we hear
Of memories known and matters so long ago, so clear
Once, we did run
How we chased a million stars
And touched as only one can
The lyrics of Vangelis's song "So Long Ago So Clear" are a nostalgic reflection on a past love relationship, seemingly from the perspective of one lover speaking to the other. The song begins with a reminiscence of the couple's youthful vitality and aspirations; they once "chased a million stars" and touched each other intimately, experiencing a oneness that was unique. The vivid memory of that time is revived again as they played, dreaming away.
The lyrics go on to suggest that the memory of their love had faded over time, but the singer is brought back to the present moment, and notices how the person they loved moves. The chance encounter has brought back vivid memories of holding them closely, and they experience once again the barriers falling around them as they "hear of memories known and matters so long ago, so clear."
The song's lyrics are filled with vivid emotions of longing, sadness, and passion, carrying the listener to an emotional journey of remembering past experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Once, we did run
In the past, we used to run and move along with the flow of life
How we chased a million stars
As we ran, we had high aspirations and hopes for the future, like chasing a million stars
And touched as only one can
Our relationship was so close and intimate that we were like one entity
Once, we did play
In the past, we used to play and have fun with each other
How the past delivered you
The memories of the past brought you back to my life
Amidst our youth we'd dream away, away
During our youthful days, we used to dream and imagine the endless possibilities of life
As if I knew the words I'm sure you'll hear
It feels like I can anticipate the words you will say because of our deep connection
Of how we met as you recall so clear
We have a detailed memory of how we met, which we can recall clearly
Once, we did love
In the past, we had a deep and intense love for each other
Long ago how did I forget
It's been so long, but I can't explain how I forgot about our love
Holding you so closely
I remember how I used to hold you intimately
Look, how I move
Whenever I see you, I involuntarily move and sway like I used to
Chance would have me glance at you
By chance, I had a brief look at you
To know how you move me, me
That brief moment of looking at you reminded me of how deeply connected with you I was
All barriers fall around us as we hear
As we reminisce, all the barriers between us fade away
Of memories known and matters so long ago, so clear
We reminisce and recall memories and events that were so long ago but are still crystal clear in our minds
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JON ANDERSON, EVANGHELOS: SEE "VANGELIS" PAPATHANASSIOU
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@augustocaie
Once, we did run
How we chased a million stars
and touched as only one can
Once, we did play
How the past delivered you
Amidst our youth we'd dream away, away
As if I knew the words I'm sure you'll hear
Of how we met as you recall so clear
Once, we did love
Long ago how did I forget
Holding you so closely
Look, how I move
Chance would have me glance at you
To know how you move me, me
All barriers fall around us as we hear
Of memories known and matters so long ago, so clear
[interlude]
Once, we did run
How we chased a million stars
And touched as only one can
@johntaylor6517
I swear Jon Anderson is an angel sent from another world to bless us. His voice is utterly beautiful and real.
@Matheologia
I'm just crying and crying... This reminded me that there is still some goodness among humanity. God forgive us that we have gone so far from that ideal you so long ago imagined for our existence - love.
@sthelenshistorychannel
God doesn't make mistakes, no one is lost - just be an observer and learn!
@neile2001
One of the most downright beautiful songs of the last 70 years.
@gwinniboots
neile2001 Yes, so very moving.
@karlanderson7780
The most beautiful song every!
@Nacholympic
I can hear this song hundred of time and I'll never get bored of it...
It takes you to another level.. it's sublime, touching, delicate....
I was 15 when I heard it for ths first time, in the album "Portraits"...
In that year my grandma had passed away and I amagined her walking in another dimension, full of green grass, colorful flowers and glitering stars...
@jaredharris1940
Indeed!
@GS195
Everyone is here... crying... mourning...
@jcs5436
Why mourning ? It's the hymn of life.