Karras was born on 12 November 1953 in Kokkinohori, Kavala, Greece, to Pontian parents. At the age of 10, his family moved to Thessaloniki. Also around this time his brother Damian and his sister Anastasia were born. Growing up in Thessaloniki allowed Karras considerable independence and many of the friendships he created there have lasted well into his life.
Dodeka Para
Vasilis Karras Lyrics
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Próti mou fóra niótho tin anánki na s'akoúso
Kai tin monaxiá mou n'apokroúso
Dódeka pará
Pónos i chara échei gínei mésa sti zoí mou
Pou den eísai tóra pia mazí mou
Kai elegá den eisai anámnisi gia ména
Dódeka pará pos tha perásei
Dódeka vdomádes pou den noiázesai gia mena
Dódeka pará
Díno anaforá bros sto pligoméno egoismó mou
Se zitáo sto tiléfonó mou
Dódeka pará
Niótho na vará o synagermós mes tin kardiá mou
Thélo san trelós na rtheis kontá mou
Dódeka pará
Dódeka pará
árage chorá mésa stin psychí mou ki állos pónos
Eínai o érotas sou dolofónos
Dódeka pará
Niótho sovará na'cho trelatheí pou de m'angízeis
Ti zoí sou pou ti charamízeis
Kai elegá se eícha xeperásei
Dódeka pará pos tha perásei
Dódeka pará
Se zitáo sto tiléfonó mou
Niótho na vará o synagermós mes tin kardiá mou
Dódeka pará
Se zitáo sto tiléfonó mou
Niótho na vará o synagermós mes tin kardiá mou
Dódeka pará
The lyrics of Vasilis Karras's song Dodeka Para tell the story of a person who is longing for the company of a loved one. The singer feels the weight of loneliness and is desperate to connect with the person they miss. They express this longing in the chorus, repeating "Dodeka Para" (Twelve Hours), indicating that it has been twelve hours since they last saw or spoke to this person. The first verse describes how the singer is consumed by the desire to hear the other person's voice; they are willing to do anything just to hear them again. The singer recognizes that they are selfish, but their desire to be with the other person overrides this. The second verse goes deeper into the singer's feelings of pain and suffering. They express their frustration that the other person has not been around, and they are left to find a way to cope with their isolation. The intensity of their feelings is heightened by the fact that the other person is their love interest.
The song is an expression of the universal human experience of longing for connection and companionship. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and need that many listeners can relate to. The repetition of "Dodeka Para" throughout the song emphasizes the duration of the singer's longing, making it a particularly poignant expression of the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
Dódeka pará
Twelve steps
Próti mou fóra niótho tin anánki na s'akoúso
I feel the necessity to listen to you for the first time
Kai tin monaxiá mou n'apokroúso
And my solitude to reply
Pónos i chara échei gínei mésa sti zoí mou
Pain and joy have become a part of my life
Pou den eísai tóra pia mazí mou
Where you are not with me anymore
Kai élega pos se éicha xeperásei
And I said that I had forgotten you
Kai elegá den eisai anámnisi gia ména
And I said you are not a memory for me
Dódeka pará pos tha perásei
Twelve steps how it will pass
Dódeka vdomádes pou den noiázesai gia mena
Twelve hours that you don't think about me
Díno anaforá bros sto pligoméno egoismó mou
I admit my selfishness that causes me pain
Se zitáo sto tiléfonó mou
I am searching for you on my phone
Niótho na vará o synagermós mes tin kardiá mou
I feel the weight of the miss in my heart
Thélo san trelós na rtheis kontá mou
I want you to come close to me like a madman
árage chorá mésa stin psychí mou ki állos pónos
Even more pain inside my soul
Eínai o érotas sou dolofónos
Your love is a killer
Niótho sovará na'cho trelatheí pou de m'angízeis
I feel serious because you don't touch me
Ti zoí sou pou ti charamízeis
Your life that you enjoy
Writer(s): giorgos theofanous
Contributed by Ian N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.