17 Oct Memories of a child
ΟΥΡΑΝΕ ΠΟΥ ΠΕΡΝΑΣ – Πασχάλης
Κάθε τόσο στ’ όνειρό μου
ξαναβλέπω το πατρικό μου
στο μπαλκόνι χτίζουνε φωλιά
όσες αναμνήσεις μου καίνε την καρδιά
Ουρανέ που περνάς
σ’ όποια πόρτα σταματάς
ποιος ακόμα με θυμάται
να ρωτάς, να ρωτάς
Τόσοι φίλοι αγαπημένοι
το κορίτσι που με περιμένει
ποιος το ξέρει δρόμο αν θα βρω
πίσω να γυρίσω και να τους ξαναδώ
Ουρανέ που περνάς
σ’ όποια πόρτα σταματάς
ποιος ακόμα με θυμάται
να ρωτάς, να ρωτάς
Κάτασπρα σπίτια που η δύση τα ματώνει
αυλές γεμάτες ήλιο και φωνές παιδικές
με πήγε ο δρόμος μακριά
απ’ τη ζωή μου την παλιά
μα η καρδιά δεν ξεχνά
Ουρανέ που περνάς
σ’ όποια πόρτα σταματάς
ποιος ακόμα με θυμάται
να ρωτάς, να ρωτάς
Now you probably are wondering why I put these songs here, right?
Let me tell you a story.
When I was little, at the age of five my parents got me and my sister a walkman, headphones and some tapes. Audio fairy tales and some tapes with Greek 60’s and 70’s hits, Beatles and Elvis Presley songs. These tapes were our treasure. My sister and I were listening to them again and again. We used to know all the lyrics and the order of the songs very well. But some of them were our favorites.
One day my mom and I traveled to Budapest from Athens by bus. The trip was long and the only thing I remember myself doing during this trip was to listen to my tapes and sing out loud.
My mom was worried that I am annoying the other passengers of the bus with my childish voice by singing non stop out loud so she asked me to sing with my inside voice. Nope… I could do that. Then she asked me to borrow my tapes and walkman to listen to some music herself. I gave it to her. Then something unexpected happened. My mom was singing like me. No it can’t be happening. I was annoyed. Her voice was not nice and she was singing loudly. I asked her to stop. She said this is how my voice sounds when I sing too. Noooo. Impossible. My voice was better. For a moment I thought she was joking. She kept singing. So I asked for my headphones back. I started singing again but not as loud this time.
One of my favorite tapes was having that song “Ουρανέ που περνάς” . A cover from a Greek singer Pasxalis. Pasxalis was very popular in the 60s, 70s in Greece and even until today we sing his songs.
The memory of that song came to me yesterday at the Bear Mountain Oktoberfest. Many of you might know that I am a big fan of beer. It was the right place to be! Kids were playing, parents talking, enjoying beer and hot dogs. A good deal for all.
We were getting ready to leave and the band started singing their last song. It was that. The song of my childhood. The one that I was singing again and again in that bus to Budapest. I could not believe that I remembered all the lyrics and I started singing like a 5 year old from my heart out loud. My daughter got excited and she started dancing with me. People were looking at us dancing and singing. It was an unexpected moment of happiness. A happy family memory that we created from the memories of a child. My inside child. That child was happy yesterday. I kept singing the song all the way back home. We all went to bed happy last night.
About the original song “Take Me Home, Country Roads”
“Take Me Home, Country Roads“, also known simply as “Country Roads“, is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver about West Virginia. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two on Billboard‘s US Hot 100 singles for the week ending August 28, 1971. The song was a success on its initial release and was certified Gold by the RIAA on August 18, 1971, and Platinum on April 10, 2017. The song became one of John Denver’s most popular songs. It has continued to sell, with over 1.6 million digital copies sold in the United States.
Here a cover that I also like – Take me home Country Roads (John Denver Cover)
I wish to bring to you a happy memory of your childhood with this post or I remind you of a childhood favorite song. I hope you are going to create more happy memories for your children and yourself.
Your Greek friend,
Theodora
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