We've had some beautiful weather in the UK recently, and I'm totally in the mood for summer. Summer is a season that often bypasses us in rainy NW Europe, so this prolonged spell of loveliness (15 days and counting) makes me think of Greece.
I've been posting Greek summer songs on my FB account and this one has had the most interest, so I thought I'd share it with you. It's just a silly song (don't expect any meaningful lyrics) but the beat is nice, the video is funny and the lady who sings it has an amazing voice. It's actually a cover of reggae song It's a Pity, sang by Tanya Stephens. The title of the Greek version is "Pame Havai" or Let's go to Hawaii.
A friend asked me to translate the lyrics for her, so here they are, alongside "phonetic" Greek:
Well come, ride the bike / lipon ela sti mixani aneva
let's go to Hawaii with one tyre / pame Havai me mia roda
If you are at home, get ready for Hawaii / an ise spiti tote etimasou gia Ηavai
let's go somewhere we've never been before / pame kapou pou den exoume pai
let's not stay home any longer / mono min katsoume allo spiti
If you are at home, get ready for Hawaii / an ise spiti tote etimasou gia Ηavai
let's go somewhere we've never been before / pame kapou pou den exoume pai
let's not stay home any longer / mono mi minoume allo spiti
Errands, bills, work / treksimo logariasmoi kai doulia
stress, inflation, loans, borrowed money / anhos,akrivia,hrei,danika
the tram is always crowded / pantote sinostismos mes to tram
and the mobile ringing all the time / ke panta eki to kinito htipa
Cooking in the morning / na magirepsis to proi
hanging out the washing / naplosis oti exi plithi
ironing, tidying up, hoovering before he gets home / na siderosis,na mazepsis,na skoupisis prin na 'rthi
then we go to the market, off to pay the bills, phone, water, electricity / meta na pame sti laiki ki epita OTE, nero, DEI gia na pliroso
Give me a break! (sung in English)
If you are at home, get ready for Hawaii / an ise spiti tote etimasou gia Ηavai
let's go somewhere we've never been before / pame kapou pou den exoume pai
let's not stay home any longer / mono min katsoume allo spiti
If you are at home, get ready for Hawaii / an ise spiti tote etimasou gia Ηavai
let's go somewhere we've never been before / pame kapou pou den exoume pai
let's not stay home any longer / mono mi minoume allo spiti
I want walks, travel, sweets and nice food / thelo voltes, taksidia, glika, fagita
I want to lie face down on the sand / na ksaplosoume mproumita stin ammoudia
I want to light a fire on the beach / thelo sti paralia na anapso fotia
I want to swim for hours in shallow or deep waters / kolimbi oron sta rhxa i sta vathia
I want to tan and stay tanned forever / thelo na mavriso ke na mino etsi panta
I want to dance the lambada with Enrique Inglesias / me ton Enrique Inglesias na horepso labamba
I want to grab the microphone from a music band / n' arpakso to mikrofono apo mia mpanta
and scream "God, Amen" / ke na fonakso Thee mou Amin
Well come, hop on the bike / lipon ela sti mixani aneva
let's go to Hawaii with one tyre / pame Havai me mia roda
I bought a lilo and another couple of swimsuits / pira thalassio stroma, dio-tria magio akoma
Armbands and beach towels in beautiful colours / bratsakia ke petsetes me oraio xroma
I've even bought flippers / ama thes eho ke vatrahopedila akoma
and high factor sunscreen / me trianta dikti prostasias krema gia to soma
I don't know what else I need to buy / de ksero akrivos ti allo tha prepi na paro
but I've run out of cash / afou emeina me adia tsepi
I go to the ATM to see if I can get money out / stamato kai sti trapeza na do an ehi lefta
but I don't have the PIN number / ma ksehasa to pin
Thoma, are you there? I'm calling (your mobile) but it's engaged / Thoma ise spiti? giati se perno kai milai
If we go to Hawaii after all / an telika tha pame sti Havai
you need to bring money with you / tote pare lefta ap'to spiti
Thoma, are you there? I'm calling (your mobile) but it's engaged / Thoma ise spiti? giati se perno kai milai
If we go to Hawaii after all / an telika tha pame sti Havai
you need to bring money with you / pare ki esi lefta ap'to spiti
Hawaii is considered the top exotic destination for Greek people of my generation: it's got long sandy beaches and palm trees and is far enough to remain a dream for most of us. Personally I blame Hawaii 5-0 for this. It's the first American show I watched and it's certainly left its mark.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the song. If not the lyrics, at least the music!
8 comments:
I think it left it's mark on me also. I've always dreamt of going to Hawaii too x
Hi Tinsie! We say that «There's no two without a three...»; but I'm still waiting fior my third time in Hawaii... ;))
Blogtrotter Two is showing some incredible rocks by the sea... Enjoy and have a great week!
@ Sandi: That Steve McGarrett has a lot to answer for!
@ Trotter: I'm jealous!! :-)
They are actually making a new Hawaii 5-0 show, and I am convinced it'll be horrid from the ads on TV.
I'd very much like to go there some day, and although I've moved to the U.S. it's still far, far away!
I love this song. Reminds me of summer.
@Marg: The original Hawaii 5-0 was awful, I can just imagine what this will be like. Who are the main characters?Anyone I might know?
I loved the original Hawaii 5-0, but I was 5 at the time, so maybe I wouldn't be so keen on it now. I'm curious about the new one, but I'm not holding my breath. I was utterly disappointed by the "new" Miami Vice :-(
Very funny. I've not been to Hawaii yet. One of these days.
Have you seen the new Hawaii Five-O?
No! Is it any good?
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