Voula Zoumboulakis. -- I Was Born in Your Eyes // Στα Μάτια σου Γεννήθηκα | Βούλα Ζουμπουλάκη
PG material here -- While there is no overt PDA in this one, there is some major chemistry happening!
Just to clarify things at the start. The singer is Voula Zoumboulakis who plays a singer named Eleni, and the dude in the dark suit is Paris Alexander who plays the American tomato-juice salesman, John Johnson.
The tune (and video) begins with a minor key duet between the guitar and a RMFRD&BD* sanctioned three course bouzouki. Then, in rapid succession, Mr. Johnson (in the dark jacket) is seated, the band finds its groove, we see some spiffy footwork by two dancers, and we meet Eleni with her fine voice and remarkable eyes.
The grooving band, the dancing, the singing, the attempted cigarette handoff - these are but a small part of the bigger story which is is centered on Eleni and Mr. Johnson making googly eyes at each other. Clearly romance is in the air
True story -- my sister was a dating coach in a major American city. Had she known about this video she might have used it do demonstrate proper eye contact in drinking establishments
Back to the point at hand, this is from the 1965 movie Όχι, κύριε Τζόνσον or No Mr. Johnson, and here is the description form the IMDb website. Brimming with ambition, John Johnson, the best sales representative of a loved American food brand, arrives in Athens, Greece, to promote the famous "Red Horse" tomato juice. Without delay, Johnson gets to work using every trick in the book to make the otherwise excellent product known to the Greek consumers, including the aid of the beautiful and talented pop singer, Eleni. But, as Johnson tries his best to understand the Greek people, love comes knocking at his door. Will Johnson's juice be a success? Above all, will the kind American in Greece embrace change?
And here are the lyrics, thanks to the fine Greek Lyrics website and my besties at Google Translate.
Before you came I was miserable
and the weather was bitter
You came and you were in the light
golden eagle
They were born in your eyes
the sea and the mountains
the sun, the moon
the light and the wilderness
Take me deep into your heart
chase away the night and the frost
fire in your hands
hidden fire
Two other points:
1) If my eyes are not deceiving me, I believe that the bouzouki being played by the dour man to the left, was built as a four course bouzouki but is set up with three courses. I haven't seen that before.
2) Do be sure to note the contrast between Elena's liveliness and the stilted nature of the band. Louis Prima and Keely Smith did something analogous but different to great effect.
* RMFRD&BD, of course, being the Radical Movement for Rebetiko Dechiotification and Bouzouki Detetrachordization, an organization dedicated to venerating the three course bouzouki and vilifying the four-course variety along with Manolis Chiotis himself. I assume they would approve, but one never knows when dealing with fanatics...
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