Protesilaos Stavrou

Interpretation of “I am not another” by Christos Thivaios

For this interpretation I have picked a well-known song performed by Christos Thivaios: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WupPl4kX1_s. I am not another consists of the lyrics of Manos Eleftheriou, a major figure in the scene, and the composition of Thanos Mikroutsikos, another highly influential person in contemporary Greek music.

Below are the lyrics in Greek, my translation of them, and some further comments on the meaning of this song. Also check my other interpretations involving one or more of these artists:

Δεν είμαι άλλος

Ερμηνεία:  Χρήστος Θηβαίος
Στίχοι:    Μάνος Ελευθερίου
Μουσική:   Θάνος Μικρούτσικος


Πίσω απ'το φως της μουσικής που ταξιδεύεις
είσαι ολόκληρη Αργεντίνικο ταγκό
Και μήτε στ'όνειρο σου πια δε με γυρεύεις
όπως παλιά μ'ένα σκοπό χερουβικό

Και για τον κόσμο που μισείς, δεν είμαι άλλος
Και για τον κόσμο που αγαπάς, δεν είμαι αυτός
Άλλοι νομίζανε πως ήμουνα μεγάλος
κι από σπουργίτι θα γινόμουνα αετός

Μες τα νεκρά τα καφενεία ρίχνει χιόνι
κι εγώ πενθώ την ερημιά ενός φιλιού
που σαν το ρούχο η αγάπη μας παλιώνει
κι είναι σαν ήχος χαλασμένου πιστολιού

I am not another

Singer:  Christos Thivaios
Lyrics:  Manos Eleftheriou
Music:   Thanos Mikroutsikos


Behind the light of the music you travel to
you are an Argentinian tango throughout
And not even in your dream do you seek me anymore
as you did in the old days with an angelic tune

And for the world you hate, I am not another
And for the world you love, I am not this one
Others believed that I was grand
and from sparrow I would turn into an eagle

It snows in the dead cafeterias
and I mourn the solitude of a kiss
while our love ages like a cloth
and is like the sound of a defective pistol

I understand this song as a contrast between expectations and facts. The poetic first person is struggling to reconcile who they are with who they are supposed to be. They witness their world disintegrate before their eyes and are powerless to stop it. This order, represented by the love that once was, is likened to a rag and a broken firearm. Much like a weapon that can no longer perform its main function, what stands is a simulacrum of what once was: it looks eerily familiar but is devoid of the underlying drive.

One cliché about love is how much it hurts. While I understand the point, I think it helps to point out what actually causes pain: the expectation of permanence in a world of impermanence and the belief in ownership in a world of non-ownership. When there is suffering, it is because we have misunderstood the workings of the cosmos. Instead of appreciating the experience as it happens, we become invested in a promise that cannot be delivered.

In the opening verse, we learn about the poetic “you”. We may describe this character as more than a lover: they are art incarnate, the poet’s muse, if you will. Their entire being is likened to Argentinian tango, where each performance is defined by the intimate connection between the dancing duo. Tango also leaves an impression of power and attraction, which then is juxtaposed to the solitude one finds in the memories of a kiss. The kiss is a memento of joyful moments, but also a reminder of the prevailing conditions. The cafeterias are forsaken not necessarily because they are literally empty, but as a sign of death within: our protagonist no longer wishes to visit those places.

Here again we get a sense of how tormenting the overall phenomenon of love is. It leaves emptiness in its wake. There is no substitute for it. It makes and breaks us. Even though it is blissful while it lasts, it engenders in us the hope that the peak is actually the baseline. What liberates us from the torment is acceptance. To admit that our entitlement is misplaced and to acknowledge that the world does not revolve around us. There are no exceptions, no opt-out clauses.

Love, then, is about the “what is”. Like a dance under the light of the full moon, it happens here and now. Enjoy it while it lasts. The “what was”, the “what shall be”, the “what could have been” are all thoughts without a clear terminus that trouble the mind indefinitely. Same for the troublesome question of “what will others say?”.

If you are a sparrow, it is liberating to admit as much. There is the potential of love for every bird, provided it flies in the skies it belongs to. Sometimes those are in distant lands, in which case the little bird must work extra hard to get there. Do not pretend to be an animal you are not. Do not assume a role that you cannot live up to. Do not fall for the memes. Doing so will only further reinforce the dread that grips your heart each time you are left alone with your yourself with no more distractions to inhibit introspection.

The goal is to be at peace with your actuality. What others believe you should be doing with your life is just noise. They have opinions without knowing how you feel deep inside. In others words, they are misinformed. And, above all, they are prone to speak irresponsibly, for they are not going to live with the consequences of their opinions.

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