Misirlou is a popular
GreekGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
song with popularity in five styles of music: Greek
rebetikoRebetiko, plural rebetika, , occasionally transliterated as Rembetiko, is a term used today to designate originally disparate kinds of urban Greek folk music which have come to be grouped together since the so-called rebetika revival, which started in the 1960s and developed further from the early...
, Middle-Eastern
belly dancingBelly dance or Bellydance is a "Western"-coined name for a traditional "Middle Eastern" dance, especially raqs sharqi . It is sometimes also called Middle Eastern dance or Arabic dance in the West, or by the Greco-Turkish term çiftetelli...
, Jewish
klezmerKlezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
, American surf rock, and international orchestral
easy listeningEasy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
(
exoticaExotica is a musical genre, named after the 1957 Martin Denny album of the same title, popular during the 1950s to mid-1960s, typically with the suburban set who came of age during World War II. The musical colloquialism, exotica, means tropical ersatz: the non-native, pseudo experience of Oceania...
).
History
The
songIn music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
was first performed by the Michalis Patrinos
rebetikoRebetiko, plural rebetika, , occasionally transliterated as Rembetiko, is a term used today to designate originally disparate kinds of urban Greek folk music which have come to be grouped together since the so-called rebetika revival, which started in the 1960s and developed further from the early...
band in
AthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
,
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
in 1927. As with almost all early rebetika songs (a style that originated with the Greek refugees from Asia Minor in
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
), the song's actual
composerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
has never been identified, and its ownership rested with the band leader. The melody was most likely composed collaboratively by the band, as was often the case at the time; the initial lyrics were almost certainly written by Patrinos himself. Patrinos, who originally lived in
İzmirIzmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
, named the song Mısırlı or Misirlou which means an Egyptian Muslim girl, as opposed to Egyptian Christians who were referred to as (
Aigyptioi) in Greek.
Initially, the song was composed as a Greek (Asia Minor)
tsifteteliThe Tsifteteli , is a rhythm and dance of Anatolia and the Balkans with a rhythmic pattern of 2/4. The dance is probably of Turkish origin and in the Turkish language it means "double stringed", taken from the violin playing style that is practiced in this kind of music...
dance, in the
rebetikoRebetiko, plural rebetika, , occasionally transliterated as Rembetiko, is a term used today to designate originally disparate kinds of urban Greek folk music which have come to be grouped together since the so-called rebetika revival, which started in the 1960s and developed further from the early...
style of music, at a slower
tempoIn musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
and a different
keyIn music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
than the orientalized performances that most are familiar with today. This was the style of the first known recording by Michalis Patrinos in Greece, circa 1930 (which was circulated in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Titos Dimitriadis' Orthophonic label); a second recording was made by Patrinos in
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, in 1931.
In 1941, Nick Roubanis, a Greek-American music instructor, released a
jazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
instrumental arrangement of the song, crediting himself as the composer. Since his claim was never legally challenged, he is still officially credited as the composer today worldwide, except in Greece where credit is variably given to either Roubanis or Patrinos. Subsequently
Bob RussellSidney Keith "Bob" Russell, was an American songwriter born in Passaic, New Jersey.In 1968, Russell along with songwriting partner Quincy Jones was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Original Song category...
, Fred Wise and Milton Leeds wrote
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
lyrics to the song. Roubanis is also credited with fine-
tuningIn music, there are two common meanings for tuning:* Tuning practice, the act of tuning an instrument or voice.* Tuning systems, the various systems of pitches used to tune an instrument, and their theoretical bases.-Tuning practice:...
the
keyIn music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
and the
melodyA melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
, giving it the Oriental sound that it is associated with today. The song soon became an "exotica" standard among the light swing (lounge) bands of the day.
In 1943,
Miriam KressynMiriam Kressyn , one of the "First Ladies of the Yiddish Theater", acted and sang on stage, film and radio; she wrote plays as well. -Personal life:...
wrote Yiddish lyrics to the song. In 1944,
LebaneseLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
musician Clovis el-Hajj performed this song and called it "amal." This is the only
ArabicArabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
version of the song to date.
In 1945, a Pittsburgh,
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
women's musical organization asked Professor Brunhilde E. Dorsch to organize an international dance group at Duquesne University to honor America's World War II allies. She contacted Mercine Nesotas, who taught several Greek dances, including Syrtos Haniotikos (from Crete), which she called Kritikos, but for which they had no music. Because Pittsburgh's Greek-American community did not know Cretan music, Pat Mandros Kazalas, a music student, suggested the tune Misirlou, although slower, might fit the dance. The dance was first performed at a program to honor America's allies of World War II at Stephen Foster Memorial Hall in Pittsburgh on March 6, 1945. Thereafter, this new dance, which had been created by putting the Syrtos Kritikos to the slower Misirlou music, was known as "Misirlou" and spread among the Greek-American community, as well as among non-Greek U.S. folk-dance enthusiasts. The dance is also performed to instrumental versions of
Never on SundayNever on Sunday is a 1960 Greek black-and-white film which tells the story of Ilya, a prostitute who lives in the port of Piraeus in Greece, and Homer, an American tourist from Middletown, Connecticut — a classical scholar enamored with all things Greek. Ilya is a character close to the...
by
Manos HadjidakisManos Hatzidakis was a Greek composer and theorist of the Greek music. He was also one of the main prime movers of the "Éntekhno" song ....
.
The song was rearranged as a solo instrumental
guitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
piece by
Dick DaleDick Dale is an American surf rock guitarist, known as The King of the Surf Guitar. He experimented with reverberation and made use of custom made Fender amplifiers, including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier.-Early life:Dale was born in South Boston, Massachusetts and lived in nearby...
in 1962. During a performance, Dale was bet by a young fan that he could not play a song on only one string of his guitar. Dale's father and uncles were Lebanese-American musicians, and Dale remembered seeing his uncle play "Misirlou" on one string of the
oudThe oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
. He vastly increased the song's tempo to make it into rock'n'roll. It was Dale's version that introduced "Misirlou" to a wider audience in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as "Miserlou."
The song's oriental melody has been so popular for so long that many people, from
MoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
to
IraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, claim it to be a folk song from their own country. In fact, in the realm of Middle Eastern music, the song is a very simplistic one, since it is little more than going up and down the
Hijaz Kar or double harmonic scale (E-F-G#-A-B-C-D#).
The Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
recorded a Dale-inspired "Miserlou" for the 1963 album
Surfin' USA-Singles:* "Surfin' USA" b/w "Shut Down" , 4 March 1963, US #3; #34 UK-Personnel:*Brian Wilson - Vocals, bass, keyboards*Mike Love - Vocals, saxophone*Dennis Wilson - Vocals, drums...
, solidifying "Miserlou" as a staple of American pop culture. A wealth of surf and rock bands soon recorded versions of the song, including the
VenturesThe Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
,
AstronautsThe Astronauts were an American rock and roll band, who had a minor hit in 1963 with "Baja" and remained successful for several years, especially in Japan...
, Surfaris,
TrashmenThe Trashmen are a rock and roll band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1962. The group's original lineup was Tony Andreason on lead guitar and vocals, Dal Winslow on guitar and vocals, Steve Wahrer on drums and vocals, and Bob Reed on bass guitar...
, and
Bobby Fuller FourRobert Gaston "Bobby" Fuller was an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitar player best known for his singles "I Fought the Law" and "Love's Made a Fool of You," recorded with his mid-1960s group, the Bobby Fuller Four....
. Hundreds of recordings have been made to date, by artists as diverse as
Agent OrangeAgent Orange is an American punk rock band formed in Orange County, California in 1979. The band is one of the first to mix punk rock with surf music. They first gained attention with their song "Bloodstains" which they released on their own 7" E.P. An early demo of the song was presented to...
and
Connie FrancisConnie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...
(1965).
In 1994, Dale's version of "Miserlou" was used on the soundtrack of the motion picture
Pulp FictionPulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
, thanks to a suggestion to
Quentin TarantinoQuentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
from his friend
Boyd RiceBoyd Blake Rice is an American experimental sound/noise musician using the name of NON since the mid-1970s, archivist, actor, photographer, author, member of the Partridge Family Temple religious group, co-founder of the UNPOP art movement and current staff writer for Modern Drunkard...
. The beginning of the song also made an appearance in the 1996 film
Space JamAside from Jordan, a number of NBA players and coaches appeared in the film. Larry Bird portrays a friend of Jordan who joins him for a game of golf. When the Monstars steal the NBA players' talent, they invade a game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, causing the Knicks' Patrick...
, during a short scene parodying
Pulp FictionPulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
. More recently, the song was selected by the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee as one of the most influential Greek songs of all time, and was heard in venues and at the closing ceremony—it was performed by
Anna VissiAnna Vissi , known as Anna Vishy in Cypriot Greek, is a Greek-Cypriot recording artist and actress...
. In March 2005,
Q magazine placed Dale's version at number 89 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. In 2006, his version once again found popularity, this time as the basis of
The Black Eyed PeasThe Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
' single "
Pump It"Pump It" is a song by The Black Eyed Peas that heavily incorporates music from the Dick Dale version of the song "Misirlou"...
." Also in 2006, a cover of Dale's version was included as a playable song in the rhythm game
Guitar Hero IIGuitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. It is the second installment in the Guitar Hero series and is the sequel to Guitar Hero...
.
Lyrics
| Greek |
Transliteration |
Translation |
Μισιρλού μου, η γλυκιά σου η ματιά
Φλόγα μου 'χει ανάψει μες στην καρδιά.
Αχ, για χαμπίμπι, αχ, για λε-λέλι, αχ,
Τα δυο σου χείλη στάζουνε μέλι, αχ.
Αχ, Μισιρλού, μαγική, ξωτική ομορφιά.
Τρέλα θα μου 'ρθει, δεν υποφέρω πια.
Αχ, θα σε κλέψω μέσ' απ' την Αραπιά.
Μαυρομάτα Μισιρλού μου τρελή,
Η ζωή μου αλλάζει μ' ένα φιλί.
Αχ, για χαμπίμπι ενα φιλάκι, άχ
Απ' το γλυκό σου το στοματάκι, αχ.
|
Misirloú mou, i glykiá sou i matiá
Flóga mou 'khei anápsei mes stin kardiá.
Akh, ya khabíbi, akh ya le-léli, akh,
Ta dyo sou kheíli stázoune méli, akh.
Akh, Misirloú, magikí, ksotikí omorfiá.
Tréla tha mou 'rthei den ipoféro pia.
Akh, tha se klépso més' ap' tin Arapiá.
Mavromáta Misirloú mou trelí,
I zoí mou allázei m' éna filí.
Akh, ya khabíbi ena filáki, ah
Ap' to glykó sou to stomatáki, ah.
|
My Misirlou (Egyptian girl), your sweet glance
Has lit a flame in my heart.
Ah, ya habibi, ah, ya le-leli, ah
Your two lips are dripping honey, ah.
Ah, Misirlou, magical, exotic beauty.
Madness will overcome me, I can't endure [this] any more.
Ah, I'll steal you away from the Arab land.
My black-eyed, my wild Misirlou,
My life changes with one kiss
Ah, ya habibi, one little kiss, ah
From your sweet little lips, ah.
|
LadinoJudaeo-Spanish , in Israel commonly referred to as Ladino, and known locally as Judezmo, Djudeo-Espanyol, Djudezmo, Djudeo-Kasteyano, Spaniolit and other names, is a Romance language derived from Old Spanish...
lyrics (unrelated to original Greek lyrics)
No pretendas mas que tu me amas
Ni te sforses a vartir lagrimas.
Yo ya lo supe que era por enganyar,
Este es un fakto que no puedes niegar.
Ahh, ahh, Missirlu
Es muy amargo, ah, es muy amargo el sufrir,
Ma no por este uno deve murir.
Muchos anios te speri en vanedad
Creendo ke tu amor es verdad.
Me amurcates propio con una flor
y me forsates a bivir con dolor.
Ahh, ah, ah, ahh, Missirlu,
Es muy amargo, ah es muy amargo el sufrir,
Ma no por este uno deve murir.
Algun dia sufrira tu korason
I konoseras lo que es la trahision
como yo yoro y tu yoraras,
Y konsuelo nunca toparas.
Turkish lyrics as sung by Zeki Muren (unrelated to original Greek lyrics)
Yaralı bir gönülden başka
Ne bıraktın bende hatıra
Günah değil mi yazık değil mi bana
Gel yeter artık sar beni kollarına
Ah bu acı bu keder ne zaman biter
Ah bu acı bu keder ne zaman biter
Bırak bu nazı bırak bu inadı
Senin de gönlün daha dünden razı
Gidiyorum bahar gelmeden
Usanmam seni özlemekten
Hazinelerden daha değerlisin
Inan sevgilim benim gözümde sen
Ah bu acı bu keder ne zaman biter
Bırak bu nazı bırak bu inadı
Senin de gönlün daha dünden razı
Yaralı bir gönülden başka
Ne bıraktın bende hatıra
Günah değil mi yazık değil mi bana
Gel yeter artık sar beni kollarına
Ah bu acı bu keder ne zaman biter
Bırak bu nazı bırak bu inadı
Senin de gönlün daha dünden razı
French lyrics as sung by
Dario MorenoDarío Moreno was a Turkish polyglot singer of Jewish origin, as well as an accomplished composer, lyricist and guitarist, who was born in Aydın, Turkey, in 1921, and who attained fame and made a remarkable career centered in France which also included films, during the fifties and the...
(unrelated to original Greek lyrics)
L'ombre peu à peu s'étend sur le sable,
Et les caravanes prient à genoux.
Une première étoile au ciel insondable,
Evoque en moi soudain ton amour si doux.
Ah, Misirlou !
Reine des reines, maîtresse de mon cœur,
C'est toi que j'aime, c'est toi mon seul bonheur.
Ah, Misirlou !
Le désert s'endore sous la lune calme,
La piste d'argent conduit au bonheur.
Bientôt apparaitront les altières palmes,
Où vont faire leur nid nos deux tendres cœurs.
Ah, Misirlou !
Reine des reines, maitresse de mon cœur,
C'est toi que j'aime, c'est toi mon seul bonheur.
Ah, Misirlou !
French lyrics as sung by
Dario MorenoDarío Moreno was a Turkish polyglot singer of Jewish origin, as well as an accomplished composer, lyricist and guitarist, who was born in Aydın, Turkey, in 1921, and who attained fame and made a remarkable career centered in France which also included films, during the fifties and the...
(other version, related with greek one)
Misirlou, ton doux regard
A allumé une flamme dans mon cœur,
akh yakhabibi, akh ya leleli, akh,
Tes lèvres de miel, oyme!
Ah! Misirlou, beauté magique et enchanteresse
Je deviens fou, je ne peux plus souffrir
Ah! Je vais te voler à l'Arabie
Ma Misirlou aux yeux noirs
Un seul de tes baisés allume une flamme en moi
akh yakhabibi, un petit baisé
de tes lèvres douces, oyme!
Ah! Misirlou, beauté magique et enchanteresse
Je deviens fou, je ne peux plus souffrir
Ah! Je vais te voler à l'Arabie