Vocals, video & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is the one Greek folk song of them all, the most internationally well known and most often heard one across the world. Originating in the Eastern Mediterranean’s late Ottoman Empire, this melody is found across a plethora of cultures of that region, but the oldest and most well known version is the Greek language one. Its lyrics express the plight of a Greek man in love with the exotic Misirlou, “Egyptian girl,” a black eyed beauty from the land of “Arabia.”
The melody emerges in the Rembetiko repertoire, a style of music emerging out of the Greek communities in the urban centres in Western Anatolia, whose music was closely tied to the tavernas where opium and alcohol usage was prevalent. The earliest recording of the melody is from 1927, by Teto Dimitriades, an Ottoman-born Greek composer who immigrated to the United States in the 20’s. However, the most prominent rise of the melody to Western fame occurs when Dick Dale, an American guitarist of partial Lebanese origin, turned the tune into a fast paced, rock n’roll surf song in the 60’s. This recognisable, tremolo based, electric guitar version enters Western zeitgeist, becoming Pulp Fiction’s main theme, and later being sampled in the Black Eyed Peas’ song “Pump It.”
As per the ethnomusicological goal of my channel, I wanted to reassess the origin of the song by arranging it in its original ethnomusicological context. The instrumentation is monophonic, without any of the complex modern Western harmony that is often used in modern renditions of the song, accompanied by basic power chords as per traditional Greek music of the late 19th century onwards, and uses the Greek lavta and the saz, two instruments representative of the late 19th century urban centres of Western Anatolia, and copiously used back then by the Greek community. Whilst the usul rythmic pattern of the song is generally a tsifteteli-type one, I changed it to a malfoof based one, commonly used in the region. The mode modulates between Hijaz and Hikazkiar.
Greek lyrics:
Μισιρλού μου, η γλυκιά σου η ματιά
φλόγα μου ‘χει ανάψει μες στην καρδιά,
αχ γιαχαμπίμπι, αχ γιαλελέλι, αχ
τα δυο σου χείλι στάζουνε μέλι, αμάν.
Aμάν, 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 γιαχαμπίμπι, μ’ ένα φιλάκι, αχ
απ’ το δικό σου το στοματάκι, αμάν.
English translation:
My dear Misirlou, your sweet eyes
Have burned a flame in my heart
Ah ya habibi, ah ya leleli*, ah
Honey drips from your lips,
Aman*, Misirlou, your magical fairy beauty
Will drive me crazy, I can’t stand it anymore
Ah I will steal you from Arabia
My black-eyed crazy Misirlou
My life changes with a kiss
Ah ya habibi, with a little kiss, aman
Ah Misirlou, your magical fairy beauty
Will drive me crazy, I can’t stand it anymore
Ah I will steal you from Arabia
*Habibi is the Arabic word for “my beloved, my love,” “leleli is an interjection, and so is Aman, an Arabic word roughly meaning “woe to me,” usually used as an interjection and filler lyric from Iran to Anatolia, the Arab countries and the Balkans.
source
Vocals, video & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is the one Greek folk song of them all, the most internationally well known and most often heard one across the world. Originating in the Eastern Mediterranean's late Ottoman Empire, this melody is found across a plethora of cultures of that region, but the oldest recorded and most well known version is the Greek language one. Its lyrics express the plight of a Greek man in love with the exotic Misirlou, derived from Turkish Mısırlı, meaning "Egyptian," a black eyed beauty from the land of "Arabia."
The melody emerges in the Smyrneiko repertoire, a style of music emerging out of the Greek communities in the urban centres in Western Anatolia, whose music was closely tied to the tavernas where drug and alcohol usage was prevalent. The earliest recording of the melody is from 1927, by Teto Dimitriades, an Ottoman-born Greek composer who immigrated to the United States in the 20's. However, the most prominent rise of the melody to Western fame occurs when Dick Dale, an American guitarist of partial Lebanese origin, turned the tune into a fast paced, rock n'roll surf song in the 60's. This recognisable, tremolo based, electric guitar version enters Western zeitgeist, becoming Pulp Fiction's main theme, and later being sampled in the Black Eyed Peas' song "Pump It."
As per the ethnomusicological goal of my channel, I wanted to reassess the origin of the song by arranging it in its original ethnomusicological context. The instrumentation is monophonic, without any of the complex modern Western harmony that is often used in modern renditions of the song, accompanied by basic power chords as per traditional Greek music of the late 19th century onwards, and uses the Greek lavta and the saz, two instruments representative of the late 19th century urban centres of Western Anatolia, and copiously used back then by the Greek community. Whilst the usul rythmic pattern of the song is generally a tsifteteli-type one, I changed it to a malfoof based one, commonly used in the region. The mode modulates between Hijaz and Hikazkiar.
I filmed the video back in May of 2023 in the Islands of Rhodes, Gavdos and Milos.
Greek lyrics:
Μισιρλού μου, η γλυκιά σου η ματιά
φλόγα μου 'χει ανάψει μες στην καρδιά,
αχ γιαχαμπίμπι, αχ γιαλελέλι, αχ
τα δυο σου χείλι στάζουνε μέλι, αμάν.
Aμάν, 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 γιαχαμπίμπι, μ' ένα φιλάκι, αχ
απ' το δικό σου το στοματάκι, αμάν.
English translation:
My dear Misirlou, your sweet eyes
Have burned a flame in my heart
Ah ya habibi, ah ya leleli*, ah
Honey drips from your lips,
Aman*, Misirlou, your magical fairy beauty
Will drive me crazy, I can’t stand it anymore
Ah I will steal you from Arabia
My black-eyed crazy Misirlou
My life changes with a kiss
Ah ya habibi, with a little kiss, aman
Ah Misirlou, your magical fairy beauty
Will drive me crazy, I can’t stand it anymore
Ah I will steal you from Arabia
*Habibi is the Arabic word for "my beloved, my love," "leleli is an interjection, and so is Aman, an Arabic word roughly meaning "woe to me," usually used as an interjection and filler lyric from Iran to Anatolia, the Arab countries and the Balkans.
Whoaaaa it sounds eastern!!! 🤯
Incredible ! 🎉
Farya thank you for sharing our traditional music . Greetings from Hellas
Very beautiful songs I want to listen all grek song
I watched the whole thing without even thinking of the modern Misirlou
This song makes me want to surf down the sand dunes
Damnnn
😮 Woooah…gorgeous.
I swear every time I look up a Greek song Farya Faraji has a rendition up, crazy
Love the Greeks
The girl in the video is really beautiful
This song is my stoy
Прекрасные!❤
🌀
This is the sexiest song I've ever heard😍🤩❣️ Thank you so much for the brilliant masterpiece🤌
When you try to surf in greece
Dear Farya, you are the Midas of music. Everything you touch turns into gold!
Bro looks like the ancient persians
This is a Masterpiece!
Pulp fiction
Is it only me, or some Mexican girls look's like Egyptians
I apreciate for these good folk musics brother. You spread many color to my night. Greetings from Turkey.
Have in mind a bellydance on it ❤
Love the rythms
Beautiful performance.
gordun mu fener a….. degil mi bu ya
🇦🇲 ❤ 🇬🇷 🇬🇷 🇬🇷 🇬🇷 🇬🇷 🇬🇷
I love this so much
Efcharistó for sharing !
Very good
достойно🎉
OREA TRAGOUDIA KE OREA TRAGOUDIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bravo Farya. What a strong song. A song that comes from the heart.
dude looks like an Achaemenid Shahanshah.
Aquaman vibes
Υπέροχο! Μπράβο. Ευχαριστώ 🇬🇷
Super !😊
Played in 1,5x speed this music makes me think of "Pump it" from the Black Eyed Peas… Am I the only one?
I do largely prefer Farya's version tho 🥰
Thanks for bringing this back, I haven't heard this song ever since 322 BC.
Na ise kala poli Oreos Na Mas Zizi's 💗👍
Aitäh!
1:26–1:32 Turn up the radio
Blast your stereo
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight Nooooooooooooow🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥
1:33–1:40 This joint is flizzling
It's sizzling
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight🗣🔥🗣🔥🗣🔥🗣🔥
Μπράβο φίλε…. μπράβο