Rebetiko - Anestis Delias - The pain of the junkie

I would like to share something which created strong feelings in me. It really moved me...

I was trying to play something on my bouzouki and suddenly I realized I was playing a melody quite known to me.

I knew this melody. I was playing it decades ago. I looked up in youtube. I found a version of the song which was performed by Payoumtzis but the lyrics was not what I could recall. “Of course”, I thought, “it is the censored version”  although rerecorded and published again during the 60’s for commercial reasons. I went on searching and in a couple of minutes I recalled the very first version. “O ponos tou prezakia” (The pain of the junkie) by Anestis Delias (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anestis_Delias).

I recalled also his story by looking in several sites and remembered how he lived and how he died. He wrote this song about his own future death (31 July 1944)!

I was in the middle of a production and I thought by myself: “do not even  think about it!... No time for this now… go on with what you are currently buzy…”

I was and remained impulsive though… 

http://ethnocloud.com/Saoulis_Ensemble/?song=8019&b=6640

Lyrics: Anestis Delias
Music: Anestis Delias
First version: Anestis Delias


From the time that i started sniffing the drugs
the world has rejected me I don't know what to do
the world has rejected me I don't know what to do
from the time that i started sniffing the drugs

Wherever i stand and i go they make fun of me
and my soul can't stand that they call me a junkie
and my soul can't stand that they call me a junkie
wherever i stand and i go they make fun of me

After sniffing i started using the needle
and slowly my body started to disintegrate
and slowly my body started to disintegrate
after sniffing i started using the needle

Nothing remains for me to do in this world
since the drugs made me die in the street
since the drugs made me die in the street
nothing remains for me to do in this world