Greek singer Giorgos Mazonakis loved a song called "Never, Never" ("Pote, Pote"), even though, as far as has been publicly reported, it was not written about his own life. Since his death, listeners say it is difficult to hear the song the same way.
The song deals with pain, loneliness and the cruelty other people can inflict, but also with the choice not to return that cruelty. One lyric describes how the smile never left the singer's lips, even as others stole the oil from his lamp.
What the Lyrics Say
Other verses describe a person who says he never did wrong, no matter how much others wished ill on him. He says that whatever pain he endured beyond his limits, he kept to himself rather than pass it on.
That refrain, the assertion that he never did wrong, returns again and again through the song. As the verses continue, the imagery becomes more personal.
There are lines that now seem to carry a strange new relevance. Not because the song was written about him, but because the man who loved it is no longer here to sing it.
Who Revealed His Love for the Song
The singer's fondness for the song was revealed by Alexandra Paleologou, described as his koumbara and a close friend.
In Greek tradition, a koumbara is someone linked to a family through a wedding or baptism, a bond treated as close as family.
Paleologou has known Mazonakis closely since 2011, when he served as sponsor at her wedding to businessman Vangelis Mitrogiannis.
Mazonakis built a long career in the Greek pop and laiko music scene, releasing numerous hit songs over the decades and performing regularly across the country's live music circuit, including many of Greece's biggest concert venues and summer stages.
Laiko is a popular Greek music style built around emotionally charged lyrics about love, loss and everyday hardship, often performed live in the country's nightclubs and outdoor venues.
