«The chair is dope» by D. Mitsotakis with Savveria Margiola

This is Dimitris Mitsotakis’s new song, with lyrics and music by him. He is accompanied by Saveria Margiola. It is yet another politically charged song being released at a time when artists in Greece are living under prolonged, systemic conditions of precariousness and economic hardship.

The chair is a drug

Yamba, Datura, Fentanyl
Scopolamine, Crocodil
Alprazolam and Molly
Sisa, Krak, and LSD
Tae, Meth, and the CDC
Aderal and Oxycodone …

It's not the fiore and the tsokani
Neither Snow White nor the Afghan
It's not the seagull, it's not the trip
nor the fairy tale and the fable.

Kapa, kokori, zouzou, and ziro.
ganja and beva, dafu and tsiro
the harshest and most despicable substance
Dude, it's all about power.

It's not cocaine and heroin
nor Lucy and morphine
It's not the swing and the slide
nor the pills and the water fountain.

Yamba, Datura, Meth, and Molly
Sisa, Tai, and Oxycodone
the harshest and most despicable substance
Dude, it's all about power.

This chair is the bomb
whoever loses it ends up flat on their back
and he falls down and props them up
or throws things off the balcony.

That bends you over, brings you to your knees,
and when you shoot, she whistles at you
and you're a midfielder, a goal, and a wheel
and if you're the one, you're the one forever

The Slot Machine and the Tokens
and the small capitals on the column
neither kumari nor barbuti
and the balamouti from Avanta.

A poker and a stouki, a priest and a blanket
Keno, slot machines, Skor, and roulette
king, sword, ace of cups, and queens
I do a relaunch and the bones crack.

It's not the meat, it's not the fat
neither the internet nor the horse
neither a glass nor a bottle
nor your empty head

Vodka, absinthe, whiskey, tequila
dirt and a fez, a trunk and a dirla
the harshest and most despicable substance
Dude, it's all about power.

This chair is the bomb
whoever loses it ends up flat on their back
and he falls down and props them up
or throws things off the balcony.

That pose, that tie
that bitch who's actually a cat
That slut, that whore
That's it, man, better than a hit.

Because when you're on drugs, you're digging your own grave
but in the chair next to you
Because drugs eat away at your body
But that chair eats away at your soul.

Kostas Platanias: electric guitar
Dimitris Mitsotakis: drums, bass, baglamas, acoustic guitar, percussion
Yiannis Petrogiannis: recording, mixing, mastering @ Matrix Studio

Video: Pantelis Petrou @Taurus Productions

Biography of Dimitris Mitsotakis

Dimitris Mitsotakis was born in Piraeus on April 28, 1967. He grew up and attended school in Kallithea and lives in Athens. He worked as a musician and in 1994 founded—and served as a lyricist, composer, and drummer for— the band Endelechia, with which he released nine albums until its breakup in April 2009. He has published three books of literature: *Hot Soup* (Ellinika Grammata, 2007), *The Detached House* (Topos, 2009), *Ypogeios* (co-authored with Al. Sikiaridis—Topos, 2013), and three solo albums: *Eudaimones* (Lyra, 2010), “O Berdes” (Universal, 2012), “Katrakyles” (Ogdoo, 2015, with Gr. Klioumis). In 2013, he founded the rebetiko band “Re Kantini” and presents musical tributes to rebetiko songs. He has worked as a music educator at KETHEA Diavasi since 1994. He has served as a music producer at the radio station “Sto Kokkino 105.5.”.

Curriculum Vitae of Saveria Margiola

Saveria Margiola was born in Athens and comes from a musical family. She is the daughter of the well-known musician Dimitris Margiola and the granddaughter of composer and violinist Giorgos Margiola. She studied piano and classical dance, holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Panteion University of Athens, and has completed a master’s degree at the Medical School of the University of Athens. She also studied voice at the National Conservatory of Athens. At a very young age, she recorded her first CD of children’s songs alongside her younger brother. At the age of 17, Saveria Margiola sang at the «Agkyra» music venue alongside Fanis Mezini and Takis Soukas. This was followed by her collaborations with Manolis Mitsias, with Haris Alexiou at the Megaron Concert Hall, with Marinella and Antonis Remos in the show «Words Are Superfluous,» with Kostas Makedonas at Gazarte in the play «The Flying Gentleman» by Stamatis Kraounakis, with Giorgos Dalaras at the Pallas Theater, with Lavrentis Machairitsas, Kostas Makedonas, Yiannis Miliokas, Yiannis Koutras, and Dimitris Starovas at Zygos; with Kostas Makedonas and Giota Nega at Harama; and with Socrates Malamas at summer concerts. On the recording front, she appears on the album «Spai to Rodi,» a tribute to Lefteris Papadopoulos, with the song «Sto Soma Sou na Katikw» (Let Me Dwell in Your Body), which she performs with Giorgos Dalaras, and on the album «Athen’s Bar 3» with the song «O anthropos pou treche to poly,» which she performs with Nikos Vourliotis. She also appears on the album «Live—Kostas Makedonas»in 2009 and in the musical film «The Last Crossing» by Giorgos Polimenakos and Alexandros Ioannidis, released by FM Records. In 2010, she released her first album on Sony Music, titled «First Act,» and that same year she co-produced Kostas Hatzidoulis’s album titled «The Breeze of Dawn.» In 2011, she recorded a new song titled «If You Want Me, You’ll Have Me» with lyrics by Ilias Katsoulis and music by Michalis Koumbios, which was released digitally by Sony Music, and she contributed to Notis Mavroudis’s latest album, “Next Year’s Hatches,” with the song “A Dream.” Also, in 2011, she performed her own shows at the music venues “Oxygen Live” and “Rhythm Stage.” In the winter of 2012, she collaborated with D. Mitropanou, G. Kotsiras, and D. Basis at the Athens Center, and in the summer with Yiannis Kotsiras on concerts throughout Greece. In the winter of 2013, she continued to perform with Yiannis Kotsiras on a tour that took place in Athens and throughout the country. In 2013, Saveria Margiola released her second solo album, titled «Alisachni» through Antart Productions, and a few months later she also released a collectible blue 45 rpm single titled «Send a Message,» on Hydra Records, in a limited edition of 300 numbered copies, on which she collaborates with the renowned guitarist Giotis Samaras. The music was composed by Michalis Koumbios, and the lyrics were written by Nikos Stathopoulos. In 2015, she covered the song “The Tavern Clock” by the great Vasilis Tsitsanis, arranged by Nikos Kallinis and Petros Synodinos. She is currently recording her third album while also performing her own shows at music venues in Athens and throughout Greece.—