TOTALLY AGREE! Too bad many don't know the words to understand why this is such a classy and meaningful closing for a modest country in front of the world. Still proud, after all these years, to view this closing ceremony.
When I watched this live (on TV) back in the day, I was stunned with the first song (there are 2 distinct songs), which is basically a protest song against the tyranny of oppression. Made me proud of being Greek, as being demo-cratic matters.
It is not a song against tyranny of oppression. It describes the hypocrisy in the greek culture. While almost every Greek feels about their history (ancient Greece - τα αρχαία σου τα λουσα, αρχαία σου στολίδια), everyone tend to miss their problems in the modern world about corruption, about immigration (στις αρένες του κόσμου, μάνα μου Ελλας, τα παιδιά σου σκλάβους ξεπουλας). It just doesn't talk to greeks but to greece as a whole. That's why the second song is placed in that order. The most famous greek song. It was placed in that order to point out the "lie" and the "hypocrisy" in greek proud culture, as another comment point out. Genius move from the director.
Απλα ολος ο πλανητης θα υποκλίνεται σε αυτη τη μεγαλη χωρα...με την αμετρητη ιστορία...αν τους αφήναμε ακομα δεν θα είχε τελειώσειη τελετή έναρξης...τέτοια τεράστια ιστορία έχουμε..ΖΗΤΩ Η ΕΛΛΑΣ!!!
Όταν διαβάζεις του στίχους του Γκάτσου με την οπτική της πίκρας και της απογοήτευσης ενώ στην πράξη μιλάει για το μπόλιασμα της υφηλίου με το ΦΩΣ του Ελληνισμού
The director has chosen to call out syrtaki culture as a lie. Anybody who knows our language can see why the first song and why the second song were placed in that order. But it also has to do with "harmolype" this strange Greek word which describes joy and sadness, the mixed feelings that life gives you.
