On This Day July 16, 1963: When The Beatles Sang Theodorakis… For Real!

It was July of 1963, and Paul McCartney was looking through catalogues of kitsch cinematic showtunes from the movies when he stumbled across the 1959 Spanish film Luna de Miel, whose theme was written by Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis.

The English-language lyrics were by William Sansom.

Luna de Miel — known as Honeymoon in many English-speaking countries — was based in part on the ballet El Amor Brujo by Gregorio Martí­nez Sierra. It was made in 1959 by British director-writer Michael Powell, and repeatedly featured the title theme song.

The Beatles recorded The Honeymoon song just once for the eighth edition of the Pop Go The Beatles radio show. It was taped on July 16, 1963 at the BBC Paris Studio in London, but it first broadcast on August 6 of the same year.

The original recording is here

Sing along to the English lyrics:

I never knew that a day like today lay before us
 I've got the sun in my heart and my heart's in the sun
 Skies are as bright as your eyes
 The horizon is open
 Love is the ceiling
 Feelings are reeling
 Free as the air

Forever on and forever
 Forever on side by side
 Who ever knew that we two could be free as we'd fancy?
 Fancy is free
 But are we who are bound to each other by love?
 To each other by love

Who ever knew that we two could be free as we'd fancy?
 Fancy is free
 But are we who are bound to each other by love?
 To each other by love
 To each other by love
 To each other by love

The original Greek version of the song is called An Thymitheis To Oneiro Mou (If You Remember My Dream) and is a Greek classic, covered by dozens of popular singers including Anna Vissi, Mary Linda, Elena Paparizou, Antonis Remos and Yiannis Ploutarhos.

Greek lyrics:

Στην αγκαλιά μου κι απόψε σαν άστρο κοιμήσου
 δεν απομένει στον κόσμο ελπίδα καμιά
 τώρα που η νύχτα κεντά με φιλιά το κορμί σου
 μέτρα τον πόνο κι άσε με μόνο στην ερημιά

Αν θυμηθείς τ’ όνειρό μου
 σε περιμένω να `ρθεις
 μ’ ένα τραγούδι του δρόμου να ρθεις όνειρό μου
 το καλοκαίρι που λάμπει τ’ αστέρι με φως να ντυθείς

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