“Why does it sound so sad?” I asked the man sitting next to me.
He doesn’t speak any English.
“Italiano?” he asked.
I shook my head, dismayed. Sorry, no Italian.
“Sprechen Sie Deutsch?” he asked.
That’s a lucky try.
“Natürlich!” I exclaimed. “Obwohl nür ein bißchen.”
Just enough to communicate the most basic of intent.
And so begin my quick tutorial of Greek folk music.
Why it’s always sad, mostly about love, that doesn’t end well.
“Only sad things deserve to be turned into songs,” he said.