In the run-up to Eurovision, escXtra.com decided it was time to put a spotlight on the people behind the songs: the composers and lyricists. Today we spoke to Garik Papoyan, the man behind the lyrics of the big bookmakers’ favourite to win Eurovision 2014. Garik has been working in music all his life, being a jury member on X Factor and working on Aram’s Vitamin Club for a while now. This year, Aram also asked him to write the lyrics for Not Alone. Read what Garik had to say below!
escXtra.com: Hey Garik! First of all, welcome to Eurovision!
Garik Popoyan: Hi! Thanks a lot. It’s great to be a part of such a wonderful event.
X: How do you feel about entering a song to a competition? After all, music is art and Eurovision is a competition…
G: Music is art indeed, but as everything in this life it also needs to find its way to the people who will treat it as an art. Eurovision is a song contest which unites artists from different countries who present their art and work, and even though this is a competition, it is still a way to give this song a life.
X: Eurovision is just a few weeks away. What do you expect from the entire experience?
G: Even though I tried to imagine what can be the Eurovision experience like many times, I am pretty sure that the experience and the feelings I will get on that day would be something unexpected and new to me. I am sure there will be lots of emotions and excitement.
X: Your song Not Alone is the big favourite to win the contest with bookmakers. How does that make you feel?
G: That makes me feel so “Not Alone” :))
X: What’s the inspiration behind the lyrics of Not Alone?
G: Aram didn’t give me time to wait for an inspiration :)) He sent me the music with an emergency request to write the lyrics as soon as possible and by the end of the day he had them. Still, frankly speaking, when I started to listen to the music and writing down some ideas, I couldn’t even imagine where it would lead me! The only thing that I was thinking of was the problem of loneliness and solitude that almost each of us has experienced. I went deeper and continued digging it until the music itself brought me to a solution which in most cases can be through just a little kiss.
X: How was it to work with Aram on this song?
G: As the author of all Aram’s songs I can proudly say that Aram is the person that will never make you regret of a second spent working with him. He is a very talented artist that has no boundaries and limits is open for the new and creative solutions. I am really lucky to have a chance to work with him and be a part of his team.
X: One could say you’re definitely in the shadow, like most lyricists/composers. How is the idea of Eurovision, where the spotlights turn to people behind the song as well, for you?
G: That is one of the greatest ideas ever:))) I really think that people behind the stage may sometime be underestimated, but that is natural, as audience is more interested not in the “word” but in the one who pronounces it and spreads the message. In this case I am very glad that Aram is the one who spreads the idea as he really feels every word he sings and they reflect his feelings also.
X: Would you say you’ve worked some autobiographical elements into the song? If so, how?
G: You know, the problem in the song is so global and universal that YES, it couldn’t have passed by me completely and some lines of this song are really copied from the pages of my life also.
X: The lyrics say ‘What if it’s all in one kiss, that turns all seeds into trees’. Do those lyrics say much about how you look at relationships in general?
G: People kiss hello and kiss goodbye, they can kiss everyone they find, but that’s not the “kiss” of our song. I do believe that not even a kiss but a little look filled with love and forgiveness can turn those seeds into trees.
X: Finally, thank you so much for this interview! Do you have a message for the readers of escXtra.com?
G: Thank you very much too. Vote for Aram MP3!! Peace:)
escXtra would like to thank Garik Papoyan for taking the time to speak to us ahead of the contest in Copenhagen. You can listen to Armenia’s entry, Not Alone, below!
