Galery

1

An urban legend that Pulp’s song Common People was written for Danae Stratou, Yanis Varoufakis’ wife, attracted the interest of a BBC host, who embarrassed the Greek Minister of Finance.

The host asked Varoufakis whether it was true that his wife was the Greek woman mentioned in the song of Jarvis Cocker, the soloist of the British group Pulp.

Varoufakis replied that he did not know Danae Stratou in those days but confirmed that she was the only Greek woman studying at St. Martin’s College at that time.

The story began three months ago, after a publication in Athens Voice that revealed the fact and came back to life again, after the Independent reprinted it.

Danae Stratou really studied at St. Martin’s College from 1983 to 1988, at the same time when Cocker attended cinematography classes. In 2013 he said he knew the Greek woman and even remembered what they discussed.

"She wanted to move to Hackney and live like common people." This was the inspiration for his song, although the singer did not reveal the identity of the Greek woman.

Here are the verses and video of the top hit of the 1990s:

She came from Greece she had a thirst for knowledge

She studied sculpture at Saint Martin's College, that's where I caught her eye. 

She told me that her Dad was loaded

I said in that case I'll have a rum and coke-cola. 

She said fine and in thirty seconds time she said, I want to live like common people

I want to do whatever common people do, I want to sleep with common people

I want to sleep with common people like you. 

Well what else could I do - I said I'll see what I can do. 

I took her to a supermarket

I don't know why but I had to start it somewhere, so it started there. 

I said pretend you've got no money, she just laughed and said oh you're so funny. 

I said yeah? Well I can't see anyone else smiling in here. 

Are you sure you want to live like common people

You want to see whatever common people see

You want to sleep with common people, 

you want to sleep with common people like me. 

But she didn't understand, she just smiled and held my hand. 

Rent a flat above a shop, cut your hair and get a job. 

Smoke some fags and play some pool, pretend you never went to school. 

But still you'll never get it right 

'cos when you're laid in bed at night watching roaches climb the wall 

If you call your Dad he could stop it all. 

You'll never live like common people

You'll never do what common people do

You'll never fail like common people

You'll never watch your life slide out of view, and dance and drink and screw 

Because there's nothing else to do. 

Sing along with the common people, sing along and it might just get you thru'

Laugh along with the common people

Laugh along even though they're laughing at you and the stupid things that you do. 

Because you think that poor is cool. 

I want to live with common people, I want to live with common people [etc..]