Hello! As you may have guessed from the name of this blog, my name is Liz and I am fascinated by song lyrics. I hope you enjoy my waxing lyrical about lyrics and about music generally. I also review albums and gigs and have interviewed several wonderful musicians. Enjoy!
I am currently in my last week of college before study leave. It's really hard saying goodbye to this amazing place where I have spent two brilliant years, and to the wonderful people I have had the privilege of spending those two years with.
It is also a very hectic time; there is a lot to do before I leave. But hopefully we can relax and have some fun on the last day.
I have recently been listening a lot to "Shake It Out" by Florence and the Machine, a song I discovered via the talent show The Voice UK in which it was sung in a group performance. I was determined to find the original version of this amazing song, and after some searching on the Internet I finally succeeded.
As far as Florence and the Machine is concerned, I like some of her songs and am not so keen on others, but Shake It Out I love. It is so powerful with a strong and important message. I can't stop listening to it.
I may always associate this song with the last week of college and the mixed sentiments I feel about leaving. I'm sad to go but excited about the road ahead, wherever it may lead me.
I will probably always look back on this as a very important and special time in my life, and I'm glad now that I've decided to do a blog post to remind me of this time and this song which is very special to me now as a result.
Thanks for reading,
Liz x
Song: Shake It Out - Florence and the Machine - 2011
Well, last night was the grand final; what we've all been waiting for. And it didn't disappoint. There were some amazing songs, and Baku did a great job of hosting a brilliant show.
I wasn't so keen on the ridiculous political voting - I had kind of been hoping that it had become less of a problem in recent years; however it seems to have re-emerged in force.
Luckily, I think the winner won on the strength of the song and the performance, because Sweden were receiving douze points from countries that are nowhere near it geographically. So that's nice. With regards to the winner, talent won over daft block voting.
I personally enjoyed Loreen's winning song, Euphoria, though I felt she performed it better in her semi-final. Other songs I enjoyed were Echo (You and I) by Anggun for France, which I voted for, Be My Guest by Gaitana for Ukraine, and Quédate Conmigo by Pastora Soler for Spain.
As usual we had our family Eurovision party; we watched the show together and ate cakes and brownies we had baked earlier that featured the flags of the participating countries. We had a great night and really enjoyed the spectacle.
So, thank you to Baku for a great show, and thank you to all the performers for making this year's Eurovision amazing!
Here's looking forward to next year in Sweden!
Please keep coming back to my blog; Eurovision may be over for the year but I will still be blogging regularly about music and artists of all genres, past and present, that I love.
Also, maybe check out some of my earlier, pre-Eurovision posts which feature artists and bands such as Roxette, Gloria Estefan, Céline Dion, R.E.M., Paul Young, ABBA, Martika and Dire Straits, among many others!
I will be sure to keep posting on this blog, so come back and visit when you can.
Last night was the second semi-final of this year's Eurovision Song Contest. I wasn't able to watch it live, but I will watch it now and share my thoughts with you on each act as they perform.
Of the countries that I know are competing in this semi-final, the one I am most looking forward to seeing is "Euphoria," by Loreen, the much raved about Swedish entry in this year's Eurovision. I have seen the music video and her performance is very impressive, and I'm keen to see how it translates to the Eurovision stage; whether she still has the same charisma and the song can still fill the arena.
I am looking forward to all of the songs, particularly those I haven't heard before. I love Eurovision! It means that provided that each country does what it's supposed to do and picks the best song it can; we should have the joy of listening to forty-two - or however many countries enter - brilliant songs each year.
Let us begin!
I am impressed with the hosts making the effort to do the welcome message in French and German; I'm not so sure about the banter afterwards. But I am very glad to see one of last year's winners, Eldar, back to host! He is too gorgeous not to, really!
1) Serbia - I got excited hearing that this guy is somewhat of a Eurovision veteran, in the hope that with the help of his experience he may have perfected the winning formula for a Eurovision song. And the song is quite beautiful - not a winner, I don't think; not unforgettable. But it is a nice song.
2) F. Y. R. Macedonia - I like this. It took a while for the beat to kick in, and whilst I have nothing against slow songs, in fact there are many that I love, I feel this particular song sounds a lot better upbeat than downbeat. Overall I like this song, but for me it's not a winner.
3) The Netherlands - I quite like this. She has a nice voice; quite unusual.
4) Malta - Again, I wasn't expecting much, because they looked like one of these arrogant boybands. But I was pleasantly surprised - they're really good! I really like this song. Very Eurovision!
5) Belarus - Typical shouty pop-rock song. Not really my thing, but I accept that they're good at what they do. It's not the worst song I've heard so far, not by a long shot. And the guitarists' falling-backwards thing is a bit odd... But overall these guys are okay.
6) Portugal - I LOVE the Portuguese language. And I quite like this song. It's not one of the stand-out songs so far, but it's pretty.
7) Ukraine - My first thought was, how much does this sound like the French song this year (Echo by Anggun)? It seriously does. But I love both songs. In this song from Ukraine, I love Gaitana's energy and passion during her performance; you can tell she's really enjoying it and the song is very bouncy and dance to-able.
8) Bulgaria - This is very generic and Eurovision-y, but I do like it. She looks confident and has very good stage presence - she can hold the whole stage completely alone, and that is no mean feat.
9) Slovenia - I love her dress! The song is unusual; it sounds quite dark and chilling in places. On the whole I quite like it, but I don't think it's quite good enough to win.
10) Croatia - I like this! I like the tune, and the beat, and the bell/chime sounds in the chorus, which I think just add so much to the song; it's incredible how one such little touch has the power to transform a song.
11) Sweden - Well, here she is, and she's just as captivating as ever! Truly charismatic. When I first saw her performance of this song I thought she was emulating Björk a bit too much, but now I think she has found her own style and persona. She certainly is very different to other artists I have seen. But is there really need for all the strobing? I could barely watch during the chorus, it was so heavy. This song can stand on its own without the nonsense.
12) Georgia - I hate things that are this degrading to women. And the song's not great either. Which is a shame because I've tended to dislike past Georgian Eurovision entries for various reasons, and I had been hoping this song might change that. It hasn't.
13) Turkey - I loved the men turning into a ship! Otherwise, an average song in my opinion.
14) Estonia - Quite pretty; not amazing.
15) Slovakia - Here we go, there's always one of these, isn't there... big, shouty, stroby rock song. This one is actually pretty good. Again, the strobing is ridiculous; how are you even meant to look at the screen?
16) Norway - What a swarmy-looking fellow... But you never know, appearances can be deceiving. Anyway, I didn't think a lot of the song.
17) Bosnia and Herzegovina - Well, this is pretty. A nice, peaceful change from the previous two shouty songs! I really like this one.
18) Lithuania - Quite a good song, but not fantastic.
Overall I have really enjoyed this semi-final, and the Waterloo in the interval! It was great seeing the past five Eurovision winners brought together, and I commend whoever had that idea, and everyone who made it possible. And I would LOVE to see Alexander Rybak and Lena fall in love... they look great together and they would be the perfect Eurovision couple!
I wasn't too surprised at who got through to the final, except I don't really get why the ship people of Turkey seem to have been some huge favourite. But I must say, seeing the Norwegian guy's emotion at getting through, he seems a bit less swarmy now. So I will give him a chance.
Tomorrow night's final looks set to be amazing. Bring it on!
I will have to try to avoid getting carried away and doing this whole entry in French! I love the French language so much... It is so incredibly beautiful. And today I am blogging about France, and their Eurovision exploits.
I was all ready to write about France Gall on here; she is a French singer whose song, "Ella Elle L'a" is one of my favourite French songs. I had known she won Eurovision; however on researching it I discovered she actually won the contest representing Luxembourg, and not France.
However, this is my blog and if I say France Gall can be in it, France Gall can be in it! Here is Ella Elle L'a - not what she won Eurovision with, but such an incredible song. And she is a French Eurovision winner... she just didn't win it for France. Hmm. Don't know whether she should be in this blog entry, but here she is.
Now, onto people who represented France itself. First up, Les Fatals Picards. If you are wondering what a picard is, it is someone from the Picardy region in the north of France.
They represented France in Eurovision 2007 in Helsinki - the year of Krisse, as I shall forever know it. Their song was called, "L'amour à la française," although I only found that out the other day, having always known it as, "that French song with that guy who looks like Richard O'Brien running round the stage with a stuffed cat on his shoulder."
Here it is:
I hadn't remembered it being in a mix of English and French; I had remembered it being completely in French. At first the "Franglais" was a bit off-putting, but then I came to quite like it. It's certainly something different, and the fact that they can jump straight from one language to the other in the same sentence is quite impressive and I don't know if I'd be able to do it without a lot of practice.
It's a really catchy song, and you just have to smile when he's doing his, "Je cours, je cours..." ("I run, I run...") thing around the stage. There's something very likeable about this lot, and I may have a listen to some more of their music.
The next year in 2008 France was represented by Jarvis Cocker, sorry, Sébastien Tellier, with "Divine," which in France caused controversy for being largely in English. I would have preferred it to have been in French because I love the language. But it still sounds amazing as it is.
There are so many things that are great about this performance: his backing singers all disguised as him; his arrival in a golf buggy; his performance, his voice, the song, the eclipse. I love it all. It came joint eighteenth in the competition, and I think it should have been a lot higher - top five at least. It's a classic Eurovision song.
The final French Eurovision song I wanted to share with you is their 2010 entry, "Allez Ola Olé!" by Jessy Matador.
I love this: bouncy, happy, and you can totally dance to it. I love the energy of all the performers, and the way they are clearly really enjoying singing the song. There were many brilliant songs in Oslo 2010, but this was one of the very best. This came twelfth in the competition and I think it should have finished a bit higher.
I also wish the female singer was credited alongside Jessy Matador as I think she adds a lot to the song.
I feel that France have a good track record at Eurovison, and I'm sure they're going to enjoy a lot more success dans l'avenir (in the future).
Thanks for reading.
Liz x
Songs: Ella Elle L'a - France Gall - 1987
L'amour à la française - Les Fatals Picards - 2007
Hello! We are now three days away from the grand final of Eurovision 2012!
Today I am going to analyse the three most recent Eurovision winning songs; "Fairytale" by Alexander Rybak, "Satellite" by Lena and "Running Scared" by Ell/Nikki from respectively, Norway, Germany and Azerbaijan.
Probably the most obvious thing that jumps out immediately about these three songs is that they are all in English rather than Norwegian, German and Azerbaijani. I have mixed feelings about this: a song being in English, or one of the other languages I speak, means I can understand it, which is a plus for me personally. And a lot of people across Europe speak English as a first, second or third language.
However, I feel that it is important that people sing in their own tongue because different languages, and the amazing richness and variety of languages we have in Europe, is something to be celebrated and not to be forgotten. We don't want to encourage the belief some people seem to hold which is that English is some sort of universal language. If we accept that it is, we risk other languages dying out, and their associated cultures, stories and songs dying with them, and that would be just terrible.
So, I would personally like a song sung in the native tongue of its country to do well this year!
Now, onto the winning songs. Firstly, the 2009 winner, Alexander Rybak of Norway with, "Fairytale."
I have to say, I am grateful to this guy for bringing Eurovision to Norway, because they put on one of the best shows I have ever seen; the highlight being their unforgettable flash mob interval act.
Here is Alexander's song:
At first I didn't think that much of this song. However, listening to it again, I've come to quite like it. There is no doubt that he is incredibly talented, both as a singer and on his violin. He also wrote this song... how musically gifted can one person be?! It's extraordinary. I'm jealous!
Overall, it is quite a catchy song from a talented musician, and I think it merits winning. I'm not sure if it merits receiving the highest number of points ever in Eurovision, which it did do, but I'd rather that accolade go to this than to some other winning song which was rubbish or whose win was due completely to block voting.
In 2010, the contest was held in Oslo, Norway, as a result of Rybak's success. As I have mentioned many times, I loved his year at Eurovision. There were so many good songs; from Ireland, France, Denmark and Belarus, among others. The winning song was "Satellite," by Lena of Germany.
Again, I wasn't particularly keen on this at first, but it grew on me. It's certainly very bouncy and you can dance to it. Admittedly some of the lyrics are fairly awful, but otherwise this song isn't bad at all. And I find Lena very likeable as a performer.
I would have preferred for Niamh Kavanagh to have won, because I think song she performed that year for Ireland is one of the most beautiful Eurovision songs ever sung. But Lena wasn't the worst in that competition by a long shot. And I love the supposedly impromptu version of Satellite whipped up by the larger-than-life German hosts the next year - almost better than the original!
The winning song that next year - last year in fact - in Düsseldorf was "Running Scared" by Eldar and Nigar, or Ell/Nikki - the same people but for some reason they seem to operate under two different names. I really like this song, and I'm quite pleased that it won.
I must admit, I hadn't expected this to win at all - but I'm glad it did. It isn't your typical fast, bouncy Eurovision song, but it is quietly beautiful in a way that you don't see very often. There is real raw emotion in it, and both Ell and Nikki sing with real love and passion.
I wish maybe, just maybe, the winner could have been Lucía Pérez of Spain, whose song I adored... but Running Scared is a very good song as well so I am not going to complain. Well done Ell and Nikki!
I also happened to see Nikki being interviewed during the semi-final last night, and she came across as a nice and amicable person, who was very interesting to listen to. She was clearly very proud and happy to have brought Eurovision to Baku, and so she should be.
I hope we can enjoy an equally deserving winner this year; there are some good songs in the competition and some not-so-good... we'll just have to see how the people of Europe vote!
Hello! Tonight I have spent an enjoyable two hours watching the first Eurovision semi-final, with the commentary in my country being delivered very pleasantly by a pair of radio DJs whom I like; Scott Mills and Sara Cox.
I kept a live record of my thoughts on the songs as I heard them. So.. here are my humble opinions. I have tried to be completely honest, so I hope I don't offend anyone. Read and enjoy.
1) Montenegro - Hmm… it's unusual, and actually quite refreshing as a result. A strange one to open with though… not your typical Eurovision song. But who says it has to be typical? This is okay but… not a winner.
2) Iceland - Technically quite impressive, but not really my thing. But I acknowledge that they're good at what they do.
3) Greece - a bit generic, but not bad at all. Eurovision wouldn't be Eurovision without the big pop anthems, and this had been the first of them this evening.
4) Latvia - I… I like this. In fact, I really like this. It's growing on me. They're quite sweet.
5) Albania - It's tempting to think, this is slow and dull and I don't understand it, but… if you listen to the tune, it's actually quite pretty. I wish I spoke her language so I could understand the lyrics, because the song as a whole seems quite nice.
6) Romania - What a lovely, happy song! Probably my favourite so far.
7) Switzerland - Scott Mills got it right when he said these guys were like the Killers. Sounds very like Mr. Bright Side, especially at the beginning. Nice song, and adds to the variety of the competition with a bit of rock!
8) Belgium - She has a lovely voice and she's only seventeen - I wish I could have entered Eurovision when I was seventeen! Hopefully one day I may get my chance. Anyway, this song is quite pretty; not groundbreaking, but pretty and one of the better songs so far this evening.
9) Finland - At first I was disappointed to hear that this song wouldn't be in Finnish as I love the Finnish language. However, Swedish is also a nice language to listen to, and I quite like this song.
10) Israel - Quite jolly, bit odd but overall not that memorable.
11) San Marino - I love this. Such shrewd observations on what is an inescapable aspect of our society. And I love how she has a laptop, and a sailor and a doctor dancing in the background. Random, but amazing. We need more Eurovision songs like this.
12) Cyprus - The commentators in my country love this, but I personally am not that keen on it. A bit dull and very generic.
13) Denmark - Started off a bit dull, but improved.
14) Russia - It was okay… I didn't think it lived up to all the hype, to be honest. But that's just my humble opinion. I can see why some people love it; it's unique and they're doing it for a good cause.
15) Hungary - A bit dull, but not the worst.
16) Austria - Sexist nonsense. Surely there are millions of better bands and singers in Austria… Why do we have to listen to this lot? They're rubbish! I won't be happy if this gets through to the final.
17) Moldova - Not bad. Not a winner, I don't think. But listen to-able.
18) Ireland - They're out of tune, but who cares - this is such a bouncy, happy song. I've never been a massive Jedward fan, but I love this song. And I love how when many acts use fire and pyrotechnics to impress, Jedward use water - it's different, and it works. I love this!
So, there are my humble views on all eighteen acts in tonight's semi-final.
Overall I think it was a great show, and I'm really looking forward to the second semi-final on Thursday - which I'll be able to vote in! (Viewers in the UK couldn't vote in tonight's semi-final) But whether or not I vote depends on whether or not there are any really stand-out songs that I think truly deserve a place in the final. We shall see.
Spain has certainly had a colourful Eurovision history, from their stage invasion in 2010, to the unforgettable "Baila el Chiki-chiki" in 2008, to their 2011 entry "Que me quiten lo bailao," by Lucía Pérez which I love and which has to be one of the happiest, bounciest Eurovision songs ever ♥
I personally think that in the last few years they have been one of the more consistent nations when it comes to entering if not amazing then certainly very good songs - songs that have potential, either to win or to become Eurovision legend - as in the case of Baile el Chiki-chike.
When I think of Spain in Eurovision, one of the first songs that come to mind - after Lucía Pérez - is "I Love You Mi Vida," by D'NASH.
When I first saw this and my Spanish wasn't as good as it is now, I genuinely thought they were saying they loved their life. In actually fact, "mi vida" is a term of endearment and means, "my dear" or "my darling." I kind of like it more now that I know it is a love song than I did when I thought it was just one of those typical shouty Eurovision party anthems (although it still isn't that far from being the latter!)
I was surprised to see this was from 2007 - in my memory it was an earlier competition. But hey, I must be wrong. It is up there with Krisse Salminen as one of the things that made the 2007 competition great (although I still think Krisse MADE that Eurovision!).
The next year, however, we were subjected to... Baile el Chike-chike. It was, let's say, an unusual song. But it kind of had its place in the competition, I felt. Sometimes you need something a bit different. (WARNING - strobe lighting in the video below)
I do think the dancing arrangement is somewhat sexist, with the man ordering the women to do his dance moves, and then him seeming to inspect their performance, and the general lack of clothes on the women. That's one side of this song that I do not approve of.
Otherwise... I think there's room for a few novelty songs each year; in fact I'd be disappointed if there weren't any.
In 2010 - one of my favourite Eurovision years - there was the famous stage invasion during the performance of "Algo pequeñito" - "Something tiny."
The first video is the performance uninterrupted; the second includes the stage invasion.
The song was performed by Daniel Diges, with support from an array of toys/circus characters, I'm not sure which. Whatever they are, I personally find the song and performance a bit weird and almost scary... no me gusta mucho.
I have to admit, disrespectful as it was to the performers, I did enjoy the stage invasion - especially as it looks at first as though he's supposed to be there! I didn't realise he was an intruder until security chased him off!
Last year, in Düsseldorf, Spain's Eurovision offering was Lucía Pérez with what is quite possibly my favourite Eurovision song ever and certainly one of the happiest and most upbeat songs I have ever heard. This is "Que me quiten lo bailao." I will warn you that this version of the video - the only decent version Blogger will let me embed - has some rather psychedelic stuff going on with the graphics from about 0.08 to 0.14.
I love her voice, her joyful, bubbly persona in the video and the song itself, as well as the chance to get a glimpse of the Carnival celebrations in Sitges, Catalonia. It looks like an amazing fiesta!
Whenever I hear this song, I just want to dance. It's brilliant ♥
¡Gracias por una canción maravillosa!
Thanks for reading.
Liz x
Songs: I Love You Mi Vida - D'NASH - 2007
Baila el Chike-chike - Rodolfo Chikilicuatre - 2008
We are now less than a week away from the Eurovision final 2012! Which is a very exciting thought.
Today I thought I would look into the Eurovision branding, themes and little slogans that are now an important factor in the yearly spectacle, but that were only really introduced in 2002.
Before then, there had been various logos used, but the themes and slogans only really started to be a big element of the contest in Estonia in 2002, when they introduced their slogan, "A Modern Fairytale," with this logo:
I was eight when this contest took place, and all I can really remember was the female presenter boasting that Estonia was the only country in Europe beginning with an "E". And I remember thinking, what about England? But I suppose politically, and Eurovision-wise, we're in the UK.
To be honest, "A Modern Fairytale" sounds a bit odd to me, and I don't really see what it has to do with Eurovision. However, this magic, fairytale kind of thing seems quite popular with the Baltic countries, what with Latvia the following year having,
"Magical Rendez-vous"
Finland in 2007 having,
"True Fantasy"
and Russia in 2009 having,
"Fantasy Bird"
(and it is ironic that this contest was won by a song called, "Fairytale" - from Norway, another Baltic nation!)
I must admit, though I didn't think much of the bird logo when I first saw it, it has certainly grown on me, and I now think it's quite pretty, and the colours are lovely - they look especially striking against my blog background, which makes a nice effect.
I can't say for sure, but it looks like it was the 2004 competition, with the above logo, when the standard Eurovision emblem, with "Eurovision" written in script with the country's flag in a heart for the "v", was first used. There wasn't any other individual emblem that year from what I can find, but they did have a motto - "Under The Same Sky," which I think is a lovely idea because it adds to the impression that people all over Europe are united through Eurovision.
The logo of the 2005 competition in Kiev in Ukraine carries on the "Eurovision" and flag theme, and also has a twirly thing which looks like a shell and which may represent the layout of the city (?) but other than that I can't think of any other explanation of it, and I can't find anything on the Internet about it.
The slogan was, "Awakening," which according to Wikipedia, "symbolised the awakening of the country and city ready to present itself to Europe."
In 2006 we had this logo from Greece - and I must point out that the multicoloured squiggles are meant to be - I presume - the readout on a sound-meter - possibly also a heart monitor - and the resemblance is much more apparent when watching it dynamically on a video clip from the competition.
I like it, but I don't think it's the best we've ever had. Their slogan was, "Feel The Rhythm," which sort of goes with the emblem and graphics, and which is a nice idea, but again not awe-inspiring.
Finland in 2007 I have mentioned - True Fantasy - and I love the way they managed to tie this in with Krisse - an amazing Finnish comedienne who presented some of the Eurovision coverage that year. I have a blog post on her; if you would like to see it look at the blog archive; it's the third Eurovision one from the bottom.
I don't like the graphics though - a bit psychedelic for my liking - but at least they tried to create their own identity within the wider Eurovision franchise, which I like.
They also had their interestingly-shaped stage which according to Wikipedia was supposed to look like a kantele - a traditional Finnish musical instrument. However, I'm sure I remember hearing on the commentary that the large arching thing on the stage was supposed to a whale's bone, or something like that... so I don't know.
2008 was Belgrade in Serbia, and they had possibly the most interesting logo and tagline of all:
I personally don't find the stark red and blue very pleasing on the eye, but I really like the premise behind it all which is that they are linking the contest with the fact that Belgrade lies on the confluence of two rivers, the Danube and the Sava, hence the idea of "Confluence of Sound."
Their stage also reflected this, with two graphical "rivers" flowing down onto the stage and then meeting and flowing together; this is a nice concept but again I didn't personally find it very pleasant to look at. However, I applaud Belgrade for coming up with what was easily the most innovative yet logical concept yet.
Moscow in 2009 and their Fantasy Bird I have mentioned; next was Norway in 2010 which, as I've mentioned before on this blog, was one of my favourite Eurovision years.
I've spent a lot of time watching and re-watching videos of songs from this particular competition; therefore I've become very familiar with their "Share the Moment" motto and their little bubbly logos.
This particular contest was all about sharing and unity; probably best signified by the interval act of the flash mob with people all over Europe taking part; united by music and dance.
2011, last year, the competition was in Düsseldorf in Germany. I really enjoyed their hosting of Eurovision as a whole, but I was slightly put off by their emblem of a neon heart pulsing rather too graphically and realistically for my liking - and with sound effects. I faint at the sight of blood and a pulsing heart is not the sort of thing I want to see on a regular basis throughout the broadcast of Eurovision.
Their motto was, "Feel Your Heart Beat!" which kind of fits in with it nicely, but which isn't my favourite Eurovision slogan ever.
To be honest, I don't know what is my favourite slogan - probably "Under The Same Sky" in Turkey in 2004. But the theme I admire the most has to be Serbia with their "Confluence of Sound," and how far they managed to work with the concept so that it almost defined their hosting of Eurovision.
And this year? We are in Baku, Azerbaijan, with the slogan, "Light Your Fire!" and this logo:
I think it is very pretty, and I am interested to see how the concept will pan out, and how far they will take it... obviously short of setting the place on fire.
I do think it is a good theme as a whole, and it reflects the country - the so-called "Land of Fire," and also the Eurovision spirit as a whole; that there will hopefully be something for every individual that will "light their fire" so to speak, and make them feel happy.
So overall, I feel that the idea of individual themes, logos and taglines for each year is good because it helps to give each year's competition an identity of its own, as well as reinforcing some of the values of the main Eurovision phenomenon.
Thanks for reading.
Bring on Baku! Two days until the first semi-final!
I thought I would share with you one of my favourite Eurovision songs and, in my opinion, one of the prettiest - The Fire in Your Eyes by Boaz Mauda, which was the Israeli entry in the 2008 competition in Belgrade in Serbia.
Although I don't understand most of the lyrics, I have still always found it beautiful.
I don't speak Hebrew, so I have to trust the Internet when it come to translations. I've checked a couple of lyrics sites and the general consensus for the chorus seems to be,
"Not a starlight,
You are now.
With me, with me, as if real,
Like back then."
Which I think is very beautiful. I was puzzled by the graphics on this video saying the song was second on the running order when I remember it being later, then I found out that it was second in its semi-final, so that must be where the video is from. In the final this song was seventh in the running order.
Anyway, overall I really like this song and am glad it did quite well - it came ninth out of twenty-five songs.
So well done to Boaz Mauda and well done to Israel for this lovely song.
Hello! Today I am blogging about the five UK Eurovision winners and our hope for this year, Engelbert Humperdinck.
The UK have done pretty well in Eurovision over the years - we have won five times, on a par with France and Luxembourg. The only country that has won more often is Ireland which has won seven times.
I personally discovered our five Eurovision winners over time and quite independently of one another - I saw a spoof of Making Your Mind Up on Blue Peter years ago; they were doing various Eurovision songs but that is the only one that stuck in my mind for some reason - maybe because I really liked it.
Lulu's song I heard somewhere, I'm not sure where. It must have been on telly because I when I watched it again I remembered the dress she wore. Brotherhood of Man I think I heard on Top of the Pops 2, and Sandie Shaw I only discovered pretty recently.
Katrina and the Waves' song has the most interesting story behind it for me; it was one of the staple songs of the choir when I was at high school, and we sung it many, many times. I particularly remember singing it when we were on tour in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, and listening to it always takes me back there in my memories. I didn't know it was a Eurovision song, yet alone a Eurovision winner, for years.
Okay, time for the songs. First up, Sandie Shaw who won in 1967 with Puppet on a String.
I'm not going to lie; I find this rather weird and scary and I don't like it very much. I also don't like the way she is making herself sound so dependent on her lover; not a very nice view to be presenting of women.
Next was Lulu two years later in Madrid, who won as part of a spectacular four-way tie between the UK, France, Spain and the Netherlands. Her song was called Boom Bang-a-Bang.
From the bit of this I had heard long ago, I had thought it was a sweet, innocent, happy, light-hearted little song. However, listening to it properly and watching the video, I cannot believe the amount of daft, coy flirting she indulges in, and it annoys me a great deal her tendency to put an "ah" on the end of half the words ending in "ing" (eg; "...when we're kissing-ah.")
Nevertheless, I prefer this to Puppet on a String. But I think that after this, the quality of the UK winners went up significantly.
This started with Save Your Kisses For Me, by Brotherhood of Man.
I had known about Brotherhood of Man just from their song Angelo, and I had sort of thought that they were a one-hit wonder until I found out that they had won Eurovision with this song, which I quite like. Let's just say it's very seventies! But I do like the seventies, and I like this song.
In 1981 came another two-man two-woman colour-co-ordinated little group - but this was about as eighties as Brotherhood of Man was seventies. It was Bucks Fizz with Making Your Mind Up. Probably my favourite UK Eurovision winner.
I feel the whipping-off of the skirts was a bit sexist, but otherwise I love this song and their little dance to it. And one of them looks like John Noakes. Definitely the happiest and most upbeat of our five winning songs. When I think of the UK in Eurovision, this is the song that first comes to mind.
Finally, Katrina and the Waves, with Love Shine a Light, which I will always see as a choir song with memories attached first and foremost, and a Eurovision winner afterwards.
I do like the way that Katrina (Leskanich) performs; she seems as though she has a lot of confidence in herself; she's comfortable on stage, and she looks like she loves the song and is really enjoying performing it. And I really like her voice as well.
What next for the UK? Well, our Eurovision hopeful for this year is Engelbert Humperdinck, with Love Will Set You Free.
I really like this; I hadn't really been familiar with his music before so I didn't know what to expect, but this song was a pleasant surprise. It's pretty and sweet and quite powerful. I saw him being interviewed on telly and he seemed like a nice person too. I'm hoping we might be able to do well in Eurovision this year.
Bring on Baku! (I'm hoping if I say that enough it might actually catch on)
Thanks for reading.
Liz x
Songs: Puppet on a String - Sandie Shaw - 1967
Boom Bang-a-Bang - Lulu - 1969
Save Your Kisses For Me - Brotherhood of Man - 1976
Making Your Mind Up - Bucks Fizz - 1981
Love Shine a Light - Katrina and the Waves - 1997
Love Will Set You Free - Engelbert Humperdinck - 2012
Today I thought I would share with you the Danish entry in the 2010 contest; In A Moment Like This by Chanée and N'evergreen. I think it is a lovely, upbeat song - although admittedly, it does sound very like Every Breath You Take!
He even looks like Sting! (In my humble opinion anyway.)
I think that both of these artists are very talented, and they perform the song so well, and they work brilliantly as a duo. I also think Chanée is very beautiful, and she reminds me so much of somebody, but I just can't place who it is!
This was one of my favourite songs that year, along with It's For You and Butterflies - however, I felt that there were many great songs that year. I believe that without doubt Eurovision 2010 in Oslo was one of the best contests we've had in recent years.
This song should have been last in the running order; however Spain's song suffered a stage invasion, so they got the chance to perform again at the end so theirs became the last song. I didn't mind Spain's song, but I would have preferred for In A Moment Like This to have been last - it would have been the perfect note to end on; bouncy and positive and upbeat.
I am very grateful to Chanée and N'evergreen for this lovely song ♥
I will be back with more Eurovision moments tomorrow.
Thanks for reading.
Liz x
Song: In A Moment Like This - Chanée and N'evergreen - 2010
I must hasten to add that the point of this blog entry is not to question whether or not Céline Dion is successful. I love her to bits and it is clear that she is one of the biggest and most influential artists in the world.
However, unlike ABBA, whose international career was without doubt jump-started by their Eurovision win, I have to ponder, wouldn't Céline have made it anyway?
Someone with such an amazing voice, such beauty, such charisma and stage presence, and the driving forces of René Angélil and Jean-Jacques Goldman on her side, this talented woman would always have eventually become a global superstar.
That is my opinion, anyway.
However, we can't deny that appearing on Eurovision - and winning it - helped her a great deal when it came to gaining international exposure. She represented Switzerland in 1988 with the song, "Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi."
Although I had known that she won the competition one year for Switzerland, I had never actually heard the song until quite recently.
Listening to it for the first time, I had high standards, because I love Céline Dion's music, especially when she sings in French as she does in this song, and I love Eurovision, so I was hoping this would be something spectacular.
In reality, I was a bit disappointed at first, because I found the verses a bit too slow, and the changes between the verses and the faster choruses a bit too abrupt and unnatural-sounding.
I also thought it was all a bit clichéd and generic (how many times have I said that about Eurovision songs! But then, I guess back then there was a winning formula and it kind of made sense to stick to it).
However, Céline fans, don't storm off in fury yet! Because when I listened to this song again a few days later... I really liked it. I kind of "got" the change in the verse and the chorus speed this time, and how it can sound quite effective. And I love the lyrics...
"Vous qui cherchez l'étoile,
Vous qui vivez un rêve."
"You who seek the star,
You who live a dream."
It is a very beautiful song.
I also love how she is one of those artists who are always changing their image - though in Céline's case, it seems like a natural change as she has grown and matured, unlike some people who change their image just to expand their market.
However, I feel that the magical thing about Céline is that while she has changed so much, in essence she has stayed the same - same big voice, same emotion when she is singing, same presence.
And she is recognisable; she hasn't metamorphosed physically like many artists of her age have since their younger days. I think what we can gather from this is that firstly, Céline stays true to herself and her natural musical style, and secondly, her music is timeless.
I really like this song now, and I will always love Céline ♥ A worthy winner!
This will be a short blog, I'm afraid, because I am really busy today. I just wanted to share with you one of my all-time favourite Eurovision songs: Butterflies, by 3+2, which was the entry for Belarus in Eurovision 2010 in Norway.
This was the same year that It's For You by Niamh Kavanagh was the Irish entry, and for me these two songs were far and away the two most beautiful in the competition. Both the video for Butterflies and its performance at the competition are lovely to watch, and I want wings like that! All the band are good but I especially love the guy who sings the second verse and then finishes the song. He has a lovely voice and sings with real passion and emotion. It turns out the two blonde singers are twins - I hadn't even realised this until I read it recently and looked properly! I feel a bit silly now that I didn't realise before. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do. Thanks for reading. Liz x Song: Butterflies - 3+2 - 2010
I love the Finnish language ♥ It sounds unique; so completely different to the other Scandinavian languages; to any language in fact. I also think some of the words are very pretty.
Another thing I like about Finland is that the Eurovision they hosted in 2007 was one of the best, in my opinion. It was good in many ways, but I especially loved the contribution of this comedienne: Krisse Salminem.
I genuinely cannot believe this was five years ago; it feels like yesterday that I was seeing this for the first time and laughing hysterically at Krisse's humour. And watching it back even now she makes me laugh and laugh every time.
"I'm Krisse, and I'm single, and, er, where's the camera?"
"Imagine, twenty minutes ago, I was nobody and now I am... everybody!"
"They told me that Helsinki is beautiful... and that I'm beautiful..."
"You are really beautiful; so do you think it helps, in this kind of competition, to be beautiful?"
"On a scale of one to ten, what does music mean to you?... On a scale of nine to ten, how beautiful am I?
"I don't know with whom I'm going to party; maybe with Serbia and Ukraine."
I am aware that some people do not find her unique comedic style at all funny; that some people find her somewhat annoying. Well, it is a matter of opinion. But I love her, and my brother thinks her performance at Eurovision was funny.
I don't know if I could put up with her in large doses though - if she had been one of the main Eurovision hosts it may have been a bit much. However, the role she was in, as crowd-worker and then green-room host, was just perfect for her in my view. I feel she added so much to Eurovison that year. I wish we could have Krisse at Eurovision every year!
Kiitos, Krisse!
Thanks for reading.
Liz x
Video featuring Krisse Salminem
Voice-over by Terry Wogan
I cannot do a Eurovision blog without celebrating Ireland as arguably the most successful nation of all time when it comes to Eurovision. They have won seven times - the most any country has ever won the competition. And it is from Ireland that hails the only man to have won Eurovision twice as a performer: Johnny Logan.
On top of this, Logan has also written the winning song on a third occasion; this time it was performed by Linda Martin. This means Logan has won three Eurovision titles, as either performer, songwriter or both, which is something that has never been achieved before or since.
Ireland's first Eurovision victory came in 1970 with "All Kinds of Everything," performed by Dana.
Now, I had heard this song long before I knew it had been a Eurovision song (this was all before my time) and I hadn't liked it very much. I found the song somewhat annoying, although I had to admit she had a very good voice. I heard it on a CD and had no idea how young she was either; finding out that she was only nineteen has impressed me as her voice sounds like that of a grown woman with a lot of singing experience.
The lyrics of the song are also quite pretty. It's just the tune that I'm not keen on. However, I have to concede that if it won for Ireland that has to be a good thing (I am half Irish, so I do feel some loyalty towards them in Eurovision. However, I don't indulge in "neighbourly" voting! I vote for what I feel is the best song on the night).
The next time Ireland won Eurovision was ten years later, in 1980, with the first of Johnny Logan's winning performances, "What's Another Year." I do like this song, though I much prefer his second winner, in 1987, "Hold Me Now."
What's another year is quite nice and bouncy and bittersweet. And I cannot help but be reminded of Claude François with both the look and the sound. Overall I really like it, but as I said, "Hold Me Now" is certainly my favourite. I know it is somewhat generic as a love song and as a Eurovision song, but I still love it!
"Time,
Time will be kind once we're apart."
And,
"...forever in love.
What do you say when words are not enough?"
These are probably my favourite lyrics. I just can't stop listening to this song. It's amazing ♥
The next event that occurred for Ireland Eurovision-wise was the phenomenon of winning three years in a row, which has never been achieved by any other country.
The first of these victories was in 1992, with Linda Martin and the song, "Why Me?" which was, again, written by Johnny Logan. I think this man had found the winning formula by this point for writing a successful Eurovision song - he had written "Hold Me Now" which won, and he had previously written "Terminal 3," for Linda Martin, which came second in the 1984 competition.
Here is Why Me?
I feel I should mention that this contest took place in Sweden, which I guess might explain the large Viking ship in the background.
I like this song, but not as much as Hold Me Now. Nevertheless, I think Linda has a good voice and the lyrics are nice, especially the opening lines:
"Sometimes I watch you passing by my window.
And sometimes I watch you passing through my dreams."
Pretty ♥
The next year, 1993, was won by what has become quite possibly my favourite Eurovision winning song. It is beautiful, haunting and performed by a wonderful singer. It is "In Your Eyes," by Niamh Kavanagh.
The first clip is the song at Eurovision; the second is the music video, which I really like, but which I feel somehow adds to the dark and spooky feel of the song.
I find the song absolutely beautiful though, and I love her voice. I saw an interview with her from when she represented Ireland in Norway in 2010 (more on that later) and she came across as a thoroughly pleasant and down to earth person, which is nice.
I think this is one of the most worthy Eurovision winners there has ever been, and I especially love how it is not a generic Eurovision song - not a bouncy, upbeat number nor a crowd-pleasing ballad. This song is unique; it is a love song but with a slightly dark tone to it, and it is sung with such honesty and emotion. I love Niamh Kavanagh and I love this song.
"In your eyes, I see the light, leading me home again.
It's heaven in your arms my love; my heart is in your hands.
In your eyes, seems so right, I see forever in your smile,
This woman is a child again, when I look in your eyes."
I love the musicianship of this song too. There is a lot of debate about whether to bring back the live orchestra to Eurovision finals and I think this song is proof that an orchestra can really work and really add something quite special to a song.
The next year Ireland won was 1994, the year I was born. They won with "Rock 'n' Roll Kids," from Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan. It was written by Brendan Graham, who also wrote the 1996 winner, "The Voice," by Eimear Quinn. I find this very strange, as the two songs are so incredibly different that I find it hard to believe that they were written by the same person.
I think Roll n Roll Kids is quite a nice, sweet song, and The Voice I like; but I don't really have any strong feelings about song either, I'm afraid. My favourite Irish Eurovision winners have to be Hold Me Now and In Your Eyes.
1996 was the last time Ireland won Eurovision, but they have since entered some very good songs, such as It's For You, again by Niamh Kavanagh, which was entered into Eurovision 2010 in Norway. This I just adore:
She hasn't changed a bit; still incredibly beautiful and talented. I also greatly enjoyed this interview from the competition:
She seems nice and the song is lovely. It's such a disgrace that she came third from last, but we all know that sadly, nowadays Eurovision voting is rarely based around song quality.
Of course, like last year in Düsseldorf, this year we will again have the indescribable joy of watching Jedward represent Ireland at Eurovision. I am somewhat cynical about this; once was amusing and actually quite a good idea because they suit classic upbeat Eurovision songs; but twice? Surely Europe have seen enough of them! This was my reaction to finding out that they would be Ireland's Eurovision entry in Baku this year.
However, something very strange happened: I listened to the song and I actually really liked it. Which I find hard to believe, but it's true. I've actually listened to it quite a lot since discovering it. I will let you make your own decision on it:
I also thought I'd take the time to say that I really like the Eurovision graphics for this year. Pretty and sparkly ♥
Anyway, Jedward: On the one hand, I'm sure there are a million people in Ireland more talented than them. On the other hand: this song is bouncy, upbeat, happy and could actually win Eurovision. Hmm. Not sure what to think.
Anyway, that is Ireland's Eurovision story so far. I hope they can triumph many more times in this competition, because they certainly seem to have a knack for winning it!
And there is always the best Irish Eurovision entry that never was: My Lovely Horse, from Father Ted.
This should have been entered one year, it might actually have won! The perfect Eurovision song.
Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed this journey through Ireland's Eurovision history; they can almost certainly be called the most successful Eurovision nation ever, which makes me very proud of my Irish heritage.
That being said, the UK haven't done that badly either in Eurovision over the years... I will definitely also do a blog entry on the UK's Eurovision history at some point during the countdown.
For now, thank you for reading my blog, and I hope you enjoyed it.
Nine days to go until the first semi-final!
Eleven days to go until the second semi-final!
Thirteen days to go until the final!
Bring on Baku!
Liz x
Songs:
All Kinds of Everything - Dana - 1970
What's another Year? - Johnny Logan - 1980
Hold Me Now - Johnny Logan - 1987
Why Me? - Linda Martin - 1992
In Your Eyes - Niamh Kavanagh - 1993
Rock 'n' Roll Kids - Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan - 1994
