2025 Eurovision Song Contest

[dryrunguy]

Than you so much, Dry, for making my preparations this much easier Now to plan a moment for my little preview party...

There are folks out there who believe Netherlands has a winner this year. Sure, a little of that is tied to Joost's (fairly certain) unfair disqualification last year. But Claude's song has merit, for sure.

[dryrunguy]

Croatia just selected its national winner for 2025, hoping for a good follow-up to their 2nd place finish with Baby Lasagna at Eurovision in 2024. They selected Marko Bošnjak and his song Poison Cake. It won the jury and finished 4th with the Croatian public. This is his performance after being announced the winner rather than his performance that won him the title.

[dryrunguy]

Austria released its entry today. The song is Wasted Love by a young artist named JJ who brings a background in opera/pop-opera. The song reflects that.

[dryrunguy]

We still have more Eurovision songs to come for the 2025, but the last three national finals were held today.

First up was Sweden's Melodifestivalen. Finnish group KAJ managed to defeat returning Eurovision winner, Måns Zelmerlöw (2015) by a mere 7 points with their song Bara Bada Bastu, which basically is about going to the sauna. The translation follows the video.



[Intro]
Well then

[Verse 1]
The clock strikes, it's time now
All worries will soon disappear
The best cure for body and soul
Four wood-paneled walls

[Pre-Chorus]
(Oh, eh-oh, eh-oh)
Our firewood heats just as well
(Oh, eh-oh, eh-oh)
As tango with Arja Saijonmaa
(One, two, three, sauna)

[Chorus]
We're gonna have a sauna, sauna
Steam up and let go of all stress today
Sauna brothers, we're the ones who glow
100 degrees, well then
Just having a sauna, sauna
Throw it on so that the sweat just whirls around
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
Having a sauna, yeah
We're gonna have a sauna, sauna
Steam up and let go of all stress today
Sauna brothers, we're the ones who glow
100 degrees, well then
Just having a sauna, sauna
Throw it on so that the sweat just whirls around
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
Having a sauna, yeah

[Post-Chorus]
Sauna
Sauna
Yeah exactly

[Verse 2]
Pour water and more steam on it now
Tick-tick-tock, how long can you take it?
90 degrees, we're almost there
Damn, it's getting hot in here

[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, eh-oh, eh-oh
The sweat's dripping, yeah yeah
Oh, eh-oh, eh-oh
(One, two, three, sauna)

[Chorus]
We're gonna have a sauna, sauna
Steam up and let go of all stress today
Sauna brothers, we're the ones who glow
100 degrees, well then
Just having a sauna, sauna
Throw it on so that the sweat just whirls around
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
Having a sauna, yeah

[Post-Chorus]
Sauna

[Bridge]
Just having a sauna, just having a sauna
Just having, just having, just having a sauna
Just having a sauna, just having a sauna
Just having, just having, just having a sauna (Do not cover)
Just having a sauna, just having a sauna
Just having, just having, just having a sauna
Just having a sauna, just having a sauna
Just having, just having, just having a sauna

[Chorus]
We're gonna have a sauna, sauna
Steam up and let go of all stress today
Sauna brothers, we're the ones who glow
100 degrees, well then
Just having a sauna, sauna
Throw it on so that the sweat just whirls around
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
Having a sauna, yeah
Sauna

[Outro]
Just having a sauna, just having a sauna
Just having, just having, just having a sauna
Just having a sauna, just having a sauna
Just having, just having, just having a ѕauna
Sauna

[dryrunguy]

Next up, San Marino. They selected Gabry Ponte and his song Tutta l'Italia. FYI, this song was a big hit during Italy's Sanremo broadcast some weeks back. English translation follows.



Mom, tonight I won't come back
but for sure I'm going to end up in some bed, then I'll sleep
We're all good guys, alright
Spaghetti, wine and pater noster

And the Monalisa smiles
It's ok, but she's in Paris
Forbidden kisses in black streets
Sad but happy eyes, how many friends of a friend

And you sing, I hear you between the screams
The lights pass our fingers
It's ok if you've never heard it
But with this thing it jumps

All Italy, all italy, all italy
All italy, all italy, all italy
Let us dance with a glass in our hands
Tomorrow we'll regret saying 'I love you'
As here, we'll be heard by
All Italy, All italy, all italy

Football is being kicked
Fashion is making rags
Gourmet cuisine with leftovers, blessed saint Craxi

And how many coins
but the wishes are other's
With gold necklaces under tank tops
Blue car with lights on, come on people come on

And you sing, I hear you between the screams
The lights pass our fingers
It's ok if you've never heard it
But with this thing it jumps

All Italy, all italy, all italy
All italy, all italy, all italy
Let us dance with a glass in our hands
Tomorrow we'll regret saying 'I love you'
As here, we'll be heard by
All Italy, All italy, all italy

one two three four

[dryrunguy]

And then a shocker shook Portugal (well, everyone outside of Portugal--this is what Portugal so often does, select something that wasn't on anyone's radar except some of their own).

Portugal selected the band NAPA and their song Deslocado. English lyrics follow.



[Verse 1]
I count the days for myself with my suitcase packed
There was almost no space left
For the longing I had carried
From the blue, I see the garden
Right behind the wing
Mother, look out the window
I’m almost home, I’m almost home
I’m almost home, I’m almost home

[Chorus]
No matter how may seem
I’ll never belong to that city
The sea of people, the different sun
The pile of concrete
It doesn’t provoke anything in me
It doesn’t feel like homе

[Verse 2]
Because I came from afar
I camе from the middle of the sea
In the heart of the ocean, I have my whole life
I walk my path thinking of returning
To my home, my island, my peace, Madeira
If I explain it to you word by word
You’ll never understand the pain that silences me
The loneliness that haunts the moment of departure
I carry the peace of knowing I can return
Mother, look out the window, I’m almost there

[Chorus]
No matter how may seem
I’ll never belong to that city
The sea of people, the different sun
The pile of concrete
It doesn’t provoke anything in me
It doesn’t feel—
The sea of people, the different sun
The pile of concrete
It doesn’t provoke anything in me
It doesn’t feel like home

[Togtdyalttai]

Such a wide open year this looks like so far. I think the quality is a bit down but I'm excited to see who wins. Israel and France might still join the contenders.

[dryrunguy]

Such a wide open year this looks like so far. I think the quality is a bit down but I'm excited to see who wins. Israel and France might still join the contenders.

Yes, I think I agree the quality is down this year. (Last year was also a difficult year to follow.) I'm struck by the parity, though. It's pretty easy to pick about 5-10 songs that stand out and a few that go straight to the bottom of the list. But between those two groups, you could rank a song 6th or 26th and make a pretty good case either way.

I'm struggling a bit because I haven't heard "my" song for the season yet. Last year was pretty easy. I heard Rim Tim Tagi Dim early in the season, latched on to it, and still haven't let go. But that has not happened yet this year. The closest song to it was Lusterka from the Polish national selection, which finished second, but I couldn't argue with the winner. Justyna was my second favorite of the selection and is still my #3 overall. That's how good (at least to me) the top two in the Poland selection were.

[dryrunguy]

Israel released its song today. It's New Day Will Rise by Yuval Raphael. It is mostly in English with a second verse in French and a Hebrew bridge worked in.



[Verse 1]
And even if you say goodbye
You'll never go away
You are the rainbow in my sky
My colors in the grey
My only wish upon a star
Sunshine in the day
The only song that my piano ever plays

[Verse 2]
And even if you say goodbye
You'll always be around
To life me up and take me high
Keep my feet close to the ground
Are you proud of me tonight?
Dreams are coming true
I choose the light, nothing to lose if I lose you

[Chorus]
New day will rise, life will go on
Everyone cries, don't cry alone
Darkness will fade, all thе pain will go by
But we will stay, even if you say goodbyе

[Verse 2]
Et même si tu dis adieu
Tu ne partiras jamais
T'es l'arc-en-ciel de mon ciel bleu
Mes couleurs dans le gris
Et mon seul souhait sous un ciel d'art
Un rayon dans ma journée
La seule chanson que mon piano peut jouer

[Chorus]
New day will rise, life will go on
Everyone cries, don't cry alone
Darkness will fade, all the pain will go by
But we will stay, even if you say
New day will rise, life will go on
Everyone cries, don't cry alone
Darkness will fade, all the pain will go by
But we will stay the love of my life

[Bridge]
מים רבים לא יכבו
את האהבה ונהרות, לא ישטפוה

[Chorus]
New day will rise
Everyone cries, don't cry alone
Darkness will fade, all the pain will go by
But we will stay

[Outro]
Even if you say goodbye
A new day will rise
New day will rise

[dryrunguy]

2024 winner Switzerland released its 2025 entry today. The artist is Zoë Më, and the song is titled Voyage. It's our third entry entirely in French this year. (France's entry will be released in the next day or two or three.) English lyrics are below.



My innocent eyes discover the world
In a naive way that could confuse
The demons of the night
Mmh, mmh
You throw words at me that choke me
No matter what happens, I lie down
Close to you tonight
Mmh, mmh

One day you'll understand
That flowers are more beautiful
When you water them
You've cut me so many…

…times
If you want, I'll go
With you to take a trip
Take a trip, a trip
Take a trip with you

Let me love you even if you don't love me
I'll drown in your tears
I'll share your soul's emptiness
You devour me with your gaze
No matter what happens, I'll never stop
Singing for you

One day you'll understand
That flowers are more beautiful
When you water them
You've cut me so many…

…timeѕ
If you want, I'll go
With you to take a trip
Take a trip, a trip
Take a trip with you

Take a trip, take a trip
Take a trip, take a trip
Take a trip, take a trip
With me

Take a trip, take a trip
Take a trip, take a trip
Take a trip, take a trip
With me, with…

…me
If you want, I'll go
With you to take a trip
Take a trip, a trip
Take а trip with you

[dryrunguy]

Cyprus released its entry today. The artist is Theo Evan, and the song is Shh. The lyrics are in English.

[dryrunguy]

Georgia released its entry today. The artist is Mariam Shengelia, and the song is titled Freedom. The lyrics are a mix of Georgian and English, but I have not yet been able to find a translation. My apologies.

[ti-amie]

Thanks for the translations Dry.

[dryrunguy]

And the last entry for Eurovision 2025 has finally been released. It's the song from France (they were the first country to release their song last year). The artist is Louane, and the song is Maman. Lyrics are below.

The song was debuted live at a football event in France. That version is posted first. The studio version is posted second.





There are no more lovers
There are no more beds
Finally, you see
I've built my life
And the emptiness is great
The questions too
How are you?
Do you see everything here?

And I've changed a lot
From you I've kept
Everything that makes me who I am

I'm better, I know where I'm going
I stopped counting the years
And if I wanted to stop time
Now it's me she calls mom

Mom, mom, mom

I found love
Indelible
You always know the real one
Even when time flies
When he holds my hand
I'm not afraid of anything anymore
And it makes me feel like before
When you held my hand

I'm better, I know where I'm going
I stopped counting the years
And if I wanted to stop time
Now it's me she calls mom

Mom, mom, mom
Mom, mom, mom

I'm better, I know where I'm going
I stopped counting the years
And if I wanted to stop time
Now it's me she calls
Mom, Mom, mom, Mom

Mom

If I wanted to stop time
Now it's me she's calling

Mom

[ti-amie]

They debuted this at a football event? The French are so weird.