Congratulations (Silvía Night song)
Encyclopedia
Congratulations was the Iceland
ic entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
, performed in English by Silvía Night
.
Composed by Þorvaldur Bjarni Þorvaldsson and with lyrics written by the fictional character singing it, the song generated considerable controversy at the Contest. The lyrics are essentially in praise of the wisdom of the Icelandic voters in selecting Silvía to represent them in the first place. She sings, for example, "So congratulations, I have arrived/I'm Silvia Night and I'm shining so bright/Eurovision nation, your dream's coming true/You've been waiting and waiting for me to save you", thus contending that the other entries of that year are things to be saved from. Silvía's song, on the other hand, is described as being "hot, okay, really not too gay". The Icelandic original continued this theme further, with one line running "Congratulations Iceland, that I was born here". Silvía also sings "Let's meet next year in Iceland", a reference to the Contest tradition of hosting rights going to the previous year's winner.
The controversy came, however, with the line "The vote is in, I'll fucking win", a contravention of the Contest's policy on expletives (although a previous French entry
had contained an obscenity in French
, this was the first occasion on which an English-language one was to be heard). Contest executive supervisor Svante Stockselius
formally informed the Icelandic delegation that the lyrics as written were in violation of the rules, however Silvía claimed at her press conferences that she would "fucking say what I fucking want". Interestingly, one set of lyrics published online featured the line "they say I win", prior to the formal objection being lodged.
Over the course of the rehearsals, Silvía continued to perform the lyrics as originally written. Her second dress rehearsal also featured abuse of the floor manager, whom she called a "fucking retard". According to the BBC
commentator at the semi-final, this last remark was misheard by some as "fucking Greek", a slight on Athens
, where the Contest was being held. Thus, when the song was eventually performed in the semi-final, it was greeted with jeers from much of the audience.
In the event, the lyrics were changed to "The vote is in, I'll freaking win", however the official CD of the Contest entries had already been pressed with the original lyrics.
Commentary both before and after Sylvía's performance stressed the fact that she was a television character, rather than a real person. Her entire appearance, therefore, was in fact something of a joke at the expense of the Contest - something Silvía herself picked up on when arguing at a press conference that people intending to enter the Contest as a joke should not do so.
As Iceland had not qualified for the final at the 2005 Contest
, the song was performed in the semi-final. Here, it was performed twenty-third (following Bosnia and Herzegovina
's Hari Mata Hari
with Lejla
). At the close of voting, it had received 62 points, placing 13th in a field of 23 - failing to qualify for the final and thus ensuring that Iceland's next Contest appearance would be in the semi-final.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...
, performed in English by Silvía Night
Silvía Night
Silvía Night is a fictional, satirical character on , an Icelandic comedy show of the television channel Skjár einn. The character was invented by Gaukur Úlfarsson and Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir; the latter plays Silvía Night...
.
Composed by Þorvaldur Bjarni Þorvaldsson and with lyrics written by the fictional character singing it, the song generated considerable controversy at the Contest. The lyrics are essentially in praise of the wisdom of the Icelandic voters in selecting Silvía to represent them in the first place. She sings, for example, "So congratulations, I have arrived/I'm Silvia Night and I'm shining so bright/Eurovision nation, your dream's coming true/You've been waiting and waiting for me to save you", thus contending that the other entries of that year are things to be saved from. Silvía's song, on the other hand, is described as being "hot, okay, really not too gay". The Icelandic original continued this theme further, with one line running "Congratulations Iceland, that I was born here". Silvía also sings "Let's meet next year in Iceland", a reference to the Contest tradition of hosting rights going to the previous year's winner.
The controversy came, however, with the line "The vote is in, I'll fucking win", a contravention of the Contest's policy on expletives (although a previous French entry
Je Suis Un Vrai Garçon
"Je suis un vrai garçon" was the French entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, performed in French by Nina Morato. The song was performed twenty-fifth on the night, following Poland's Edyta Górniak with "To nie ja"...
had contained an obscenity in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, this was the first occasion on which an English-language one was to be heard). Contest executive supervisor Svante Stockselius
Svante Stockselius
Stig Svante Stockselius is a Swedish journalist and television executive, former Head of Song Contests at the European Broadcasting Union, executive supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest and the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.Svante Stockselius grew up in Ockelbo, a small town in central...
formally informed the Icelandic delegation that the lyrics as written were in violation of the rules, however Silvía claimed at her press conferences that she would "fucking say what I fucking want". Interestingly, one set of lyrics published online featured the line "they say I win", prior to the formal objection being lodged.
Over the course of the rehearsals, Silvía continued to perform the lyrics as originally written. Her second dress rehearsal also featured abuse of the floor manager, whom she called a "fucking retard". According to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
commentator at the semi-final, this last remark was misheard by some as "fucking Greek", a slight on Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, where the Contest was being held. Thus, when the song was eventually performed in the semi-final, it was greeted with jeers from much of the audience.
In the event, the lyrics were changed to "The vote is in, I'll freaking win", however the official CD of the Contest entries had already been pressed with the original lyrics.
Commentary both before and after Sylvía's performance stressed the fact that she was a television character, rather than a real person. Her entire appearance, therefore, was in fact something of a joke at the expense of the Contest - something Silvía herself picked up on when arguing at a press conference that people intending to enter the Contest as a joke should not do so.
As Iceland had not qualified for the final at the 2005 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2005
The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the 50th Eurovision Song Contest, which was held at the Palace of Sports, Kiev, Ukraine. The winner was Greece's My Number One, written by Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou and performed by Swedish-born Greek singer Elena Paparizou, who scored 230 points,...
, the song was performed in the semi-final. Here, it was performed twenty-third (following Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
's Hari Mata Hari
Hari Mata Hari
Hari Mata Hari is a popular music band from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hari Mata Hari is the stage name for the singer Hajrudin "Hari" Varešanović. The group originated from the city of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The group has performed over 1,000 concerts and sold 5,000,000...
with Lejla
Lejla
"Lejla" was the Bosnian and Herzegovinian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, performed in the country's native language by Hari Mata Hari...
). At the close of voting, it had received 62 points, placing 13th in a field of 23 - failing to qualify for the final and thus ensuring that Iceland's next Contest appearance would be in the semi-final.
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Icelandic Singles Chart Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... |
1 |