"Heute in Jerusalem" was the Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

n entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979

Eurovision Song Contest 1979

The Eurovision Song Contest 1979 was the 24th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 31 March 1979 in Jerusalem, Israel. The presenters were Daniel Pe'er and Yardena Arazi, and the event was staged at the International Convention Center. Representing Israel, Gali Atari and Milk and Honey were the...

, performed in German

German language

German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

 by jazz singer Christina Simon

Christina Simon

Christina Simon is an Austrian singer and composer.Simon was selected to represent Austria in Eurovision Song Contest 1979. She has performed in that contest the entry "Heute in Jerusalem ". This song had lyrics by André Heller and music by Peter Wolf...

.

The song was performed eighteenth on the night, following the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

's Black Lace

Black Lace (band)

Black Lace is a British Euro pop band, best known for novelty party records, including their biggest hit, "Agadoo". The band first came to the public eye after being selected to represent the UK in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, in which they finished seventh with the song "Mary Ann"...

 with "Mary Ann

Mary Ann (song)

"Mary Ann" was the British entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979, performed in English by Black Lace.The song is about a man who loves a woman called Mary Ann, but can't express his sentiment to her....

" and preceding Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

's Betty Missiego

Betty Missiego

Beatriz Teresa "Betty" Missiego Campos is a Peruvian singer, who now holds dual Spanish citizenship and lives in Spain....

 with "Su canción

Su canción

"Su canción" is a song that was Spain's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1979, held in Jerusalem, Israel. It was sung by the Peruvian singer Betty Missiego, who was chosen by the Spanish broadcaster, Televisión Española , as their representative in the Contest that year.-Internal...

". At the close of voting, it had received 5 points, placing 18th (equal last) in a field of 19.

The song, written by noted Austrian composer and producer Peter Wolf

Peter Wolf (producer)

Peter F. Wolf is a composer, producer, songwriter and arranger. He was awarded the highest honor for artists from his birth country of Austria, the Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst .- Early years :Wolf studied classical piano at Vienna’s Conservatory of Music...

, is a ballad with influences from contemporary jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 and blues

Blues

Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

, whose lyrics, by actor, singer and poet André Heller

André Heller

Franz André Heller is an Austrian artist, author, singer and actor.- Biography :Heller was born in Vienna into a wealthy Jewish family of sweets manufacturers . His almost daily visits to the Café Hawelka were in his opinion a key element in the development of his literary orientation...

, is about the hope of "peace in Jerusalem", bringing "sense against the nonsense". The Contest took place on 31 March 1979 in central Jerusalem, at the Binyanei HaUma Convention Center

International Convention Center (Jerusalem)

The International Convention Centre , commonly known as Binyenei HaUma , is a concert hall and conventional center in Giv'at Ram in Jerusalem, Israel. It is the largest convention center in the Middle East...

, just five days after the historic signing of the Egyptian–Israeli Peace Treaty, making Heller's lyrics - sung in German - all the more thought-provoking; "Get up, lay down the sleep/In this time of bitter fruits/Friend, be vigilant/To fight against the crying and tears/Look, from the cold high sky/Fall a hundred moons/As a sign for the new beginning./ Today in Jerusalem - finally in Jerusalem/Take breath and reflect..."

The song was succeeded as Austrian representative

Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest

Austria has appeared frequently at the Eurovision Song Contest. The country has won once, in 1966, with the song "Merci Chérie".In recent years, Austria's entries have tended towards the humorous, in contrast with the dance-pop achieving success. 2003 saw comedian and personality Alf Poier perform...

 in the 1980 contest

Eurovision Song Contest 1980

The Eurovision Song Contest 1980 was the 25th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 19 April 1980 in The Hague. The presenter was Marlous Fluitsma, although each song was introduced by a presenter from the nation represented...

 by Blue Danube

Blue Danube (band)

Blue Danube was an Austrian band that has represented their country in Eurovision Song Contest 1980. The group has sung the entry Du bist musik , which told us about famous musicians and types of musics. The band was the first to participate and ended in 8th place with 64 points...

, singing "Du bist Musik

Du Bist Musik

"Du bist Musik" was the Austrian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980, performed in German by Blue Danube.The song was performed first on the night, followed by Turkey's Ajda Pekkan with "Pet'r Oil"...

".