On Again...Off Again
Encyclopedia
"On Again... Off Again" was the Maltese
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
, performed in English
by Julie
& Ludwig
.
Composed by Philip Vella
and with lyrics by Gerard James Borg
, the song is a combination of dance music
and opera
, the only time that such a combination has been featured at the Contest. Julie begins by describing herself as "a girl of serious intention" and telling Ludwig that "I need some attention" over a dance beat. Ludwig's response, in which he describes her as "everything and nothing in one" (eliciting Julie's question "What do you mean?") is delivered in an operatic tenor
style. He goes on to wonder what the pair have in common anymore.
The second verse takes much the same form, with Julie pledging her love for Ludwig, who describes her as "the air, you're the love that I breathe" and "the magic that flows from within".
The duo sings the chorus in unison, describing their love as being "Like the rhythm of rain" and needing to "find an end to this game" of their mutual attraction. They describe the "wonderful times/Many natural highs" which they have experienced.
At the climax of the song, Ludwig sings (in operatic style) a bridge begging Julie to "come across" the "river between us" in the name of love. The chorus is sung again, this time slower and in an operatic style by Ludwig with Julie performing vocal embellishments to the lyric. The duo then join in unison for the final chorus, which returns to the dance beat and varies the opening line to "Off again, on again", implying that they have resolved their differences.
The song was autobiographical, as Julie and Ludwig were a couple in real life, whose relationship had been on and off. For their Eurovision appearance, Ludwig appeared dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, whilst Julie wore a striking pale pink gown.
As Malta had not ended the 2003 contest
in the top 11 (Spain
as a "Big Four" member having placed in the top 10), the song was performed in the semi-final. Here, it was performed eighth, following Portugal
's Sofia Vitória
with "Foi magia
" and preceding Monaco
's Märyon
with "Notre planète
". At the close of voting, it had received 74 points, placing 8th in a field of 22 and qualifying Malta for the final.
In the final, it was performed sixth, following Serbia and Montenegro
's Željko Joksimović
& Ad Hoc Orchestra with "Lane moje" and preceding the Netherlands
' Re-Union
with "Without You". At the close of voting, it had received 50 points, placing 12th in a field of 24. Ordinarily, this would not have been enough to qualify for the next final, however both Spain and Germany
(as "Big Four" members) placed in the top 10, thus allowing the 11th and 12th-place finishers to qualify automatically.
It was succeeded as Maltese representative
at the 2005 Contest
by Chiara with "Angel
".
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
Eurovision Song Contest 2004
The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"...
, performed in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
by Julie
Julie Zahra
Julie Ann Zahra was born in Malta in 1982. She is a classically trained singer who has been actively involved in music from a very young age. Julie took part in many local and international festivals, TV drama, Music videos and theatre. She has also represented her country in the Eurovision Song...
& Ludwig
Ludwig Galea
Ludwig Galea performed in the Eurovision Song Contest in Istanbul, Turkey, in May 2004. As one half of the duo "Julie & Ludwig", he and his singing partner , Julie Zahra, managed to qualify to the final and came 12th out of 36 countries competing. Their song, "On Again.....
.
Composed by Philip Vella
Philip Vella
Philip Vella is one of the most successful composers in Malta. He has won the main national festivals of Malta several times such as the Song for Europe festival, International Festival of Maltese song as well as Ghanja tal-poplu festival...
and with lyrics by Gerard James Borg
Gerard James Borg
Gerard James Borg is one of Malta's most successful song writers and concept creators for the last decades. Borg has penned five of the Maltese entries for the annual Eurovision Song Contest with Philip Vella, besides several Eurovision national final entries....
, the song is a combination of dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
and opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, the only time that such a combination has been featured at the Contest. Julie begins by describing herself as "a girl of serious intention" and telling Ludwig that "I need some attention" over a dance beat. Ludwig's response, in which he describes her as "everything and nothing in one" (eliciting Julie's question "What do you mean?") is delivered in an operatic tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
style. He goes on to wonder what the pair have in common anymore.
The second verse takes much the same form, with Julie pledging her love for Ludwig, who describes her as "the air, you're the love that I breathe" and "the magic that flows from within".
The duo sings the chorus in unison, describing their love as being "Like the rhythm of rain" and needing to "find an end to this game" of their mutual attraction. They describe the "wonderful times/Many natural highs" which they have experienced.
At the climax of the song, Ludwig sings (in operatic style) a bridge begging Julie to "come across" the "river between us" in the name of love. The chorus is sung again, this time slower and in an operatic style by Ludwig with Julie performing vocal embellishments to the lyric. The duo then join in unison for the final chorus, which returns to the dance beat and varies the opening line to "Off again, on again", implying that they have resolved their differences.
The song was autobiographical, as Julie and Ludwig were a couple in real life, whose relationship had been on and off. For their Eurovision appearance, Ludwig appeared dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, whilst Julie wore a striking pale pink gown.
As Malta had not ended the 2003 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2003
The Eurovision Song Contest 2003 was the forty-eighth Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Skonto Hall in Riga, Latvia on 24 May 2003. The hosts were Marie N and Renārs Kaupers. Sertab Erener, the Turkish entrant, won the contest with "Everyway That I Can", scoring 167 points. The winning...
in the top 11 (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...
as a "Big Four" member having placed in the top 10), the song was performed in the semi-final. Here, it was performed eighth, following Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
's Sofia Vitória
Sofia Vitória
Sofia Vitória is a Portuguese singer, best known for her participation in the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest....
with "Foi magia
Foi Magia
"Foi magia" was the Portuguese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, performed in Portuguese by Sofia Vitória.The song is an up-tempo number, with Vitória singing about how she felt when she first saw her lover, a feeling she describes as "magic" and otherwise impossible to explain.As...
" and preceding Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
's Märyon
Maryon
Maryon Gargiulo is a singer, better known as Maryon, who represented Monaco in the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "Notre Planète" .- Career :...
with "Notre planète
Notre Planète
"Notre planète" was the Monegasque entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, performed in French by French singer Maryon. The song marked Monaco's return to the Contest, after a twenty-five year long absence....
". At the close of voting, it had received 74 points, placing 8th in a field of 22 and qualifying Malta for the final.
In the final, it was performed sixth, following Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
's Željko Joksimović
Željko Joksimovic
Željko Joksimović or often credited Zeljko Joksimovic is a popular Serbian singer, songwriter and producer. He is also well known in Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Germany, Austria and other European countries...
& Ad Hoc Orchestra with "Lane moje" and preceding the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
' Re-Union
Re-Union
Re-Union were a short-lived Dutch musical duo, set up in late 2003 in order to take part in the Dutch Eurovision Song Contest selection in 2004. The duo were Paul de Corte and Fabrizio Pennisi ....
with "Without You". At the close of voting, it had received 50 points, placing 12th in a field of 24. Ordinarily, this would not have been enough to qualify for the next final, however both Spain and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(as "Big Four" members) placed in the top 10, thus allowing the 11th and 12th-place finishers to qualify automatically.
It was succeeded as Maltese representative
Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest
Malta has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1971. At first the island state sent songs in its native language, Maltese, but it failed to rank highly, and withdrew after the 1975 contest. Since its return in 1991, however, it has achieved eight top ten placings in a row, including...
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,...
by Chiara with "Angel
Angel (Chiara song)
"Angel" was the Maltese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, performed in English by Chiara.In contrast to the up-tempo styles dominating the Contest, the song is a solo love ballad. Chiara sings to her lover that, no matter what, she will be "your angel"...
".