That's What Friends Are For was the Irish

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1975

Eurovision Song Contest 1975

The Eurovision Song Contest 1975 was the 20th edition of the contest hosted by SR and held in Stockholm, Sweden. The arena for the event was the newly built Stockholm International Fairs in Älvsjö in southern Stockholm. ABBA's victory in Brighton the previous year gave Sweden the right to host the...

, 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 The Swarbriggs

The Swarbriggs

Thomas Sheridan and John James Swarbrigg are Irish music promoters and former pop musicians. As The Swarbriggs they represented Ireland at the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest with That's What Friends Are For. As The Swarbriggs Plus Two, with Nicola Kerr and Alma Carroll, they competed again in 1977...

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The song is an mid-tempo number, with the singers calling on their listeners to help each other in times of need, because "That's what friends are for". The call is made to everyone in the world, rather than just those who know the needy person at the time.

The performance is notable for the fact that the singers wore identical electric blue suits, taking full advantage of the increasing trend towards bright and eye-catching costumes.
The song was performed second on the night (following 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...

' Teach-In

Teach-In

Teach-In was a Dutch band, best known for winning Eurovision Song Contest 1975 with the song Ding-A-Dong. The band was founded in 1969 and parted in 1980. Throughout this time there were several changes in lineup.-History:...

 with "Ding-A-Dong

Ding-A-Dong

Ding-A-Dong was the title of the winning song in the Eurovision Song Contest 1975...

" and preceding France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

's Nicole Rieu

Nicole Rieu

Nicole Rieu is a French singer, best known outside France for her participation in the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest....

 with "Et bonjour à toi l'artiste

Et Bonjour À Toi L'Artiste

"Et bonjour à toi l'artiste" was the French entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1975, performed in French by Nicole Rieu....

"). At the close of voting, it had received 68 points, placing 9th in a field of 19.

It was succeeded as Irish representative

Republic of Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest

Ireland first participated in the Eurovision Song Contest at the 1965 Contest in Naples, participating in every subsequent Contest but two: the 1983 Contest in Munich and the 2002 Contest in Tallinn...

 at the 1976 Contest

Eurovision Song Contest 1976

The Eurovision Song Contest 1976, the 21st in the series, was held in The Hague, Netherlands, on 3 April 1976. With Corry Brokken as the presenter – the first time a previous winner of the contest had played hostess – the contest was won by Brotherhood of Man, representing the United...

 by Red Hurley

Red Hurley

Brian 'Red' Hurley is an entertainer from Ireland whose singing career has spanned several decades. He is principally known as a solo artist, although he does perform with various bands, the members of which are prone to change.-Personal life:...

 with When

When (Eurovision song)

"When" was the Irish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1976, performed in English by Red Vincent Hurley.The song is a ballad, with Hurley singing about the manner in which "my thoughts run on to you" at various times during the day. It is later revealed, however, that the lover he sings about is...

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The song and the accompanying music video were parodied in the Father Ted

Father Ted

Father Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...

episode Song for Europe

Song for Europe (Father Ted)

"A Song For Europe" was the 5th episode of the second season of the Channel 4 television sitcom Father Ted.- Synopsis :Dougal has "Eurosong fever", months ahead of the competition. After initially rejecting Dougal's suggestion that they write a song to represent Ireland in the competition, Ted...

with the song My Lovely Horse

My Lovely Horse

My Lovely Horse is a song featured in the hit comedy series Father Ted. It was written by Graham Linehan, Arthur Mathews and Neil Hannon , and appeared in the episode "A Song for Europe", in which Ted and Dougal sing it for Ireland at "A Song For Ireland" , a contest to determine who will represent...

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