Heaven (Eurovision song)
Encyclopedia
Heaven was the Iceland
ic entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
, performed in English
by Jónsi
.
Composed by Sveinn Rúnar Sigurðsson
and written by Magnús Thor Sigmundsson, the song is a dramatic ballad. Unusually, the lyrics do not contain the title anywhere within them.
The lyrics themselves are somewhat elliptical, with Jónsi singing that he misses his lover and wants her to return to him. Exactly who has left whom and why is open to some interpretation, as he sings both "And when you set sail, fair winds all the way/So farewell, that's all I can say" and "This journey I must take alone". The theme of colour is also present in the lyrics, with Jónsi pleading with his lover to "blend with my blue, the colours of you" and telling her that "I still miss you and it makes me feel blue/And I'm lost without those colours of you".
In contrast to the elaborate dance routines of the modern Contest, the song was performed on an empty stage by Jónsi himself wearing a white jacket and dark shirt. Australia
n commentator Des Mangan referred to the singer as wearing "the fourth white suit of the evening". Mangan had also, during the preview shows leading up to the Contest, referred to Jónsi in a broad Australian accent as "Jonesy" (he claimed during commentary that he had told the singer that this would be his name if he were Australian). Thus, after the performance was finished, Mangan continued this reference with the line "Jonesy you legend".
As Iceland had finished the 2003
Contest in the top ten, the song was pre-qualified for the final. Here, it was performed seventeenth (following Greece
's Sakis Rouvas
with Shake It
and preceding Ireland
's Chris Doran
with If My World Stopped Turning
). At the close of voting, it had received 16 points, placing 19th in a field of 24 - thus forcing Iceland to qualify from the semi-final at their next Contest appearance.
It was succeeded as Icelandic representative
at the 2005 Contest
by Selma
with If I Had Your Love
.
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 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 Jónsi
Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson
Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson or Jónsi is an Icelandic singer and member of the band Í Svörtum Fötum . He participated on behalf of Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 and finished 19th...
.
Composed by Sveinn Rúnar Sigurðsson
Sveinn Rúnar Sigurðsson
Sveinn Rúnar Sigurðsson studied the piano under Ferenc Utassy, Jon Sigurdsson and Pavel Manazek. Since the age of 16 he has composed music in styles ranging from modern classics to pop...
and written by Magnús Thor Sigmundsson, the song is a dramatic ballad. Unusually, the lyrics do not contain the title anywhere within them.
The lyrics themselves are somewhat elliptical, with Jónsi singing that he misses his lover and wants her to return to him. Exactly who has left whom and why is open to some interpretation, as he sings both "And when you set sail, fair winds all the way/So farewell, that's all I can say" and "This journey I must take alone". The theme of colour is also present in the lyrics, with Jónsi pleading with his lover to "blend with my blue, the colours of you" and telling her that "I still miss you and it makes me feel blue/And I'm lost without those colours of you".
In contrast to the elaborate dance routines of the modern Contest, the song was performed on an empty stage by Jónsi himself wearing a white jacket and dark shirt. Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n commentator Des Mangan referred to the singer as wearing "the fourth white suit of the evening". Mangan had also, during the preview shows leading up to the Contest, referred to Jónsi in a broad Australian accent as "Jonesy" (he claimed during commentary that he had told the singer that this would be his name if he were Australian). Thus, after the performance was finished, Mangan continued this reference with the line "Jonesy you legend".
As Iceland had finished the 2003
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...
Contest in the top ten, the song was pre-qualified for the final. Here, it was performed seventeenth (following Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
's Sakis Rouvas
Sakis Rouvas
Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas II , often referred to mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek musician, television and film artist, businessman, and former pole vaulter who is one of the most successful and influential entertainers of all time in Greece and Cyprus...
with Shake It
Shake It (Sakis Rouvas song)
"Shake It" is an English language song by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas and was the Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. The song is an up-tempo number, with Rouvas telling his lover that "I would trade my life for a night with you" and asking the lover to "shake it" for him...
and preceding Ireland
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,...
's Chris Doran
Chris Doran
Christopher Doran, from Waterford, Ireland was the winner of Ireland's You're A Star 2003-2004 talent search competition to find Ireland's Eurovision Song Contest entry. The competition held auditions throughout Ireland, and the winners went through to the final stages, with one act eventually...
with If My World Stopped Turning
If My World Stopped Turning
"If My World Stopped Turning" was the Irish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, performed in English by Chris Doran, who had an unusual previous career, being a former national kick boxing champion....
). At the close of voting, it had received 16 points, placing 19th in a field of 24 - thus forcing Iceland to qualify from the semi-final at their next Contest appearance.
It was succeeded as Icelandic representative
Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest
Iceland has entered the Eurovision Song Contest 24 times since their debut in 1986. Iceland did not enter in 1998 and 2002 when prevented due to finishing outside qualification places the preceding years....
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 Selma
Selma Björnsdóttir
Selma Björnsdóttir , also known as simply Selma, is an Icelandic singer born in Reykjavík, best known internationally for representing her country in the Eurovision Song Contest....
with If I Had Your Love
If I Had Your Love
"If I Had Your Love" was the Icelandic entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, performed in English by Selma.The song is an up-tempo dance number, with Selma singing about what she would do "If I had your love". She claims that it would inspire her above all other things...
.