Rock 'n' Roll Kids
Encyclopedia
"Rock 'n' Roll Kids" was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1994
, composed by Brendan Graham
and performed for Ireland
by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan
. The song was Ireland's sixth overall victory, and represented an unprecedented third consecutive time that the same country had won the Contest.
There is a belief among many Eurovision fans that the song was deliberately chosen not to win, as it was performed by a male duo (no male duos had ever won before) and in a very static manner. The pair were also much older than any other winners had been. As the Contest rules require the previous year's winner to host the next edition of the Contest, the argument runs that the Irish broadcaster was not prepared to do this, hence the selection.
The song, however, achieved the victory and is generally considered one of the Contest's better entries - being performed in part by McGettigan and Jakob Sveistrup
at the Congratulations
special in late 2005. It was the first winning song ever to be performed without orchestral accompaniment, as McGettigan's guitar and Harrington's piano were the only instruments needed. It was also the first time in the contest when a song scored over 200 points.
Lyrically, the song is a lament for the singers' lost youths. They remember growing up and listening to the popular music of the time (Jerry Lee Lewis
and Elvis Presley
) and generally being trendy. The song then moves forwards to the present, where both men are "too busy running to a different beat" to even stay in close contact with each other - while their children "don't wanna be around us no more".
The song was performed third on the night, following Finland
's CatCat
with "Bye Bye Baby" and preceding Cyprus
' Evridiki
with "Ime Anthropos Ki Ego
". At the close of voting, it had received 226 points, placing 1st in a field of 25.
The song was succeeded as winner in 1995 by the Irish-Norwegian duo Secret Garden
representing Norway
with "Nocturne". It was succeeded as Irish representative at the 1995 Contest
by Eddie Friel
with "Dreamin'".
Eurovision Song Contest 1994
The Eurovision Song Contest 1994 was the 39th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 30 April 1994 in the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The presenters were Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Gerry Ryan. The pair hosted the evening in French, English and Irish...
, composed by Brendan Graham
Brendan Graham
Brendan Graham is an Irish novelist and composer. He has published three novels, The Whitest Flower , an Irish no. 2 best seller, The Element of Fire and The Brightest Day, The Darkest Night .He also wrote the lyrics for Rolf Løvland's "You Raise Me Up"...
and performed for Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan
Charlie McGettigan
Charles McGettigan is an Irish singer born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal on 7th December 1950, but he lives today in Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim....
. The song was Ireland's sixth overall victory, and represented an unprecedented third consecutive time that the same country had won the Contest.
There is a belief among many Eurovision fans that the song was deliberately chosen not to win, as it was performed by a male duo (no male duos had ever won before) and in a very static manner. The pair were also much older than any other winners had been. As the Contest rules require the previous year's winner to host the next edition of the Contest, the argument runs that the Irish broadcaster was not prepared to do this, hence the selection.
The song, however, achieved the victory and is generally considered one of the Contest's better entries - being performed in part by McGettigan and Jakob Sveistrup
Jakob Sveistrup
Jakob Sveistrup is a Danish singer. He entered the Danish music scene in 2003 as a competitor in the Danish televised talent contest Stjerne for en aften . He made it to the finals. Unusually, Sveistrup is not a professional singer — by day he teaches autistic children...
at the Congratulations
Congratulations (Eurovision)
Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest was a television programme organised by the European Broadcasting Union to commemorate the Eurovision Song Contest's fiftieth anniversary and to determine the Contest's most popular entrant of its fifty years. It took place at Forum,...
special in late 2005. It was the first winning song ever to be performed without orchestral accompaniment, as McGettigan's guitar and Harrington's piano were the only instruments needed. It was also the first time in the contest when a song scored over 200 points.
Lyrically, the song is a lament for the singers' lost youths. They remember growing up and listening to the popular music of the time (Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
) and generally being trendy. The song then moves forwards to the present, where both men are "too busy running to a different beat" to even stay in close contact with each other - while their children "don't wanna be around us no more".
The song was performed third on the night, following Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
's CatCat
CatCat
CatCat is a Finnish duo that participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994 with the song "Bye Bye Baby". They reached 22nd place with 11 points...
with "Bye Bye Baby" and preceding Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
' Evridiki
Evridiki
Evridiki Theokleous , known professionally as simply Evridiki, is a Cypriot rock, pop, and electro pop singer. She is best known in Europe for representing her home country, Cyprus, in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1992, 1994 and 2007 with the songs Teriazoume, Eimai Anthropos Ki Ego and Comme...
with "Ime Anthropos Ki Ego
Ime Anthropos Ki Ego
"Eimai Anthropos Ki Ego" was the Cypriot entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, performed in Greek by Evridiki...
". At the close of voting, it had received 226 points, placing 1st in a field of 25.
The song was succeeded as winner in 1995 by the Irish-Norwegian duo Secret Garden
Secret Garden (duo)
Secret Garden is an award-winning Irish-Norwegian duo playing New Instrumental Music, also sometimes erroneously known as Neo-classical music.Secret Garden features the Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry and the Norwegian composer/pianist Rolf Løvland...
representing Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
with "Nocturne". It was succeeded as Irish representative at the 1995 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1995
The Eurovision Song Contest 1995 was the 40th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 13 May 1995 in the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The presenter was Mary Kennedy. This contest broke the chain of victories that Ireland enjoyed in 1992, 1993, and 1994...
by Eddie Friel
Eddie Friel
Edward Friel was born in Belfast in 1965. He is a B. Mus. Honours graduate who in 1986 started his professional career as a music teacher. After two years he decided to pursue his talents as a musician and composer. He has gained great admiration throughout local piano bars at home as well as in...
with "Dreamin'".