In the past, Ireland was the front-runner of the Eurovision Song Contest, seven wins in total, including a three-year streak between 1992 and 1994. It seems that in the more recent years they have lost the inspiration and edge they once had. From 2003 to 2007 four out of the five entries were love songs that each attempted to portray a positive aspect of love. Love is a universal theme that reaches across borders, religions, languages and cultures, so it seems to be a safe bet to connect with such a wide audience across Europe. My goal is to see how well Ireland represents their citizens and their attitude on diversity.
A theme that is quite prominent in Irish entries is love and support. By this standard presented on stage, the Republic of Ireland seems to be a supportive community to all. However, minority communities in Ireland, such as the traveler community, seem to be under-represented on the Eurovision stage.
“We’ve Got the World Tonight” (2003) sung by Mickey Harte, became number one on the Irish charts, however, it placed 11 out of the 26 entries in the 2003 finals. The song is a tribute to a lover whom without, Harte’s world would stop turning. An image presented by the lyrics of a woman smiling at Harte under a moonlit sky sets the mood of the performance. The lyrics convey an infatuation with the woman by the use of hyperboles such as “and I know you're my every tomorrow, and I know that you'll always be there.” While it is a sweet melody and a pleasant idea this song gives little insight into Ireland’s attitude towards diversity. Mickey Harte along with the writers and composers Martin Brannigan and Keith Molloy are all ethnically Irish. There is little representation other than Irish on the stage.
Similarly, “If My World Stopped Turning” (2004) is a ballad following Ireland's Eurovision entry trend of “songs about love.” Chris Doran serenades the audience with an attractive face and slightly sharp vocals. The background is a full moon and blue raindrops. The visuals make it seem as if he is walking on a puddle of water. This image could play off of the theme of religion because God is mentioned in the chorus “and if God should take this all away.” This image similar to Jesus walking on water coupled with Doran’s white suit jacket and the halo of light coming from above gives the singer a divine characteristic. It adds an element of power that you couldn't get without it. This song has a sweet message about the effects of a positive relationship. The lyrics depict a seemingly perfect relationship with a man who has been changed for the better because of his love. However, if this relationship should end, he would “still stand tall” because he was given the experience and is thankful to have had that love. This song gives a glimpse of Ireland’s religious culture but continues to only have the ethnically Irish looking performer on stage.
The image of Ireland is again represented with two Irish singers in the duet “Love?” (2005). The lyrics follow a similar structure by starting off with “love can…” followed by an action or a feeling that love can give a person such as “love can build you up, love can tear you down.” Another common device in the lyrics are questions, for example, “do you need it?” and “can you handle everything love throws.” These devices pay homage to the title of the song “Love?” but it never seems to answer the question. That may be the purpose of the song, that we know what love can do and what it does to us but we may never figure out exactly what love is. Drawing on this common theme creates a sense of unity by singing about a feeling that everyone feels in different ways. This song shows that love can be experienced in many different ways but we can still relate to anyone about love no matter how different they may seem to us.
Brian Kennedy’s entry “Every Song is a Cry For Love” (2006) uses the theme of love to speak a little deeper of Ireland’s views on diversity. The production starts with a flash of green, orange and white and a close up on an acoustic guitar. The song has an empowering message to not “be afraid” and to “show what you are made of.” The purpose of the lyricist seems to be to portray a sense of support and community to the rest of the world by describing common feelings we might all have. The ending of the performance is powerful in the way it is filmed for all the fans at home watching on their televisions. For the final chorus, Kennedy is singing along with his backup singers and then to the camera as it flies around him and ends up-stage. The performance concludes with a spotlight from the back of the venue shining down on Kennedy as he sings to a full audience “sing it out, every song is a cry for love.” This final image gives a sense inclusion and acceptance to all as Brian Kennedy offers this advice to the rest of Europe. The way this song is presented could be to say that everyone deserves love and deserves to ask for love and receive love. The beginning lyrics “every voice can rise above” is inspiring to those who feel they are oppressed and do not have a voice. Same-sex marriage has been legal in the Republic of Ireland since November of 2015 (“Equaldex”) making this song a great vessel to talk to the LGBTQ community and show Ireland’s commitment to showing support for this community. Although this entry did not win, it did bring the Republic of Ireland back into the top ten with 93 points. The powerful message final dove deeper into the Republic of Ireland and showed the rest of the world their progressive views.
Song content can be an indication of a nation’s attitude towards diversity and so can the presenter of the song. Brian Kennedy is an Ireland native born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland and a first-hand witness of “the troubles” that haunted Ireland for thirty years. “The Troubles” was a period of violence and unrest in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland from 1968-1998. The main conflict stemmed from the uncertainty of the constitutional status of Northern Ireland ("BBC - History - The Troubles."). Although Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom, Kennedy is considered an Irish artist and competed in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006 with “Every Song is a Cry For Love.” The Republic of Ireland is showing their peaceful attitude towards a subject that was the source of so much pain and turmoil. During The Troubles, Ireland was split and civil war waged. This may be seen as a way to show support amongst all people on the island.
The last entry from Ireland to win was in 1996, the song “The Voice” was written and arranged by the Irish band Dervish and performed by Eimear Quinn ("Ireland in Eurovision Voting & Points."). Dervish attempted to make a come back in 2007, however, they fell short with the song “They Can’t Stop the Spring” (2007). The melody may not have been catchy enough for the Eurovision fans, however, the opening lyrics are quite powerful; “the curtain has been raised, the wall no longer stands, And from Lisadell to Latvia we’re singing as one clan.” This line delineates places across Europe, Lisadell on the west side of Ireland and Latvia bordering Russia. It depicts an image of unity across Europe while the song itself reflects the unique Irish culture with an Irish fiddle and a bodhran frame drum. The wall is a metaphor for the European Union opening up to more countries and the end to communist rule over Eastern Europe. This opening verse could just as well be illustrating times of relieved depression across Europe; “the curtain has been raised” could be referring to the iron curtain that divided Europe after World War II. Now Europe is freed of the separation and everyone is celebrating on the same stage of Eurovision. The lyric “You can crush the flowers, but you can’t stop the spring” is a quote from Alexander Dubcek. Dubcek grew up under the rule of Joseph Stalin and “became a product of the Soviet education system” ("Alexander Dubcek"). He became the first secretary of the Czech Communist party in 1968 during the Prague Spring where he sought to grant additional rights to the people of Czechoslovakia. Including this quote represents a time of liberation like the raising of the Iron curtain, both happening in the unsteady times after World War II. This song shows Irelands support for all countries across Europe.This entry seems to be the outlier because it goes a little deeper than the previous four entries. This song in particular calls on important moments in European History and effectively displays the unity of Europe as a whole rather than a cluster of countries.
Ireland has presented many interpretations of Love but one element of this topic that is always present is how universal it is. This on its own could be Ireland acknowledging the issue concerning diversity. To write a song about such a universal idea reiterates acceptance across all borders, boundaries, and cultures. The Republic of Ireland may lack originality but every now and then they create a song such as “They Can’t Stop the Spring” that portrays their national identity while showing their support to all countries of Europe. I have concluded that the Republic of Ireland may not show their diverse population on stage but they do show their support and commitment to the rest of the world.
Bibliography
"Ireland in Eurovision Voting & Points." Eurovisionworld. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2017. http://eurovisionworld.com/?eurovision=ireland
"Alexander Dubcek." History Learning Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2017. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/the-cold-war/alexander-dubcek/
"BBC - History - The Troubles." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2017. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/troubles
"Equaldex." LGBT Rights in Ireland. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2017. http://www.equaldex.com/region/ireland
Dervish. “They Can't Stop the Spring,” music and lyrics by John Waters and Tommy Moran. The Republic of Ireland, Eurovision Song Contest, 2007. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N40wpl5m0UM accessed 25 January 2016.
Brian Kennedy. “Every Song Is a Cry for Love,” music and lyrics by Brian Kennedy. The Republic of Ireland, Eurovision Song Contest, 2006. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BzFlczwSf8 accessed 25 January 2016.
Donna and Joe “Love?” music and lyrics by Karl Broderick. The Republic of Ireland, Eurovision Song Contest, 2005. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9CHcqe7xro accessed 25 January 2016.
Chris Doran “If My World Stopped Turning,” music by Bryan McFadden lyrics by Jonathan Shorten. The Republic of Ireland, Eurovision Song Contest, 2004. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpHuREDD798 accessed 25 January 2016.
Mikey Harte. “We’ve Got The World,” music and lyrics by Martin Brannigan, Keith Molloy. The Republic of Ireland, Eurovision Song Contest, 2003. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ9jfwOcmro accessed 25 January 2016.
