Eurovision Song Contest 1994 - Dublin
Entry for Portugal
Performer: Sara Tavares
Song title: Chamar A Música
Song writer(s): Rosa Lobato Faria
Song composer(s): João Carlos Mota Oliveira
Sang in Position: 8
Final Position: 8
Total Points: 73
For the second consecutive time, Ireland hosted the Eurovision Song Contest, this time in its capital Dublin. Due to the fact that so many countries wished to participate in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, the European Broadcasting Union decided to adopt a relegation system. For the 1994 contest, it would mean that the seven countries that finished at the bottom of the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest were relegated and couldn't participate in the 1994 edition of the show. Instead, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia made their debut. However, Italy and Luxembourg withdrew voluntarily, so only the bottom five countries of the 1993 contest in Millstreet - Turkey, Slovenia, Israel, Denmark and Belgium - were relegated. That meant that the total amount of participating countries was 25, just as in the preceding year.
Poland's debut at the Eurovision Song Contest was very successful when their representative Edyta Gorniak came in second with 166 points. However, the Polish song was almost disqualified as Edyta sang her song To Nie Ja! half in English in one of the dress rehearsal which violated the rule that every entry had to be sung in the native language. Nevertheless, even the talented Gorniak wasn't even near to this year's winner, which once again, was Ireland.
About the winner
Never before in the history of the song contest, a country had won three times in a row. The Irish entrants Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan sang Rock 'n Roll Kids, which in the end was 60 points ahead of the runner-up and was the highest score ever at a Eurovision Song Contest to date. This overwhelming victory for Ireland would not be the last in this century, as just two years later in 1996, Ireland would win again.
Facts & figures
The biggest commercial success of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest was none of the songs though, but the interval act Riverdance. The Irish dance sensation went on to be a world famous stage show, which would be seen by millions of people all around the world.
Tavares died in 2023, after a 14-year battle with cancer.
One Love
Sara Tavares Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quero dizer tambêm em português ti amo, eu te preciso
E nâo há nada que levar a mal, ke má nôs é tude igual
I know you can understand me,
eu gosto muito, muito, muito de ti
you know i love, i love you, i love you, i really love you, i love you
you know i need you, i can't live without you
nâo há ninguém como tu
ka tem ninguém sima bô, ka tem ninguém sima bô,
ka tem ninguém sima bô, ka tem ninguém sima bô
Alô bonjour comon ça va, mana Sara, do lado de lá
Mi ta bom e bô mané bô tá, Sara mana? do lado de cá
Maybe together you and me, mi ku bô, bô ku mi....
i know you can understand me, maybe juntos together, forever happy
you know i love you, i love you, i love you, i really love you, i love you
you know i need you, i can't live without you
nâo há ninguém como to,
ka tem ninguém sima bô, ka tem ninguém sima bô,
ka tem ninguém sima bô, ka tem ninguém sima bô
um só povo, um so coraçâo, one love,
um só povo, um so coraçâo, one love,
branco, ku preto, vermelho, ku amarelo ka tem diferença nâo,
ama na fé, ama bué, amor grande no coraçâo
branco, ku preto, vermelho, ku amarelo ka tem diferença nâo
ama na fé, ama bué, amor grande no coraçâo.
um só povo, um so coraçâo, one love,
um só povo, um so coraçâo, one love
The lyrics of Sara Tavares's song One Love express love, unity, and understanding between people of different races and cultures. The opening verse suggests that the singer wants to express their feelings of love and need in both English and Portuguese, and they believe that there's nothing wrong with that because we're all equal. The repetition of "you know I love you" and "you know I need you" emphasizes the importance of these feelings and how they transcend language barriers. The next verse introduces a conversation between two people, likely in another language, but the message is clear: they are both doing well and are interested in each other's well-being. The last verse reiterates the theme of unity by stating that there is no difference between black, white, red, or yellow people, and that love and faith bring people together as one.
One interesting fact about the song One Love is that it was released as a single in 2007, ten years after Sara Tavares's debut album. Another fact is that the music video features the singer and several other musicians performing the song in a lively street party in Lisbon. The song's lyrics are in Cape Verdean Creole, which is a mix of Portuguese, African languages, and some words borrowed from other Creole languages. The song's title is also a reference to Bob Marley's famous song "One Love," which similarly advocates for unity and love among people. Additionally, the song was featured in the video game FIFA 08, exposing it to a wider audience worldwide.
Line by Line Meaning
Si ma ech ta dzê na englês i love you, i need you
If I say in English 'I love you, I need you'
Quero dizer tambêm em português ti amo, eu te preciso
I also want to say in Portuguese 'ti amo, eu te preciso'
E nâo há nada que levar a mal, ke má nôs é tude igual
And there is nothing to take offense in, because we are all equal
I know you can understand me,
I believe you can comprehend me,
eu gosto muito, muito, muito de ti
I like you very, very, very much
you know i love, i love you, i love you, i really love you, i love you
You already know that I love you, truly love you
you know i need you, i can't live without you
You know I depend on you, I cannot survive without you
nâo há ninguém como tu
There is nobody else like you
ka tem ninguém sima bô, ka tem ninguém sima bô, ka tem ninguém sima bô, ka tem ninguém sima bô
There is no one else like you, no one else like you, no one else like you, no one else like you
Alô bonjour comon ça va, mana Sara, do lado de lá
Hello, bonjour, how are you, sister Sara, on the other side
Mi ta bom e bô mané bô tá, Sara mana? do lado de cá
I am doing well, and how are you my friend? Sara, on this side
Maybe together you and me, mi ku bô, bô ku mi....
Perhaps together you and me, me with you, you with me...
i know you can understand me, maybe juntos together, forever happy
I believe you can comprehend me, and perhaps together, we will always be happy
nâo há ninguém como to, ka tem ninguém sima bô, ka tem ninguém sima bô, ka tem ninguém sima bô, ka tem ninguém sima bô
There is no one else like you, no one else like you, no one else like you, no one else like you
um só povo, um so coraçâo, one love,
One people, one heart, one love
branco, ku preto, vermelho, ku amarelo ka tem diferença nâo,
White, black, red, and yellow, there is no difference
ama na fé, ama bué, amor grande no coraçâo
Love in faith, love a lot, a great love in the heart
um só povo, um so coraçâo, one love,
One people, one heart, one love
Contributed by Daniel F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.