Within the first week after the release of You And Me, on March 2nd 2012, the single got in on place #1 of the Dutch Single Top 100.
Story
On 26 February 2012, Joan Franka performed "You and Me" at the Nationaal Songfestival, dressed as an Native American chief with an attire of feathers. The background for her suit comes from the origin of the text of her song. That is about an innocent young love of herself when she was five years old and playing 'Indians' with her little boyfriend. The head dress was designed by Nicoline van Marle. In her performance she sings and plays the guitar, and is being flanked by four female dancers with tambourines, a drum and a small string instrument, probably a small ukulele accompanied with music from a banjo.
Credits and personnel:
Lead vocals – Joan Franka
Producers – Joan Franka, Jessica Hoogenboom
Lyrics – Joan Franka, Jessica Hoogenboom
You And Me
Joan Franka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We were dancing in the street
And you looked just like an angel
You looked up and saw the sky
Saw the birds and wondered why
They could fly away so high
In the morning I would wake
To play in your backyard
In the evening I would go
Telling you I love you so
And I couldn't wait to see you again
It's you and me and everybody out there
And I can see that everybody knows
About you and me, but I don't really care for it
I can see that everybody knows about us
We grew up knowing love
Thanking God up above
That we could be together forever
We would never say goodbye
Cause we promised, you and I
But our love couldn't handle time
And I see you walking by my house
And wonder why we don't play around no more
Such a shame we have no time
They were wrong and we were right
I still love you and in my mind
It's you and me and everybody out there
And I can see that everybody knows
About you and me, but I don't really care for it
I can see that everybody knows about us
So I'm lying in bed thinking 'bout the old days
Thinking 'bout it all and how it ends sometimes
Was it wrong or right or was I good enough?
It's you and me and everybody out there
And I can see that everybody knows
About you and me and everybody out there
And I can see that everybody knows
About you and me, but I don't really care for it
I can see that everybody knows about us
In the song "You and Me," Joan Franka takes us on a trip down memory lane, back to the days of childhood innocence when things were simpler, and love was pure. It is a nostalgic reflection on the past, the present and the future, all woven together through the perspective of a young girl and a boy who were in love. The opening stanza sets the scene for the song as Joan reminisces about the time when she was five and the boy was three, and they danced together in the street, their innocence shining through. The use of the phrase "looked just like an angel" portrays the innocence of both the characters and their pure love for one another.
As the song progresses, it highlights the power of their love and the bond that existed between them. The phrase "We grew up knowing love, thanking God up above" depicts how their love grew and blossomed over the years. They promised each other never to say goodbye and believed that they would be together forever. However, time passes, and things change, and their love is put to the test. As they grow older, their paths diverge, and they can no longer be together, and the line "But our love couldn't handle time" suggests that time was perhaps not on their side.
Despite their separation, they both still carry a deep affection for each other. The last stanza of the song reveals that the pair has gone their separate ways but still remembers the love they shared. The phrase "I still love you, and in my mind" suggests that their love still lives on, even though their paths have gone in different directions.
Overall, Joan Franka's "You and Me" is a poignant reminder of the purity of love and how it can endure over time, even when circumstances change.
Line by Line Meaning
I was five, you were three
At a very young age, I met you and we became friends
We were dancing in the street
We were carefree and happy, enjoying the moment together
And you looked just like an angel
At that moment, you were the most beautiful and innocent thing I had ever seen
You looked up and saw the sky
You were curious about the world, and wondering why things worked the way they did
Saw the birds and wondered why
You were fascinated by the natural world around you
They could fly away so high
You recognized the freedom and possibility in the world around you
In the morning I would wake
As a child, I would eagerly wake up, anticipating spending time with you
And my heart just couldn't wait
I was filled with excitement and happiness, looking forward to the day ahead with you
To play in your backyard
I loved spending time with you, doing simple things like playing together in your backyard
In the evening I would go
Even when we had to part ways, I couldn't wait to see you again
Telling you I love you so
I would express my love and appreciation for you, as a true friend
And I couldn't wait to see you again
I cherished every moment spent with you, and couldn't wait for our next adventure
It's you and me and everybody out there
Our friendship was special, but ultimately we knew others would notice and talk about us
And I can see that everybody knows
I knew people talked and gossiped about us, but it didn't matter because our connection was genuine
About you and me, but I don't really care for it
The opinions of others didn't impact the love and respect we had for each other
We grew up knowing love
As we aged, our love and friendship continued to flourish and grow
Thanking God up above
We recognized the blessing and beauty in having such a true friendship
That we could be together forever
We believed our bond was strong enough to last a lifetime
We would never say goodbye
We promised each other we would always be there for one another, no matter what
Cause we promised, you and I
Our friendship was built on trust and promises made to each other
But our love couldn't handle time
As we grew older, our lives and paths began to diverge, and our friendship started to fade away
And I see you walking by my house
Years later, I still think about you and wonder where life has taken you
And wonder why we don't play around no more
I miss the carefree days of our youth and the joy we brought to each other's lives
Such a shame we have no time
Life can be cruel and unfair, and sometimes friendships fade away despite our best efforts
They were wrong and we were right
Despite the opinions of others, we always knew the true value of our friendship
I still love you and in my mind
Your memory and the impact of our friendship will always hold a special place in my heart
So I'm lying in bed thinking 'bout the old days
I often find myself reminiscing about the simple joys and pleasures of our childhood together
Thinking 'bout it all and how it ends sometimes
Life is unpredictable and often pulls people apart, even when they love and care about each other deeply
Was it wrong or right or was I good enough?
I still question whether there was more I could have done to hold onto our friendship, or if it was simply meant to fade away
Contributed by Gabriella D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Janine Amsterdam
At a Dutch TV show ''better than ever'' today (as if 13th april 2023) she opened up about horrible things happened to her through this whole Eurovision adventure.
Her manager claimed her from the beginning they met (she was a soft girl who was afraid to say no etc). At one point she even was living in the house of her manager. She was claimed by the manager and did everything what that person wanted. Very unhealthy en psycho situation. The manager also said more than once that she is too fat. Quote in the Dutch National Final ''look at all those contestents, they look all so good en skinny, this is how it should be''. At the songcontest, she even didnt wanted to wear that hat with feathers, but she was forced, of course by her manager and the team behind it. She also was taken away from her family as much as possible by the manager while the whole Eurovision contest, while she was begging to see her family/mother more. 1 minute before her live performance in the semi-final the manager was saying to her (backstage): ''This is the moment we worked for, it's you and me''. That was the moment the opened her eyes and saw in which unhealthy/psycho ''relationship'' she was with her manager. And she thought: ''What am I doing here? I dont want to be here, this is not who i am''. Because this wake-up call happened literally seconds before her performance in the semi final she was singing bad, not in tune, etc.. After the show and the obvious not qualify she came back in the room where her manager also was, and the manager screamed: ''YOU RUINED EVERYTHING''. Later she was going to her hotel room, throwing up, feeling horrible and she even thought she would die at some point. She had a telephone (all the members of the team had it for emergency things that could happen) and she called on that phone, but nobody picked up, on purpose, because it was just after that semi final where she was eliminated. She never felt so alone at that point.
After the whole Eurovision thing, her manager was holding her at her contract, so she couldnt go away and wasn't allowed to music. The manager was doing this to punish her because of what happened at Eurovision and only said that she can buy herself free, but the amount of money needed was extreme high, and she couldn't afford it. After sometime, someone else was ''buying her free'' (sounds scary but at the same time so corresponding with this whole horrible story).
After that she had a very bad name, media en people called her a ''crow not singing in tune'' (its a Dutch saying for singing out of tune to the max). Because nobody was knowing the true story why this all happened. Her trust and future was ruined by this. She even became an alter-ego, and used another name because she was scared people will recognize her as ''Joan Franka from Eurovision''.
At this TV show where she finally opened up and said the truth, she was singing as herself for the first time since long''. She is completely ruined by soms toxic people of the industry, and a part of her life is ruined because if it. She was living with this secret for so long.. poor girl. Meanwhile everybody had a bad opionion about her, because they didnt know the truth.
In the end, it was almost like a ''smart played'' hostage of her while she didnt saw that because of her soft and going with the flow character if you ask me. Evil and criminal of the people (manager) who did this.
Spread the word, and give Joan Franka the Justice she deserves
Türklerin Ortak Tarihi
This was such a cute and adorable song and performance! The Azerbaijanis in the Crystal hall seemed to love this song, they all vibed to it🥰
Telemóveis
The countries may not have voted for you, but you had my full support! <3 <3
Janine Amsterdam
At a Dutch TV show ''better than ever'' today (as if 13th april 2023) she opened up about horrible things happened to her through this whole Eurovision adventure.
Her manager claimed her from the beginning they met (she was a soft girl who was afraid to say no etc). At one point she even was living in the house of her manager. She was claimed by the manager and did everything what that person wanted. Very unhealthy en psycho situation. The manager also said more than once that she is too fat. Quote in the Dutch National Final ''look at all those contestents, they look all so good en skinny, this is how it should be''. At the songcontest, she even didnt wanted to wear that hat with feathers, but she was forced, of course by her manager and the team behind it. She also was taken away from her family as much as possible by the manager while the whole Eurovision contest, while she was begging to see her family/mother more. 1 minute before her live performance in the semi-final the manager was saying to her (backstage): ''This is the moment we worked for, it's you and me''. That was the moment the opened her eyes and saw in which unhealthy/psycho ''relationship'' she was with her manager. And she thought: ''What am I doing here? I dont want to be here, this is not who i am''. Because this wake-up call happened literally seconds before her performance in the semi final she was singing bad, not in tune, etc.. After the show and the obvious not qualify she came back in the room where her manager also was, and the manager screamed: ''YOU RUINED EVERYTHING''. Later she was going to her hotel room, throwing up, feeling horrible and she even thought she would die at some point. She had a telephone (all the members of the team had it for emergency things that could happen) and she called on that phone, but nobody picked up, on purpose, because it was just after that semi final where she was eliminated. She never felt so alone at that point.
After the whole Eurovision thing, her manager was holding her at her contract, so she couldnt go away and wasn't allowed to music. The manager was doing this to punish her because of what happened at Eurovision and only said that she can buy herself free, but the amount of money needed was extreme high, and she couldn't afford it. After sometime, someone else was ''buying her free'' (sounds scary but at the same time so corresponding with this whole horrible story).
After that she had a very bad name, media en people called her a ''crow not singing in tune'' (its a Dutch saying for singing out of tune to the max). Because nobody was knowing the true story why this all happened. Her trust and future was ruined by this. She even became an alter-ego, and used another name because she was scared people will recognize her as ''Joan Franka from Eurovision''.
At this TV show where she finally opened up and said the truth, she was singing as herself for the first time since long''. She is completely ruined by soms toxic people of the industry, and a part of her life is ruined because if it. She was living with this secret for so long.. poor girl. Meanwhile everybody had a bad opionion about her, because they didnt know the truth.
In the end, it was almost like a ''smart played'' hostage of her while she didnt saw that because of her soft and going with the flow character if you ask me. Evil and criminal of the people (manager) who did this.
Spread the word, and give Joan Franka the Justice she deserves
Arnau Morales
Great song!!!! 12 points from Spain!!!!!
Tessa Böhmer
So sad to hear what happend to her, nothing including the clothes was her choice so if you are offended by that blaim the management she was stuck with who treated her horrible.
Fabi14lol
Joan, you're way better than most of the contestants in this year's contest. Stay true to yourself and be proud of what you did, because you were amazing tonight!
Eta Carinea
I was obsessed with this song and this performance when i was 11. i sang it all summer after eurovision and i even made a cover of it. i miss that times.
raf66x
Absolutely wonderful song , cheerful , spontaneous , really deserves a high ranking in the final ! Who in addition to Joan got a big applause from the audience ? Probably only Sweden . I do not know on what basis ''professional'' jury rated it so low , while the Maltese song pretty shoddy and chaotic Georgian song was highly. Well , it only confirms the assumption that the people who sit on the jury have nothing to do with music . I personally think it's one of better songs of this contest .
Ted Olof Kristian Sörensen
I totally agree with you that the Netherlands should be in the Final. But I do think it's unfair to say that Albania doesn't deserve. Anyone who really know things about music and sining in general, knows that what she is doing is absolutly stunning and amazing. The woman from Albania is without question the best vocalist in the competition.
ruhemici
Such an amazing performance