Performer: Lonnie Devantier
Song tit… Read Full Bio ↴Eurovision Song Contest 1990
Performer: Lonnie Devantier
Song title: Hallo Hallo
Song writer(s): Keld Heick
Song composer(s): John Hatting, Torben Lendager
Sang in Position: 11
Final Position: 8
Total Points: 64
The fall of the European communism and the German re-unification was the main issue of the songs of the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest in Zagreb.
The present Croatian capital of Zagreb was the choice of Yugoslavia's broadcaster JRT as host city for the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest. 22 countries participated in the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest, the same ones as in 1989. Many of the songs were about the political changes in Europe like the fall of the Iron Curtain and a united Europe. Norway's song Brandenburger Tor and Austria's Keine Mauern Mehr reflected the German re-unification topic.
The Spanish performance was plagued by technical problems. First the backing track failed to play, then it was started too early. The delegation's conductor completely lost control and the Spanish duo, Azúcar Moreno, left the stage. The second attempt was successful and the duo ended up in fifth place. The Belgian entrant, Philippe Lafontaine, reached the 12th place with his song Macédomienne. Afterwards, he refused to release the CD as the song was a love token for his Macedonian wife, however he did release it years later to help a refugee project in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Eurovision veteran, Serge Gainsbourg, wrote the French entry White And Black Blues performed by Joelle Ursull which was a spectacular multicultural song with lots of African drumming. It ended up sharing the second place with Ireland.
The well-known Italian singer Toto Cutugno won this year's song contest with the song Insieme: 1992 which was about a united Europe in anticipation of the completion of the European Single Market, due at the end of 1992. Both the French and the Italian songs went on to be big hits in Europe and were played all summer long. Even nowadays, both songs are regarded as Eurovision evergreens.
Hallo Hallo
Lonnie Devantier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Så jeg drøner ned ad trappen for at ringe til dig
Men ned' i boksen står der én med mønter fremme
Han ta'r flere op af lommen, mens han skuler til mig Så er der fri - jeg ringer op - og den er klar
Men det er kun din automat, der gi'r mig svar Jeg si'r: Hallo, hallo
Jeg ved godt, du er hjemme
Ka' du ikke ta' og ta' din telefon
Hallo, hallo
Men når båndet slutter, er der aldrig no'en Rådhusuret slår - og her står jeg nu og fryser
Jeg er træt af smarte fyre, der skal imponere
Jeg' godt forkølet - pudser næse - går og nyser
Og ka' næsten ikke styre temperamentet mere Jeg griber røret, men bli'r stadig holdt for nar
For det' din dumme automat, der gi'r mig svar Jeg si'r: Hallo, hallo
Jeg ved godt, du er hjemme
Ka' du ikke ta' og ta' din telefon
Hallo, hallo
Jeg lytter til din stemme
Men når båndet slutter, er der aldrig no'en Jeg fodrer boksen med den sidste mønt jeg har
Det er og bli'r din automat, der gi'r mig svar Jeg si'r: Hallo, hallo
Jeg ved godt, du er hjemme
Ka' du ikke ta' og ta' din telefon
Hallo, hallo
Jeg lytter til din stemme
Men når båndet slutter, er der aldrig no'en Jeg si'r: Hallo, hallo
Jeg vidste du var hjemme
Det var rart, at du ku' ta' din telefon
Hallo, hallo
Jeg lytter til din stemme
Selv om båndet slutter, er der stadig no'en Det var rart, at du ku' ta' din telefon
The song "Hallo Hallo" by Lonnie Devantier is about a man who is trying to reach his lover by phone but is repeatedly thwarted by her answering machine. He looks at his watch and assumes she is at home, so he rushes down the stairs to call her. However, he finds a man already at the phone booth with coins in hand, and he suspiciously eyes the singer as he pulls more coins from his pocket. Finally, the man leaves, and the singer gets through to his lover's answering machine. He speaks to her, asking her to pick up the phone, but she does not. The bells in the town square chime and he stands outside in the cold, frustrated by the answering machine that has thwarted him.
The singer is annoyed by the answering machine and annoyed by the man who was already in the phone booth. He's annoyed by the way people show off and try to impress each other, and now he's sick with a cold, which is making him even more irritable. The song ends with the singer feeding the last coin into the machine and leaving a message for his lover. Finally, she picks up the phone, and they have a conversation. Lonnie Devantier's "Hallo Hallo" is a catchy and nostalgic song about the frustrations that come with trying to communicate with someone who can't or won't pick up the phone.
Line by Line Meaning
Kigger på mit ur - nu' du ganske sikkert hjemme
Looking at my watch - you're probably at home now
Så jeg drøner ned ad trappen for at ringe til dig
So I rush down the stairs to call you
Men ned' i boksen står der én med mønter fremme
But down at the booth there's someone with coins out
Han ta'r flere op af lommen, mens han skuler til mig
He takes more out of his pocket while glaring at me
Så er der fri - jeg ringer op - og den er klar
Then it's free - I call up - and it's ready
Men det er kun din automat, der gi'r mig svar
But it's only your answering machine that answers me
Jeg si'r: Hallo, hallo
I say: Hello, hello
Jeg ved godt, du er hjemme
I know you're home
Ka' du ikke ta' og ta' din telefon
Can't you take and answer your phone
Jeg lytter til din stemme
I listen to your voice
Men når båndet slutter, er der aldrig no'en
But when the tape stops, there's never anyone
Rådhusuret slår - og her står jeg nu og fryser
The town hall clock strikes - and here I am now freezing
Jeg er træt af smarte fyre, der skal imponere
I'm tired of smart guys trying to impress
Jeg' godt forkølet - pudser næse - går og nyser
I'm quite cold - blowing my nose - walking and sneezing
Og ka' næsten ikke styre temperamentet mere
And can hardly control my temper anymore
Jeg griber røret, men bli'r stadig holdt for nar
I pick up the phone, but still get fooled
For det' din dumme automat, der gi'r mig svar
Because it's your stupid answering machine that answers me
Jeg fodrer boksen med den sidste mønt jeg har
I feed the booth with the last coin I have
Det er og bli'r din automat, der gi'r mig svar
It is and remains your answering machine that answers me
Jeg vidste du var hjemme
I knew you were home
Det var rart, at du ku' ta' din telefon
It was nice that you could answer your phone
Selv om båndet slutter, er der stadig no'en
Even though the tape ends, there's still someone
Writer(s): Keld Heick, John Hatting, Torben Lendager
Contributed by Owen R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@filipgrmsek
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST POSITIVE SONGS OF ESC
@andreash4413
I totally agree. I still have to smile when I listen to this song after all those years. It just gives positive energy. So sad that there are no more songs like that nowadays.
Besides, they did a great choreography. One of Denmark's best entries.
@PpAirO5
Difficult to keep your legs still when listening to this song 😄
@brane4175
I'm glad that I'm not the only one who gets a dose of this song on a regular basis!
@michalsiletsky2939
I miss 80, 90 eurovision ❤
@user-ix5dc1zb5p
Same
@russellford5597
Wonderful. I was 11 years old at the time and I never forgot this performance. Fun, innocent and tasteful. I miss that.
@dimitrispappas4082
one of my best Danish entries
@ufuksnmez98
Love it! My 5th 😍
Fun fact: The first wind-machine was used in this year this entry, ever.
@moboha
Seriously? First time with a windmachine???