Never Give Up On EU! Was our Eurovision song a Brexit lament?
IT IS 20 years since Britain tasted victory in the Eurovision Song Contest – and it was feared last night that a Brexit backlash would scupper our chances once again.
But many fans tuning in to the final believe that our entry, Never Give Up On You, is, in fact, a thinly veiled love letter to our continental neighbours.
They claim that the lyrics – which include ‘I will never give up on you; I don’t care what I’ve got to lose; Just give me your hand and hold on; Together we’ll dance through this storm’ – is a plea for reconciliation with Brussels.
Some have even joked that the title should have been Never Give Up On EU and say it is essentially a plea for Europe to keep faith with Britain. The song was co-written by Danish singer-songwriter Emmelie de Forest, who won Eurovision in 2013. She was then named European of the Year by the pro-EU Danish European Movement.
Fans have been questioning the real meaning of Britain’s entry, sung by former X Factor contestant Lucie Jones, since i t was unveiled. One tweeted: ‘Jones is representing the UK at Eurovision with I Will Never Give Up On You or, as I like to call it, I Will Never Give Up On The EU.’
Another said: ‘UK Entry 2017 subliminal message to the EU.’ A third joked: ‘I see the Lib Dems have written our Eurovision song. It’s called Never Give Up On The EU.’ Another said: ‘Question for Lucie: have you considered harvesting more votes by renaming the song I’ll Never Give Up On EU?’
Alasdair Rendall, president of the UK branch of the Eurovision Fan Clubs, said: ‘I am sure there are some people who have read thatt message in the lyrics. You can read almost anything into it.
‘As far as the impact of Brexit is concerned, I don’t think it was a factor for most people watching at home. I think people in Moldova voted for the acts they liked. Brexit wasn’t at the top of their agenda.’
Not everyone is convinced that t he s o ng c o nt a i ned a secret pro-EU lyric. Oscar-winning lyri- cist Don Black said: ‘If that lyric is a secret love letter to the EU, then I think it would take Sherlock Holmes to spot it.
‘I wish our song luck but it is not really a song contest any more – it’s just entertainment.’
However, the idea that the UK’s entry may have been something more than a simple love song may have helped its success on the con- tinent. Fans all over Europe went on social media to heap praise on the ballad, which they said was the UK’s strongest entry for decades.
The odds against Lucie winning the contest were slashed heavily in the run-up to the show, which was broadcast live from the Ukrainian capital Kiev.
The UK last won in 1997 with Love Shine A Light, by Katrina And The Waves.