“This evening” the UK song for Eurovision has got so few few votes that I think that only Norway got fewer points.
As a country in Eurovision needs votes from outside and I am from outside the UK I want to tell here the reasons why I think that the UK has received so few votes.
Well, first of all, let me say that the song from the UK was a good song. Very well done. Then why so few votes? Why, for example, did I not vote for the UK?
Well, I think I may guess the reasons why the UK may receive normally not many points.
As we all know the English language is very much used in the songs in Eurovision. But we all know that the UK is just the place where the language was born. So, a song from the UK will be always special because in some way the rest of the countries know that the UK has an advantage when it sings in English!
So for people to vote for the UK (or even the Irish) song, the song must be quite impressive.
What we don’t like outside the UK (or at least not me) is that the UK goes to Eurovision showing-off that they are the masters of the English language.
So songs like the one this year of the UK are very good for the UK (I am sure it would be an awsome song for any musical of the worldwide celebrated West End in London) but I think they are not good for the rest of Europe because we see the UK using the English for its advantage. Well, I think I am not explaining myself well. What I mean is that the song from the UK was a very good song but we all know that only the UK can sing that kind of song (and the Irish) The rest of Europe can send to Eurovision songs in English but only the UK (and Ireland) can send a song where the English language sounds so nice.
In summary, I think people do not vote the UK songs because they ask for a UK song more than for other songs from other countries.
Maybe if the UK sent a song to Eurovision spoken not in English would win more votes (it it is a good song) because other countries would feel that the UK is playing without advantage.
Another reason why I think that the UK has received so few votes is because it sends songs without thinking about other countries. Other countries write songs in English so that people from Europe understand a bit of the song! But the British song just is a way to show-off. When I hear tonight beautiful UK song I have the feeling as if the song sang to Europe: “See, Europe, what a beautiful song I have made. Most of you just made a fuss of the English language while I can do poetry with my beloved native English language. Only I can make the English sound so nice.” That is what I feel!
Imagine the UK song, the one of this year 2012, sang in Catalan, for example by a Catalan singer. The song would have been also well sang and well done but would the UK people voted for it?
So to end, my advice to new song from the UK for next year is: your song must not look gorgeous because you speak English in a gorgeous way (as it has happened now) but just for the music and other things.
I think there is an easy way to know if the next UK song can win Eurovision. Just get it translated into Catalan or Danish or why not Welsh. If you listen to the translation and you would vote for it then go ahead! Would have you voted for the UK song of this year if it had been sang in French, Catalan or Danish?
I am sure that the song of the UK tonight would have sounded amazing in any language but that does not make it a song for Eurovision. A song whose beauty relies too much on the domain of the language seems to me that cannot win eurovision easily.
Anyway, here is the UK song. I find it very nice but not the right song for Eurovision! Any UK song that takes advantage of being English the mother language won’t succeed in Europe if it does not have a universal appeal.
Let me end by saying something nice about the song of Engelbert Humperdinck. It is better not to receive votes but have a good song made with care and love than to receive some points with quite a bad song.
