I Evighet

Infobox ESC entry
song = flagicon|Norway I Evighet


caption =
year = 1996
country = Norway
artist = Elisabeth Andreassen
as =
with =
language = Norwegian
languages =
composer = Torhild Nigar
lyricist = Wendell Miller
conductor =
place = 2nd
points = 114
place_semi =
points_semi =
lyrics = [http://www.diggiloo.net/?1996no from Diggiloo Thrush]
clip =
prev = Nocturne
prev_link = Nocturne (Secret Garden song)
next = San Francisco
next_link = San Francisco (Eurovision song)

"I Evighet" (English translation: "For Eternity") is a song by Elisabeth Andreassen, and was the Norwegian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996. The original English-language version was written and composed by Torhild Nigar, with lyrics by Wendell Miller, written in the U.S. in 1987, while she was performing as a duo with Wendell Miller.(although Miller had never received credit for co-writing the song) Nigar had originally pressured Andreassen to perform the song in 1994, however this pressure was resisted. Due to the age of the song, the European Broadcasting Union discussed disqualifying it (as entries are supposed to be written in the twelve months from the previous Contest), however it opted not to do soFact|date=March 2008.

The song is a ballad, with Andreassen singing about the eternal nature of love. She sings that this is a constant in the world, even outlasting the days and years which move forwards.

The song was performed twelfth on the night (following Estonia's Maarja-Liis Ilus and Ivo Linna with "Kaelakee hääl" and preceding France's Dan Ar Braz & L'Héritage des Celtes with "Diwanit Bugale"). At the close of voting, it had received 114 points, placing 2nd in a field of 23.

"I Evighet" was translated into Swedish, with the lyrics being co-written by Thorhild Nigar, Elisabeth Andreassen and Åsa Jinder and the title remaining the same. An English-language release (titled "Eternity") was also made.

In 1998, the song was re-written in German as "Wir sind dabei", as part of the hundredth anniversary celebrations for the German sporting federation. The re-titled "Wir sind dabei" was adopted as the official song of this celebration, held in Munich, with Andreassen performing it frequently and in a number of different language versions. This version is unique among the translations as it focuses on the positive aspects of sport, rather than the original theme of the eternity of love.

It was succeeded as Norwegian representative at the 1997 Contest by Tor Endresen with "San Francisco".

Chart performance