Mere lapsed

"Mere lapsed"
Eurovision Song Contest 1998 entry
Country	Estonia
Artist(s)	Koit Toome
Language	Estonian
Composer(s)	Maria Rahula, Tomi Rahula
Lyricist(s)	Peeter Pruuli
Conductor	Heiki Vahar
Finals performance
Final result	12th
Final points	36
Appearance chronology
◄ Keelatud maa (1997)
Diamond of Night (1999) ►

"Mere lapsed" ("Children of the sea") was the Estonian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998, performed in Estonian by Koit Toome.

The song was performed twenty-third on the night, following Norway's Lars Fredriksen with "Alltid sommer" and preceding Turkey's Tüzmen with "Unutamazsın". At the close of voting, it had received 36 points, placing 12th in a field of 25.

The song is a piano ballad, with Toome singing about going on a sea voyage with his lover. The voyage also serves as a metaphor for the pair striking out on their own to start a new life.

On the Eurovision stage, Koit Toome was accompanied by Mikko Maltis (guitar, backing vocal), Ain Varts (guitar) and Jüri Mazurtšak (drums).

"Mere lapsed" had in fact won the ticket to Birmingham only by a hair. Earlier in 1998, during the entire voting sequence at the Estonian national final for Eurovision, Evelin Samuel had been in the anything but surprising lead with her song "Unistus igavesest päevast". The very last juror from Switzerland, however, turned the tables in favour of Koit Toome and made Evelin Samuel a dramatic runner up.

"Mere lapsed" was then succeeded as Estonian representative at the 1999 Contest by Evelin Samuel & Camille with "Diamond of Night".