Every Song Is A Cry For Love

Infobox ESC entry
song = flagicon|Ireland Every Song Is A Cry For Love


caption =
year = 2006
country = Ireland
artist = Brian Kennedy
as =
with = Callum McColl, Una Healy, Fran King, Paula Gilbert
language = English
languages =
composer = Brian Kennedy
lyricist = Brian Kennedy
conductor =
place = 10th
points = 93
place_semi = 9th
points_semi = 79
lyrics = [http://www.diggiloo.net/?2006ie from the Diggiloo Thrush]
clip =
prev = Love?
prev_link = Love?
next = They Can't Stop The Spring
next_link = They Can't Stop The Spring

"Every Song Is A Cry For Love" was the Irish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, which was written and sung by Brian Kennedy in English. He came 10th in the final, and his performance in the semi-final marked the 1000th Eurovision song of all time [cite web
last = Kennedy
first = Brian
authorlink = Brian Kennedy (singer)|Brian Kennedy
title = Hot off the press information
date = 2006
url = http://www.briankennedy.co.uk/hotoffthepress.html
accessdate = 2006-08-29 ] . He wore a black suit and was backed by Callum McColl on an acoustic guitar and singing and three specialist singers: Una Healy, Fran King and Paula Gilbert, who wore maroon dresses and black shirts and suits. The gentle ballad did not involve any dancing [cite web
last = Brian
first = Kennedy
authorlink = Brian Kennedy (singer)|Brian Kennedy
title = Every Song Is A Cry For Love
work = Eurovision Song Contest 2006
publisher = YouTube
date = 2006-05-21
url = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-1AQkS5Nt4
accessdate = 2006-08-29 ] .

Kennedy was selected to represent Ireland at the discretion of national broadcaster RTÉ who then allowed the general public to choose the song during an edition of The Late Late Show in February [cite web
last = Rodrigues
first = André
title = "Every song is a cry for love" for Ireland
work = [http://www.esctoday.com esctoday]
date = 2006-02-17
url = http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/5615
accessdate = 2006-08-29 ] , which involved Kennedy singing two other songs which were not submitted by himself. After "Every Song Is A Cry For Love" garnered 47% of the vote, it was selected. A fourth song had earlier been disqualified by RTÉ, whose panel of judges Brendan Graham, Paul Brady and Shay Healy had shortlisted for the final [cite news
title = Brian Kennedy: He’ll be singing for both his redemption and Ireland’s
work = The Times
date = 2005-11-20
url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-1879939,00.html
accessdate = 2006-08-29 ] . It was marred by controversy, as his own song was included after the judging panel had called for additional songs, leading to claims that he had gained an unfair advantage [cite news
title = Kennedy 'flattered' at Eurovision bid
work = BBC News
date = 2006-02-18
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4727048.stm
accessdate = 2006-08-29 ] .

The song was released on April 21, and eventually peaked at Number 4 [cite web
title = Irish News
date = 2006-07-31
url = http://www.keithm.utvinternet.ie/IrishNews.htm
accessdate = 2006-08-29 ] .

It was performed eighth in the semi-final (following Belgium's Kate Ryan with Je t'Adore and preceding Cyprus' Annette Artani with Why Angels Cry), the 1000th Eurovision song ever according to the European Broadcasting Union, after Ireland was forced to qualify due to its failure to make the final the previous year, and came 9th with 79 points, thus becoming one of ten songs to qualify from the semi-final. BBC commentary during the semi-final set Kennedy's task up as "saving Ireland's Eurovision soul" (a reference to his country's dominant performance of the early 1990s before it fell away later that decade). Indeed, after Ireland was announced as a qualifier, television footage clearly showed Kennedy mouthing "thank God" in the green room backstage.
The song was performed twenty-first in the final (following Croatia's Severina with Moja štikla and preceding Sweden's Carola with Invincible). At the close of voting, it had received 93 points, placing 10th in a field of 24, thus giving Ireland an automatic berth in the final at the next edition of the Contest.

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.diggiloo.net/?2006ie Lyrics from the Diggiloo Thrush]