Dziesma Par Laimi

Infobox ESC entry
song = flagicon|Latvia "Dziesma Par Laimi"


caption =
year = 2004
country = Latvia
artist = Ivo Fomins, Tomass Kleins
as = Fomins & Kleins
with =
language = Latvian
languages =
composer = Tomass Kleins
lyricist = Guntars Račs
conductor =
place =
points =
place_semi = 17th
points_semi = 23
lyrics = [http://www.diggiloo.net/?2004lv Lyrics]
clip =
prev = "Hello From Mars"
prev_link = Hello From Mars
next = "The War Is Not Over"
next_link = The War Is Not Over

"Dziesma Par Laimi" (English translation: "a song about happiness") was the Latvian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, performed in Latvian by Fomins & Kleins.

The song is a rock-influenced track, with the singer telling his lover that "when there is nothing else, I think that I still have a song I can sing to you" and explaining that the song in question is one about happiness in the world. He sings that this is the kind of happiness which comes unexpectedly, "and takes us by the hand".

As of 2008 this is the only Latvian Eurovision entry featuring lyrics in Latvian. Having debuted at the 2000 Contest, Latvia has been able to take advantage of the "free language rule", as well as the prevailing wisdom that English-language songs place higher than those in other languages.

The song has been recorded in a number of other languages. The duo is credited with recordings in Lithuanian, Estonian, Ukrainian, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Finnish and English, as well as a Latvian-Belarusian bilingual version.

All versions, except the English one, were made available for free download in MP3 format in both high and low quality, from the Fomins and Kleins website. This website is no longer in service. The website was mainly in Latvian, with just one page in English which was just a sentence telling visitors that they could download the song in all the different languages.

It is not quite clear as to why the English version was not included. It did, however appear on a few rare one track promo CDs.

In the semifinal, the song was performed fourth (following Switzerland's Piero Esteriore & The MusicStars with "Celebrate!" and preceding Israel's David D'or with Leha'amin). At the close of voting, it had received 23 points, 17th in a field of 22, and missing out on the top-ten cutoff to qualify for the final. As a result, Latvia's next Contest appearance would also be in the semi-final.

It was succeeded as Latvian representative at the 2005 Contest by Walters & Kazha with "The War Is Not Over".

References

*citeweb|url=http://www.diggiloo.net/?2004lv19|title=2004 Latvia (English)|author=Diggiloo Thrush|accessdate=2006-10-02