Antes do adeus was the Portuguese entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 in Dublin performed by Célia Lawson.
The song is a ballad, with Lawson recounting the events leading to the end of a relationship. She sings that her lover gradually moved away from her and returned things which they had held dear. From her perspective, the world changed markedly, with "the blue of the sky" ceasing to be as blue as it was. The song ends with the line "After the goodbye, deep sadness", by which point the lyrics have caught up with the end of the relationship itself.
The song was performed fifteenth on the night following Bosnia and Herzegovina and before Sweden. At the close of voting, it finished in joint last place with the dreaded Nul Points. This was to be Portugal's worst result at any time since the Carnation Revolution. Despite this, the song has since been acknowledged to have been one of those least deserving of Nul Points in the history of the contest, coming second in a 2012 poll of such entries.
Lyrics[]
Antes do adeus, a aventura
Antes do adeus, a loucura
Antes do adeus, a ternura
Juras ao luar, e a canção do mar, porque…
Antes do adeus (Tuas trovas, teus lamentos)
Improviso (Ouvia-se em toda a rua)
Antes do adeus (Na outra esquina do vento)
No sorriso (Na outra face da lua)
Antes do adeus (Os teus sonhos eram meus)
Paraíso (A minha videira tua)
Lemos os sinais (Antes de dizer adeus)
E até fomos imortais
E à noite um rio, onde o sol se pôs
Meu corpo, um navio na maré da tua voz
Sons ao desafio, a vibrar por nós
E a luz da manhã era mágica
Antes do adeus (Devolveste os meus poetas)
A desfeita (Nos teus olhos vi rancor)
Antes do adeus (Houve palavras secretas)
A suspeita (No avesso do amor)
Antes do adeus (Onde escondeste, maldosa)
Imperfeita (Um livro de Saramago)
A partilha a dois (E um disco do Abrunhosa)
P’ra lembrar depois, mas…
O azul do céu deixou de ser verdade
Em cinzas morreu a magia da cidade
No meu olhar nasceu a sombra da ansiedade
E a dor silenciou toda a música
O azul do céu deixou de ser verdade
Em cinzas morreu a magia da cidade
No meu olhar nasceu a sombra da ansiedade
E a dor silenciou toda a música
Depois do adeus, a saudade
Before goodbye, adventure
Before goodbye, madness
Before goodbye, tenderness
Moonlight promises and the song of the sea, because…
Before goodbye (Your poetry, your laments)
Improvise (Heard throughout the whole street)
Before goodbye (On the other corner of the wind)
In my smile (On the other side of the moon)
Before goodbye (Your dreams were mine)
Paradise (You were by my side)
We read the signs (Before saying goodbye)
And we even reached immortality
And the night is a river where the sun sets
My body is the ship on the tide of your voice
Challenging sounds, vibrating for us
And the light of the dawn was magical
Before goodbye (You returned my poets)
Outrage (In your eyes I saw grudge)
Before goodbye (There were secret words)
Suspicion (On the reverse of love)
Before goodbye (Wickedly you have hidden)
Imperfect (A book by Saramago)
Dividing in two (And a record by Abrunhosa)
To later remember, but…
The blue of the sky, no longer is true
The magic of the city vanished in ashes
The shadow of anxiety emerged in my eyes
And pain hushed all music
The blue of the sky, no longer is true
The magic of the city vanished in ashes
The shadow of anxiety emerged in my eyes
And pain hushed all music
After the goodbye, deep sadness
| Eurovision Song Contest 1997 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | |||
 Hara & Andreas Konstantinou •  Şebnem Paker & Grup Ethnic •  Tor Endresen •  Bettina Soriat •  Marc Roberts •  Tanja Ribič •  Barbara Berta •  Mrs. Einstein •  Jalisse •  Marcos Llunas •  Bianca Shomburg •  Anna Maria Jopek •  Maarja-Liis Ilus •  Alma Čardžić •  Célia Lawson •  Blond •  Marianna Zorba •  Debbie Scerri •  V.I.P. •  Alla Pugacheva •  Kølig Kaj •  Fanny •  E.N.I. •  Katrina and The Waves •  Paul Oscar
| |||
| Songs | |||
| Mana mou • Dinle • San Francisco • One Step • Mysterious Woman • Zbudi se • Dentro di me • Niemand heeft nog tijd • Fiumi di Parole • Sin rencor • Zeit • Ale jestem • Keelatud maa • Goodbye • Antes do adeus • Bara hon älskar mig • Horepse • Let Me Fly • Miért kell, hogy elmenj? • Primadonna • Stemmen i mit liv • Sentiments songes • Probudi me • Love Shine a Light • Minn hinsti dans
| |||
Videos[]
Célia Lawson - Antes do adeus (Eurovision Song Contest 1997, PORTUGAL) official video clip
Antes do adeus - Portugal 1997 - Eurovision song with live orchestra