Ceol an Ghrá was the Irish entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1972 in Edinburgh performed by Sandie Jones.
Lyrically, the song is a ballad, with Jones singing about hearing "the music of love" wherever she is. She sings about being in Tír na nÓg, the Land of the Young, a mystical place in Irish mythology allowing whoever goes there to be forever young - it may also be metonymic for Ireland herself. During Preview Week, clips from Ireland's National Song Festival were interspersed with new footage of Jones singing on a cliff, walking on a footbridge, standing near the Two Working Men, and perhaps most famously, strutting in the latest fashions, complete with platform shoes, past awestruck Catholic schoolgirls. The video was also notable for short scenes which featured Jones in hot pants, which caused a stir in Ireland at the time.
At the Contest, it was performed third on the night, following France and preceding Spain. At the close of voting, it finished in 15th place with 72 points, making it the country's worst performing entry in the contest up to that year.
This was the only occasion on which Ireland performed in its own language. The performance was also the first of only two occasions so far on which a Celtic language has been heard at the Contest, with France entering the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the Breton language song "Diwanit Bugale". After that, all of Ireland's subsequent entries have been in English.
Lyrics[]
Éistigí, éistigí, cloisim arís é, ceol an ghrá
‘Seo nó ansúid dom, bíonn sé de shíor liom, ceol an ghrá
I lár na cathrach breá, cois abhainn nó ar trá
Cloisim an tiún, is tú mo rún, sin ceol an ghrá
Éistigí, éistigí, cloisim arís é, ceol an ghrá
Canann an t-éinín é, casann an ghaoth dom é, ceol an ghrá
Maidin nó lár an lae, cloisim i gcónaí é
Éist leis an túin, is tú mo rún, sin ceol an ghrá
Seo Tír na nÓg is tá sciatháin in áit mo chos
Anois is go deo tá an sonas romham, thall is abhus
Is tú, mo chroí de lá is d’oích’
Is gach uile nóiméad de’m’ shaol
Éistigí, éistigí, cloisim arís é, ceol an ghrá
‘Seo nó ansúid dom, bíonn sé de shíor liom, ceol an ghrá
I lár na cathrach breá, cois abhainn nó ar trá
Cloisim an tiún, is tú mo rún, sin ceol an ghrá
Éistigí, éistigí, cloisim arís é, ceol an ghrá
‘Seo nó ansúid dom, bíonn sé de shíor liom, ceol an ghrá
I lár na cathrach breá, cois abhainn nó ar trá
Cloisim an tiún, is tú mo rún, sin ceol an ghrá
I lár na cathrach breá, cois abhainn nó ar trá
Cloisim an tiún, is tú mo rún, sin ceol an ghrá
Listen, listen, I hear it again, the music of love
Here or beyond me, it’s eternally with me, the music of love
In the centre of the lovely city, beside the river or on the beach
I hear the tune, you are my sweetheart, that’s the music of love
Listen, listen, I hear it again, the music of love
The little bird sings it, the wind plays it for me, the music of love
Morning or midday, I always hear it
Listen to the tune, you are my sweetheart, that’s the music of love
This is the Land of Eternal Youth and wings are in place of my legs
Now and forever happiness is before me, all around
You are my sweetheart by day and by night
And every single moment of my life
Listen, listen, I hear it again, the music of love
Here or beyond me, it’s eternally with me, the music of love
In the centre of the lovely city, beside the river or on the beach
I hear the tune, you are my sweetheart, that’s the music of love
Listen, listen, I hear it again, the music of love
Here or beyond me, it’s eternally with me, the music of love
In the centre of the lovely city, beside the river or on the beach
I hear the tune, you are my sweetheart, that’s the music of love
In the centre of the lovely city, beside the river or on the beach
I hear the tune, you are my sweetheart, that’s the music of love
Eurovision Song Contest 1972 | |||
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Participants | |||
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Songs | |||
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Videos[]
ESC 1972 03 - Ireland - Sandie Jones - Ceol An Ghrá
Eurovision 1972 PREVIEW Ireland - SANDIE JONES "Ceol An Ghrá"