San Francisco was the Norwegian entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 in Dublin performed by Tor Endresen.
The song is a moderately up-tempo number, with a sound similar to rock music from the late 1960s. Endresen delivered a paean to San Francisco as an idealized paradise from that decade, with lyrics containing many references to slogans, people and song titles from that era, as well as key events such as the moon landing and the Woodstock festival. The chorus further idealizes the city and the period, with it being described as "A time of peace, a spring of youth/No guns, no war, no disco/Just lovely flowers in your hair".
The song was performed third on the night following Turkey and preceding Austria. At the close of voting, it finished in joint last place with the dreaded Nul Points and further extending Norway's unwanted record of recording zero points on the most occasions. Additionally, as the result followed on a second place and a victory, Norway achieved a dramatic reversal of fortunes.
Prior to the next Contest, the decision was taken to restrict entry to the 18 countries with the best average score over the previous five years, a group which included Norway courtesy of Secret Garden's victory in 1995 and Elisabeth Andreassen's second-place the year after.
Lyrics[]
Det føles ennå som det var i går
Da alle sang: “Make love, not war”
Og hele verden hadde lengre hår
Det føles som det var i går
Da det å være bror og søster var in
California dreamin’
De store spørsmål og et åpent sinn
Svarene was blowin’ in the wind, oh…
Kjærlighetstid i San Francisco
Drømmen om fred, en ungdoms vår
Ingen gevær, no war, no disco
Kun vakre blomster i ditt hår
Da alle surfet på en god vibrasjon
Og USA fikk sin man on the moon
Og Jimi Hendrix spilte ild og pasjon
I Woodstock for en ny generasjon, yeah
Da var det sterkt å være ung og fri
Livet hadde bedre tid
Og hele verden hadde lengre hår
Det føles som det var i går, yeah yeah
Kjærlighetstid i San Francisco
Drømmen om fred, en ungdoms vår
Ooh yeah… ingen gevær, no war, no disco
Kun vakre blomster i ditt hår
Over jorden lød Lennons sang:
“Love, love, love”
Med bud om at kjærlighet gjør alle fri
Om vi ikke lar den fare forbi
Kjærlighetstid i San Fran…
Kjærlighetstid i San Francisco
Drømmen om fred, en ungdoms vår
Ooh yeah… ingen gevær, no war, no disco
Kun vakre blomster i ditt…
Kun vakre blomster i ditt hår
Oh yeah
It still feels like yesterday
When everyone was singing: “Make love, not war”
And the world had longer hair
It feels like yesterday
Being brothers and sisters was in
California dreamin’
Important questions and an open mind
The answers was blowin’ in the wind, oh…
Time for love in San Francisco
A dream of peace, a spring of youth
No guns, no war, no disco
Just lovely flowers in your hair
When everybody surfed on a good vibration
USA got their man on the moon
Jimi Hendrix played fire and passion
At Woodstock for a new generation, yeah
Then there was a strong feeling to be young and free
Life had plenty of time
And the whole world had longer hair
It feels like yesterday, yeah yeah
Ttime for love in San Francisco
A dream of peace, a spring of youth
Ooh yeah… no guns, no war, no disco
Just lovely flowers in your hair
All over the earth Lennon’s song was heard:
“Love, love, love”
With the message that love sets everyone free
If we don’t let it pass us by
Time for love in San Fran…
Time for love in San Francisco
A dream of peace, a spring of youth
Ooh yeah… no guns, no war, no disco
Just lovely flowers in your…
Just lovely flowers in you hair
Oh yeah
Trivia[]
- "Make love not war" - a popular slogan used in the 1960s to promote peace
- Jimi Hendrix - US singer
- John Lennon - English singer who was a member of the group The Beatles
- "California Dreamin'" - a song by US group The Mamas & The Papas
- "Blowin' in the Wind" - a song by US singer Bob Dylan
- The moon landing - a space mission undertaken on July 20, 1969 by the space shuttle Apollo 11 to land the first humans on the moon
- Woodstock Festival - a US music festival that took place in August 1969 in Bethel, New York
| 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[]
Tor Endresen - San Francisco (Eurovision Song Contest 1997, NORWAY) video
ESC 1997 - Norway - Tor Endresen - San Francisco -HQ-