"Absent Friend" was the Swedish

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1965

Eurovision Song Contest 1965

The Eurovision Song Contest 1965 was the 10th in the series. Luxembourg's win was their second. Belgium, Finland, Germany, and Spain each scored "null points" for the second time. The 1965 contest marked the debut of Ireland, a country which later went on to dominate the competition. This was also...

, performed in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 by opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

 singer Ingvar Wixell

Ingvar Wixell

Ingvar Wixell was a Swedish baritone who had an active international career in operas and concerts from 1955-2003. He mostly sang roles from the Italian repertory, and, according to The New York Times, "was best known for his steady-toned, riveting portrayals of the major baritone roles of...

. This was the first time that the country had not sung in Swedish in the Contest.

"Absent Friend" was performed 10th on the night, following Monaco

Monaco

Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...

's Marjorie Noël

Marjorie Noël

Marjorie Noël was a French pop singer who had a brief career in the mid 1960s, and is best known for her participation on behalf of Monaco in the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest.Noël's first recordings were released in 1964, and the following year she was invited to represent Monaco in the...

 with "Va dire à l'amour

Va Dire À L'Amour

"Va dire à l'amour" was the Monegasque entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1965, performed in French by French singer Marjorie Noël....

" and preceding France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

's Guy Mardel

Guy Mardel

Guy Mardel is a French-Algerian singer, best known for his participation in the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest....

 with "N'avoue jamais

N'Avoue Jamais

"N'avoue jamais" was the French entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1965, performed in French by Guy Mardel. Mardel also wrote the lyric and the melody was composed by Françoise Dorin....

". At the close of voting, it had received 6 points, placing 10th in a field of 18.

It was succeeded as Swedish representative

Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest

Sweden has participated at the Eurovision Song Contest 51 times since their debut in 1958. Since 1959, the Swedish representative has been chosen through an annual televised competition, known since 1967 as Melodifestivalen. Three times – 1964, 1970, and 1976 – Sweden didn't participate...

 at the 1966 contest

Eurovision Song Contest 1966

The Eurovision Song Contest 1966 was the 11th edition and was held on 5 March 1966 in Luxembourg, Luxembourg. The rule stating that a country could only sing in any of its national languages was originally created in this year. This was possibly created due to the 1965 Swedish entry, "Absent...

 by Lill Lindfors

Lill Lindfors

Lillemor "Lill" Lindfors is a Finland-Swedish/Swedish singer. Born in Helsinki, Finland she has been performing in Scandinavia with minor and major success since the 1960s. She debuted as a revue actress in Uddevalla in 1960 and the following year as a recording artist...

 and Svante Thuresson

Svante Thuresson

Svante Thuresson is a Swedish jazz music musician and singer. He started his career as a drummer, before joining the band Gals and Pals in 1963...

 with "Nygammal vals

Nygammal vals

"Nygammal vals" was the Swedish entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1966 in Luxembourg, Luxembourg. It was sung in Swedish by Lill Lindfors and Svante Thuresson, composed by Bengt Arne Wallin and written by Björn Lindroth...

".