Better the Devil You Know (Sonia song)
Encyclopedia
"Better the Devil You Know" is a Pop
song written and produced by Brian Teasdale and Dean Collinson for Sonia. This single was released in May 1993 as the second and final single from Sonia's third album Better the Devil You Know
(1993). This single's B-side "Not What I Call Love" appeared on Sonia's third album. "Better the Devil You Know" was United Kingdom's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1993
.
1993, the BBC asked the heads of each of the Eurovision Network
member broadcasters for their opinion regarding who should represent the United Kingdom from a shortlist the BBC had prepared. A plurality chose 22-year-old recording artist Sonia, who already had a #1 hit to her credit. She then sang eight different songs at the national final. For the second year running, a nationwide telephone vote
was held to pick one song to send to the Eurovision finals, held this year at Millstreet
, County Cork
, Ireland
. "Better the Devil You Know", the fifth song performed, won with over 156,000 supporters, twice as many as the second-place entry.
At Millstreet, the song was performed nineteenth on the night, after Bosnia and Herzegovina
's Fazla with "Sva bol svijeta
", and before the Netherlands
' Ruth Jacott
with "Vrede
." At the end of judging that evening, "Better the Devil You Know" took the second-place slot with 164 points. Belgium, Iceland, Austria and Israel gave the UK 12 points that evening. This was the last of four occasions the UK ranked second in the voting since 1988.
The song was a retro rock 'n' roll offering with a 1950s flair. Sonia tells the story about how in love she is with her boyfriend, wishing he won't hurt her, for her love is true. She lets it known that she would "sell her heart and soul" to get his unconditional love in return, rationalising that it's better that one deal with "the devil you know" (him with his faults) instead of "the devil you don't" (another potential boyfriend).
Commenting on the song, Collinson stated that he'd written the song years before in an attempt to recreate "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham!
. The song was played as part of a "Eurovision special" on TOTP2
. DJ Steve Wright commented during the song's introduction, "This is a good song, but Sonia is a bit too eager to please, so therefore didn't give it the required 'I don't care too much about Eurovision' attitude", implying that was her downfall. The second loss to Ireland in as many years prompted a bit of speculation in the British tabloid press; one of the most popular stories spread was that Sonia took Eurovision so seriously and hoped she would win that she sobbed uncontrollably after she learned she lost. For her part, immediately after the winner was known, Sonia accepted defeat in a humble manner, smiled, and shook winner Niamh Kavanagh
's hand.
After Eurovision, the song peaked at #15 on the UK Singles Chart
, and was in the chart for 7 weeks.
CD Single
7" Single
12" Single
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
song written and produced by Brian Teasdale and Dean Collinson for Sonia. This single was released in May 1993 as the second and final single from Sonia's third album Better the Devil You Know
Better the Devil You Know (album)
Better the Devil You Know is the third album by British pop star Sonia.Released in May 1993, the album followed Sonia's appearance in the Eurovision Song Contest. The previous year, Sonia had been selected to be the UK representative and she performed all eight songs in the Song for Europe...
(1993). This single's B-side "Not What I Call Love" appeared on Sonia's third album. "Better the Devil You Know" was United Kingdom's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1993
Eurovision Song Contest 1993
The Eurovision Song Contest 1993 was the 38th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 15 May 1993 in Millstreet, County Cork, Ireland. The presenter was Fionnuala Sweeney. Niamh Kavanagh was the winner of this Eurovision for Ireland with the song, "In Your Eyes"...
.
Song information
For A Song for EuropeA Song for Europe
A Song for Europe may refer to:*A Song for Europe, former name of British pre-selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest, now known as Eurovision: Your Country Needs You...
1993, the BBC asked the heads of each of the Eurovision Network
Eurovision Network
The Eurovision Network is part of the European Broadcasting Union, itself founded in 1950 as a system of international broadcasting cooperation...
member broadcasters for their opinion regarding who should represent the United Kingdom from a shortlist the BBC had prepared. A plurality chose 22-year-old recording artist Sonia, who already had a #1 hit to her credit. She then sang eight different songs at the national final. For the second year running, a nationwide telephone vote
Televoting
Televoting, telephone voting or phone voting is a method of decision making and opinion polling conducted by telephone. Televoting can also extend to voting by SMS text message via a mobile cell phone.- Broadcast contest televoting :...
was held to pick one song to send to the Eurovision finals, held this year at Millstreet
Millstreet
Millstreet is a town in north County Cork, Ireland with a population of approximately 1,500. It is located at the foot of Clara Mountain. The town's Catholic church is dedicated to St. Patrick. Since October 1985, the town has been twinned with Pommerit-le-Vicomte in Brittany, France...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. "Better the Devil You Know", the fifth song performed, won with over 156,000 supporters, twice as many as the second-place entry.
At Millstreet, the song was performed nineteenth on the night, after Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
's Fazla with "Sva bol svijeta
Sva Bol Svijeta
"Sva bol svijeta" was the Bosnia and Herzegovinian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1993, performed in Bosnian by Fazla....
", and before the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
' Ruth Jacott
Ruth Jacott
Ruth Jacott is a Dutch singer, originally from Suriname.Jacott transitioned from musical theatre to popular music in 1993, when she represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 1993. Her song, "Vrede" , was one of the favorites to win, and ended up ranking sixth out of 25 at Millstreet...
with "Vrede
Vrede (song)
"Vrede" was the Dutch entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1993, cowritten by Eric van Tijn, Jochem Fluitsma and performed in Dutch by Ruth Jacott....
." At the end of judging that evening, "Better the Devil You Know" took the second-place slot with 164 points. Belgium, Iceland, Austria and Israel gave the UK 12 points that evening. This was the last of four occasions the UK ranked second in the voting since 1988.
The song was a retro rock 'n' roll offering with a 1950s flair. Sonia tells the story about how in love she is with her boyfriend, wishing he won't hurt her, for her love is true. She lets it known that she would "sell her heart and soul" to get his unconditional love in return, rationalising that it's better that one deal with "the devil you know" (him with his faults) instead of "the devil you don't" (another potential boyfriend).
Commenting on the song, Collinson stated that he'd written the song years before in an attempt to recreate "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
. The song was played as part of a "Eurovision special" on TOTP2
TOTP2
Top of the Pops 2 is a British television music show broadcast on BBC Two, showing archive footage from the long-running Top of the Pops show, some dating back to the 1960s when the programme first aired on British television....
. DJ Steve Wright commented during the song's introduction, "This is a good song, but Sonia is a bit too eager to please, so therefore didn't give it the required 'I don't care too much about Eurovision' attitude", implying that was her downfall. The second loss to Ireland in as many years prompted a bit of speculation in the British tabloid press; one of the most popular stories spread was that Sonia took Eurovision so seriously and hoped she would win that she sobbed uncontrollably after she learned she lost. For her part, immediately after the winner was known, Sonia accepted defeat in a humble manner, smiled, and shook winner Niamh Kavanagh
Niamh Kavanagh
Niamh Kavanagh is an Irish singer and winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1993.Kavanagh is perhaps best known for winning Eurovision Song Contest 1993, held in Millstreet, County Cork, Ireland. She sang "In Your Eyes" to clinch a second consecutive win for Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest;...
's hand.
After Eurovision, the song peaked at #15 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and was in the chart for 7 weeks.
Formats and track listings
Cassette Single- "Better The Devil You Know" - 2:36
- "Not What I Call Love" - 4:08
CD Single
- "Better the Devil You Know" - 2:36
- "Better the Devil You Know" (Extended Mix) - 4:20
- "Not What I Call Love" - 4:08
7" Single
- "Better the Devil You Know" - 2:36
- "Not What I Call Love" - 4:08
12" Single
- "Better the Devil You Know" (Extended Mix) - 4:20
- "Not What I Call Love" - 4:08