Hold Me Now
Encyclopedia
"Hold Me Now" is a song composed and performed by Irish singer Johnny Logan
. It became the winner of the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest
. Logan had previously won with "What's Another Year?
" in the 1980 Contest
and would go on to write the winner of the 1992 Contest
("Why Me?" for Linda Martin
for whom he had previously written "Terminal 3
" at the 1984 Contest
)
's Anne-Cathrine Herdorf
& Drengene with "En lille melodi
" and preceding Yugoslavia
's Novi Fosili
with "Ja sam za ples
". At the close of voting, it had received 172 points, placing 1st in a field of 22. After Logan had been proclaimed the winner with this song, he was overcome with emotion during the reprise and was unable to reach the high notes in this part of the song. As he had when he won in 1980 with "What's Another Year?
", he shouted "I still love you, Ireland".
Lyrically, the song is a ballad sung from the point of view of a man whose love interest is leaving him for someone else ("from now on you'll be with someone else instead of me"). The singer pleads with his girlfriend to "touch, touch me the way you used to do" in order to leave him with good memories of their relationship, even as they "fill this memory/for the last time".
The chorus then tells the girl "don't say a word", as they prepare to part. Despite the sad nature of the parting, the singer says that "I will know/though we're apart/we'll always be together", which implies some sort of optimism on his part. The music (also composed by Logan) is that of a typical Eurovision power ballad, with the final chorus being introduced by a chorus of backing singers before they are joined by Logan's voice again.
The song was succeeded as winner in 1988 by Celine Dion
representing Switzerland
with "Ne partez pas sans moi
". It was succeeded as Irish representative at the 1988 contest
by Jump The Gun with "Take Him Home
".
"Hold Me Now" is regarded by many fans as one of the high points of Contest history, recently being voted the third-best song in Eurovision history (behind "Waterloo" and "Nel blu dipinto di blu
").
version by Tanya Stephens
. It has also been updated by Belgian
rapper Kaye Styles as "Don't Cry". This cover also features Logan performing the chorus of the song at a slightly faster tempo than the traditional version. The late Macedonian superstar Toše Proeski
covered this song during his concerts.
toward the end of 2007. These ads feature Logan bursting into the room with a McDonald's bag in an effort to cheer a series of teens in humorous predicaments. Logan interrupts his singing to pose the question "Twisty Fries?" (among other products offered by McDonald's).
Johnny Logan (singer)
Johnny Logan , is an Australian-born Irish singer and composer. He is regarded as "Mister Eurovision", having participated in the Eurovision Song Contest many times since the 1970s, and, since 1992, has been the most successful artist in Eurovision history.Logan has won the international contest on...
. It became the winner of the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1987
The Eurovision Song Contest 1987 was the 32nd Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 9 May 1987 in Brussels, Belgium after Sandra Kim's win the previous year. The presenter was Viktor Lazlo. Johnny Logan was the winner for Ireland with the song "Hold Me Now"...
. Logan had previously won with "What's Another Year?
What's Another Year?
"What's Another Year" was Johnny Logan's first Eurovision Song Contest winner, achieving success in the 1980 edition of the Contest. This was Ireland's second Contest victory...
" in the 1980 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1980
The Eurovision Song Contest 1980 was the 25th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 19 April 1980 in The Hague. The presenter was Marlous Fluitsma, although each song was introduced by a presenter from the nation represented...
and would go on to write the winner of the 1992 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1992
The Eurovision Song Contest 1992 was the 37th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 9 May 1992 in Malmö, Sweden. The presenters were Lydia Cappolicchio and Harald Treutiger. Linda Martin, representing Ireland, was the winner of this Eurovision with the song Why Me?. The song was written by Johnny...
("Why Me?" for Linda Martin
Linda Martin
Linda Martin is an Irish singer and television presenter. She is best known in Europe as the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1992, with the song "Why Me?", and in Ireland as a member of the 1970s/1980s band, Chips.-Chips:Martin started off her musical career when she joined the band Chips...
for whom he had previously written "Terminal 3
Terminal 3
"Terminal 3" was the Irish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1984, performed in English by Linda Martin.The song was written and composed by previous Contest winner Johnny Logan, who had won for Ireland in the 1980 Contest and would later go on to win the 1987 Contest as a performer before...
" at the 1984 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1984
The Eurovision Song Contest 1984 was the 29th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 5 May 1984 in Luxembourg. The presenter was Désirée Nosbusch. Nosbusch, only 19 years old at the time, hosted the show in a lax manner, which was quite unusual for this show back then...
)
Overview
The song was performed twentieth on the night, following DenmarkDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
's Anne-Cathrine Herdorf
Anne-Cathrine Herdorf
Anne-Cathrine Herdorf, born 10 July 1967 in Copenhagen, is a Danish singer and actress who represented Denmark with the group Bandjo at the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest...
& Drengene with "En lille melodi
En Lille Melodi
"En lille melodi" was the Danish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1987, performed in Danish by Anne-Cathrine Herdorf & Bandjo....
" and preceding Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
's Novi Fosili
Novi fosili
Novi fosili was a Croatian pop band, one of the most popular music acts in former Yugoslavia.The group was formed in Zagreb in 1969. Their first successes came in 1976 when the composer Rajko Dujmić joined the band. That same year Novi Fosili played at the Split Festival, where their song...
with "Ja sam za ples
Ja sam za ples
"Ja sam za ples" was the Yugoslav entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1987, composed by Rajko Dujmić and Stevo Cvikić and sung by Novi Fosili in Serbo-Croatian....
". At the close of voting, it had received 172 points, placing 1st in a field of 22. After Logan had been proclaimed the winner with this song, he was overcome with emotion during the reprise and was unable to reach the high notes in this part of the song. As he had when he won in 1980 with "What's Another Year?
What's Another Year?
"What's Another Year" was Johnny Logan's first Eurovision Song Contest winner, achieving success in the 1980 edition of the Contest. This was Ireland's second Contest victory...
", he shouted "I still love you, Ireland".
Lyrically, the song is a ballad sung from the point of view of a man whose love interest is leaving him for someone else ("from now on you'll be with someone else instead of me"). The singer pleads with his girlfriend to "touch, touch me the way you used to do" in order to leave him with good memories of their relationship, even as they "fill this memory/for the last time".
The chorus then tells the girl "don't say a word", as they prepare to part. Despite the sad nature of the parting, the singer says that "I will know/though we're apart/we'll always be together", which implies some sort of optimism on his part. The music (also composed by Logan) is that of a typical Eurovision power ballad, with the final chorus being introduced by a chorus of backing singers before they are joined by Logan's voice again.
The song was succeeded as winner in 1988 by Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
representing Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
with "Ne partez pas sans moi
Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi
"Ne partez pas sans moi" is the Swiss winning entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1988, performed by Céline Dion. It was released as a single in Europe on May 6, 1988...
". It was succeeded as Irish representative at the 1988 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1988
The Eurovision Song Contest 1988 was the 33rd Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 30 April 1988 in Dublin. The presenters were Pat Kenny and Michelle Rocca...
by Jump The Gun with "Take Him Home
Take Him Home
Take Him Home was the Irish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1988, performed in English by Jump The Gun.The song is a plea for global unity, with the singer exhorting his listeners that "So if you meet somebody, it might be someone I know/Brother, if he needs you, take him home"...
".
"Hold Me Now" is regarded by many fans as one of the high points of Contest history, recently being voted the third-best song in Eurovision history (behind "Waterloo" and "Nel blu dipinto di blu
Volare (song)
"Nel blu dipinto di blu" , popularly known as "Volare" , is Domenico Modugno's signature song....
").
Covers
The song has been covered by several performers, including a reggaeReggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
version by Tanya Stephens
Tanya Stephens
Vivienne Tanya Stephens, better known by her stage name Tanya Stephens is an influential reggae artist who emerged in the late 1990s...
. It has also been updated by Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
rapper Kaye Styles as "Don't Cry". This cover also features Logan performing the chorus of the song at a slightly faster tempo than the traditional version. The late Macedonian superstar Toše Proeski
Toše Proeski
Todor Toše Proeski was a Macedonian multi-genre singer, songwriter and actor. He was popular across the entire Balkan area and all around Eastern Europe, and locally he was considered a top act of the Macedonian music scene...
covered this song during his concerts.
McDonalds Advertising
The song was also used in an Irish advertising campaign launched by McDonald'sMcDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
toward the end of 2007. These ads feature Logan bursting into the room with a McDonald's bag in an effort to cheer a series of teens in humorous predicaments. Logan interrupts his singing to pose the question "Twisty Fries?" (among other products offered by McDonald's).
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 6 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 4 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 3 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 2 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 2 |
| UK Singles Chart | 2 |