There Must Be Another Way (Einaiych)
Encyclopedia
"There Must Be Another Way" is a song by Israel
i singers Noa
and Mira Awad
, and was Israel's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
, finishing 16th with 53 points. The song competed in the first semifinal on 12 May, qualifying for the final round. The song was composed by Noa, Awad, and Gil Dor, and contains lyrics in English
, Hebrew
and Arabic
.
Awad, an Arab-Israeli, and Noa, a Jewish-Israeli, performed it together as a song that emphasises hope and understanding through common humanity. The singers describe "There Must Be Another Way" not as a song of peace, but as a simple call to respect the humanity
of others.
The song also has a Hebrew title, "Einaiych" (Hebrew script
: עינייך; English
translation: "Your Eyes").
There was some controversy about the duo performing together for Eurovision. Several Jewish and Arab local artists and intellectuals called for Awad to step down because, in their view, her participation would convey a false impression of national coexistence that would be used to cover up the deaths of Palestinian
civilians in the Gaza Strip
. In an interview on National Public Radio, Awad acknowledged this criticism, and said, "We're not naïve enough to think that we're representing any existing situation. We are trying to show a possible situation that we believe is possible if we just make the necessary efforts."
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i singers Noa
Achinoam Nini
Achinoam Nini , also known by her professional name, Noa, is a leading Israeli international concert and recording artist.-Career:...
and Mira Awad
Mira Awad
Mīrā ’Anwar ‘Awaḍ is an Israeli Arab singer, actress, and songwriter.‘Awaḍ lives in Tel Aviv, Israel. In 2009, she was chosen to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest along with Jewish-Israeli singer Achinoam Nini, singing the song There Must Be Another Way. She was the first Arab to...
, and was Israel's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
, finishing 16th with 53 points. The song competed in the first semifinal on 12 May, qualifying for the final round. The song was composed by Noa, Awad, and Gil Dor, and contains lyrics 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...
, Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
and Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
.
Awad, an Arab-Israeli, and Noa, a Jewish-Israeli, performed it together as a song that emphasises hope and understanding through common humanity. The singers describe "There Must Be Another Way" not as a song of peace, but as a simple call to respect the humanity
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
of others.
The song also has a Hebrew title, "Einaiych" (Hebrew script
Hebrew alphabet
The Hebrew alphabet , known variously by scholars as the Jewish script, square script, block script, or more historically, the Assyrian script, is used in the writing of the Hebrew language, as well as other Jewish languages, most notably Yiddish, Ladino, and Judeo-Arabic. There have been two...
: עינייך; 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...
translation: "Your Eyes").
There was some controversy about the duo performing together for Eurovision. Several Jewish and Arab local artists and intellectuals called for Awad to step down because, in their view, her participation would convey a false impression of national coexistence that would be used to cover up the deaths of Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
civilians in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. In an interview on National Public Radio, Awad acknowledged this criticism, and said, "We're not naïve enough to think that we're representing any existing situation. We are trying to show a possible situation that we believe is possible if we just make the necessary efforts."
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Swiss Singles Chart | 93 |
External links
- Lyrics from the official Eurovision website
- English lyrics from Diggiloo Thrush
- Arab-Jewish duo chosen to represent Israel at Eurovision, by ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, HaaretzHaaretzHaaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...