Vrede (song)
Encyclopedia
"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
.
The song is an up-tempo number, with musical influences from the urban styles rising to prominence at the time. Among these influences is the first appearance of DJ
scratching
(in the instrumental
break) in Contest history. Mention is also made in the liner notes to the Congratulations
CDs and DVDs that Jacott and her backing singers wore costumes inspired by science fiction
.
Lyrically, Jacott sings about the successes that humanity has experienced through science and how beneficial they appear to be. She cites the fact that "something is done to the asphalt" on roads to make braking easier in cars, as well as genetically engineered
apples, heavier-than-air flight and "a lightbulb that never burns out" among other triumphs. Importantly, however, she concludes the chorus with the comment that none of these things will help "to keep the peace", suggesting that solidarity among the human race is more important than scientific progress.
An English-language version was also recorded, with the title of "Einstein
In Reverse", which expands further on the theme of the Dutch original, making the points more explicitly.
The song was performed twentieth on the night (following the United Kingdom
's Sonia with "Better The Devil You Know
" and preceding Croatia
's Put
with "Don't Ever Cry
"). At the close of voting, it had received 92 points, placing 6th in a field of 25.
As previously mentioned, the song appeared as a "Classic" on the CDs and DVDs produced to coincide with the Congratulations special in late 2005.
It was succeeded as Dutch representative at the 1994 contest
by Willeke Alberti
with "Waar is de zon?".
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...
entry in 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"...
, cowritten by Eric van Tijn
Eric van Tijn
Eric Job van Tijn is a Dutch music producer and judge on the Dutch versions of the music competitions Idols and X Factor....
, Jochem Fluitsma
Jochem Fluitsma
Jochem Fluitsma , is a Dutch music producer and musician. With Eric van Tijn, he is also part of the successful musical writing duo Fluitsma & Van Tijn...
and performed in Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
by 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...
.
The song is an up-tempo number, with musical influences from the urban styles rising to prominence at the time. Among these influences is the first appearance of DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
scratching
Scratching
Scratching is a DJ or turntablist technique used to produce distinctive sounds by moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable while optionally manipulating the crossfader on a DJ mixer. While scratching is most commonly associated with hip hop music, since the late 1980s, it has been used...
(in the instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
break) in Contest history. Mention is also made in the liner notes to the Congratulations
Congratulations (Eurovision)
Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest was a television programme organised by the European Broadcasting Union to commemorate the Eurovision Song Contest's fiftieth anniversary and to determine the Contest's most popular entrant of its fifty years. It took place at Forum,...
CDs and DVDs that Jacott and her backing singers wore costumes inspired by science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
.
Lyrically, Jacott sings about the successes that humanity has experienced through science and how beneficial they appear to be. She cites the fact that "something is done to the asphalt" on roads to make braking easier in cars, as well as genetically engineered
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
apples, heavier-than-air flight and "a lightbulb that never burns out" among other triumphs. Importantly, however, she concludes the chorus with the comment that none of these things will help "to keep the peace", suggesting that solidarity among the human race is more important than scientific progress.
An English-language version was also recorded, with the title of "Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
In Reverse", which expands further on the theme of the Dutch original, making the points more explicitly.
The song was performed twentieth on the night (following the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Sonia with "Better The Devil You Know
Better the Devil You Know (Sonia song)
"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 . This single's B-side "Not What I Call Love" appeared on Sonia's...
" and preceding Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
's Put
Put (band)
Put is a Croatian pop band from Rijeka.It was selected from members of Putokazi, in order to appear at 1993 Eurovision Song Contest as the very first representative of independent Croatia, singing "Don't Ever Cry"....
with "Don't Ever Cry
Don't Ever Cry
"Don't Ever Cry" was the Croatian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1993, performed partly in English and partly in Croatian by Put. This was Croatia's debut as an independent nation in the Eurovision Song Contest....
"). At the close of voting, it had received 92 points, placing 6th in a field of 25.
As previously mentioned, the song appeared as a "Classic" on the CDs and DVDs produced to coincide with the Congratulations special in late 2005.
It was succeeded as Dutch representative at the 1994 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1994
The Eurovision Song Contest 1994 was the 39th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 30 April 1994 in the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The presenters were Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Gerry Ryan. The pair hosted the evening in French, English and Irish...
by Willeke Alberti
Willeke Alberti
Willeke Alberti is a Dutch singer and actress, the daughter of entertainer and singer Willy Alberti.-Biography:...
with "Waar is de zon?".