Testing 123? Another interpretation for Sweden 2011

Testing 123, testing 123? It is my first actual post (and not just hanging up a welcome sign).

While we’re waiting for news of where next year’s contest will be hosted (Copenhagen, Herning, Fredericia, or Horsens) and who will participate (Valentina for a 3rd time, anyone?), it’s time to look at some Eurovision flashbacks.

Sweden 2011-Eric Saade- Popular
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfx0OMM2u0A

I’d like to apologise in advance to everyone who ranked Sweden first in 2011, because I wasn’t a fan of the song. It also didn’t really help that Eurovision occurred a few days after AP testing season, and that “popular” had the same amount of syllables as “calculus.” As a result, I had the song playing on the Ohrwurm Network playing for days and couldn’t stand the lyrics at the time. Although I’m still not a fan of the song, the tune is a good Ohrwurm/earworm that I can put up with while running. However, in order for me not to cringe at the lyrics, I can’t interpret them literally. The good thing is that it’s possible to look at the song from a different point of view, e.g. a historical perspective.
Before winning for a 5th time in 2012, Sweden underwent a short period in which their placement in the song contest sank lower and lower until failing to qualify for the final in 2010:

2005: Las Vegas, 19th place
2006: Invincible, 5th place
2007: The Worrying Kind, 18th place
2008: Hero, 18th place
2009: La Voix, 21st place
2010: This is My Life, DNQ (did not qualify- 11th place in semifinal)

Given only the scores from these 6 years (bar Carola’s 5th place), it would seem nearly impossible for Sweden to win again. Despite the numbers looking pretty bad, Eric Saade managed to turn things around with a self-fulfilling prophesy.

“Stop, don’t say that it’s impossible, ‘cause I know it’s possible” =If you constantly think you’re going to fail, you are going to fail. It’s a self-fulfilling prophesy. So we’re going to think positive thoughts in order to let you think we’ll do better.”
“Though I know you never look my way, I can say you will one day”= “Don’t just look at our bad scores these last few years, because we will win some time in the near future. And the Eurovision fans will come to Sweden when we host.”
“I will be popular”= “Sweden will win the competition.”
“My body wants you, girl”= Please give us lots of 12 points!

Sweden may not have won in 2011, placing 3rd behind Azerbaijan and Italy, but they won in 2012 with a record amount of douze pointe from 18 countries and newly-found morale picked up from the year before.