1958 - Denmark
Performed by: Raquel Rastenni
Music by: Sven Ulrik, Harry Jensen
Lyrics by: Sven Ulrik, Harry Jensen
Conductor: Kai Mortensen
Language: Danish
Placing: 8th (3 points)
Raquel Rastenni was born in Copenhagen, and grew up in an apartment in the poor part of the city. Her Jewish parents immigrated to Denmark from Russia at the start of the 20th century. Her father was a tailor, and her mother was a seamstress.
She started her career as a dancer in the Helsingør Revue in 1936. She debuted as a singer in 1938 by being broadcast on radio. She sang with various orchestras through the early 1940s and in 1940 formed her own swing trio. That same year her first record was released. She also toured during these years in Sweden.
As a Jew, she fled Denmark in October 1943 along with her family, as the country had come under Nazi occupation. She spent the rest of the war years in Sweden where she continued having great success with her career, performing with orchestras and in cabarets and varieties. Her jazz singing style has been compared to that of Ella Fitzgerald.
She returned to Denmark in 1945 and became Denmark's leading female ballad singer. Among her successes were Vovsen i vinduet ("(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?") in 1953 and Heksedansen ("The Witch Dance") in 1960. Her best-selling song was Hele ugen alene ("Seven lonely days") in 1953, which sold over 120,000 copies. She was the first artist in Denmark to earn a gold record.
In addition to her Danish language recordings, she recorded also in Swedish, Yiddish and Hebrew.
After qualifying in the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix to represent Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest, she participated in Eurovision Song Contest 1958, where she sang Jeg rev et blad ud af min Dagbog (I Tore A Page Out Of My Diary). She ranked number 8.
She participated once more in the Danish Melodi Grand Prix, singing a duet with Grethe Sønck entitled Hjemme hos os ("At our home").
In the late 1980s, she retired from public life. She died 1998 in Skodsborg in the northern part of Sjælland four days before her 83rd birthday.
Lyrics:
Jeg rev et blad ud af min dagbog
Dengang du gik i vrede, så fortrød jeg
Fejlen var min - fornuften, tja... den snød mig
Det, vi havde sammen, var smukt og stort
Ved du, hvad jeg nu i dag har gjort?
Jeg rev et blad ud af min dagbog
Hvert lille ord har jeg fortrudt, du kære
Hvad nytter det, at jeg er bagklog
Hvis du syn's, alt skal være slut?
Prøv på at tilgi' mig, om også det er svært
Så vil jeg love dig, det aldrig hænder mere
Jeg rev et blad ud af min dagbog
Gør du li'sådan, min ven
Hader du mig, forsåvidt er der grund nok
Min jalousi, der var jeg mer' end ond nok
Prøv dog på at tilgi', at jeg var slem
Og hvis du er stor nok, ja, så glem
Jeg rev et blad ud af min dagbog
Hvert lille ord har jeg fortrudt, du kære
Hvad nytter det, at jeg er bagklog
Hvis du syn's, alt skal være slut?
Prøv på at tilgi' mig, om også det er svært
Så vil jeg love dig, det aldrig hænder mere
Jeg rev et blad ud af min dagbog
Gør du li'sådan, min ven
Gør du li'sådan, min ven
ENGLISH:
I tore a leaf out of my diary
When you left in anger, I regretted
The fault was mine - reason, well... it tricked me
What we had together, was beautiful and great
Do you know what I've done today?
I tore a leaf out of my diary
Every little word I regret, my dear
What's the use, that I'm wise afterwards
If you think, everything must come to an end?
Try to forgive me, even if it is hard
Then I'll promise you, that it will never happen again
I tore a leaf out of my diary
You do the same, my friend
If you hate me, really, you have a reason
My jealousy, I was more than mean
Do try to forgive, that I was bad
And if you're great enough, well then forget
I tore a leaf out of my diary
Every little word I regret, my dear
What's the use, that I'm wise afterwards
If you think, everything must come to an end?
Try to forgive me, even if it is hard
Then I'll promise you, that it will never happen again
I tore a leaf out of my diary
You do the same, my friend
You do the same, my friend