 "Liefde is een kaartspel" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Eurovision Song Contest 1996 entry | |
| Country | |
| Artist | |
| Language | |
| Composers | John Terra, Siirak Brogden |
| Lyricist | Daniël Ditmar |
| Conductor | Bob Porter |
| Finals performance | |
| Final result | 16th |
| Final points | 22 |
| Entry chronology | |
| ◄ "La voix est libre" (1995) | |
| "Dis oui" (1998) ► | |
"Liefde is een kaartspel" (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈlivdəʔɪsəŋˈkaːrtspɛl]; "Love is a Card Game") was theBelgian entry in theEurovision Song Contest 1996, performed inDutch byLisa del Bo.
The song was performed seventeenth on the night, following theNetherlands'Maxine &Franklin Brown with "De eerste keer" and precedingIreland'sEimear Quinn with "The Voice". At the close of voting, it had received 22 points, placing 16th in a field of 23.
The song features Del Bo likening love to a card game. She describes a relationship which appears not to have been based on honesty, which explains the metaphor. The song was recorded inDutch,French (as "Comme au jeu de cartes"),English ("Love is Like a Card Game") andGerman ("Liebe ist ein Kartenspiel").
Due to the contest's rapid expansion, entry in the1997 contest was limited to those countries with the best average scores over the past five years – a group of which Belgium again was not a member, the first time being at the1994 contest. As a "passive country" (one which broadcast but did not enter the contest), Belgium was, however, able to enter the 1998 edition. Thus, "Liefde is een kaartspel" was succeeded as Belgian representative at the1998 contest byMélanie Cohl singing "Dis oui".
The song became part of a controversy after it was claimed that the2001Swedish Eurovision entry "Listen to Your Heartbeat" was plagiarised from it. At first this was denied by the Swedish songwriters, one of whom wasThomas G:son, but after the Belgian songwriters and the author's organisationSABAM pressed for legal action, a cash settlement was agreed.[1][2]
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[3] | 2 |
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