| "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" | |
|---|---|
 English release cover | |
| Single byIzhar Cohen and theAlphabeta | |
| Language | Hebrew |
| B-side | "Illusions" |
| Released | 1978 |
| Genre | Disco[1] |
| Length | 2:55 |
| Label | Polydor |
| Composer | Nurit Hirsh |
| Lyricist | Ehud Manor |
| Eurovision Song Contest 1978 entry | |
| Country | |
| Artists |
|
| As | Izhar Cohen and theAlphabeta |
| Language | |
| Composer | |
| Lyricist | |
| Conductor | Nurit Hirsh |
| Finals performance | |
| Final result | 1st |
| Final points | 157 |
| Entry chronology | |
| ◄ "Ahava Hi Shir Lishnayim" (1977) | |
| "Hallelujah" (1979) ► | |
"A-Ba-Ni-Bi" (Hebrew script:א-ב-ני-בי;bet-languagelanguage game for the wordאניaní, meaning "I" in Hebrew) is a song recorded by Israeli groupIzhar Cohen and theAlphabeta, with music composed byNurit Hirsh and Hebrew lyrics written byEhud Manor. Itrepresented Israel in theEurovision Song Contest 1978 held inParis, winning the contest.
"A-Ba-Ni-Bi" was composed byNurit Hirsh with lyrics byEhud Manor, a duo who had collaborated frequently in writing Israeli Eurovision entries, including the country's debut "Ey Sham". It is an up-tempodisco number, heralding a move towards this style of performance in later years. In addition to the version fully in Hebrew,Izhar Cohen and theAlphabeta recorded a version with English and Hebrew lyrics. The Alphabeta was a group of singers composed by two men, Reuven Erez and Itzhak Okev, and three women, Lisa Gold-Rubin, Nehama Shutan, and Esther Tzuberi.[2]
The song deals with the way in which children relate to love. Cohen sings that, growing up, "we loved secretly/Who were we nice to?—Just uncles and aunts" and that love was conducted secretly and "We whispered only in the 'bet language'". He compares this to adulthood, where he realises that "Love is a beautiful word" and that humanity should "speak in a language of love", instead of the language of secrecy. For this reason, the song uses the Bet language—a children'slanguage game where each syllable of the word is repeated with abet preceding the vowel. Thus, the Hebrewani ohev otach (אני אוהב אותך, "I love you") becomesa-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach. Mistakenly, the song title was captioned on screen at the contest as being "Ah-Bah-Nee-Bee" and was further confused in the UK singles market when listed on the official singles chart compiled by Music Week as "A-Bi-Ni-Bi". Musically, the song is somewhat unusual among Contest entries for ending almost immediately after the key change—most entries have either a bridge or a repetition of the chorus after this point.[2]
On 11 February 1978, "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" performed by Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta competed in thenational final that theIsraeli Broadcasting Authority (IBA) organized to select its song and performer for the23rd edition of theEurovision Song Contest. The song won the competition so it became theIsraeli entry –and Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta the performers– for Eurovision.[3]
On 22 April 1978, the Eurovision Song Contest was held at thePalais des Congrès inParis hosted byTélévision Française 1 (TF1) and broadcast live throughout the continent. Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta performed "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" eighteenth on the evening, followingLuxembourg's "Parlez-vous français?" byBaccara and precedingAustria's "Mrs. Caroline Robinson" bySpringtime. Nurit Hirsh conducted the event's live orchestra in the performance of the Israeli entry.[4]
At the close of voting, the song had received 157 points, placing first in a field of twenty, and winning the contest. The song received points from every other voting country exceptSweden, including six sets of maximum 12 points.[5] This was Israel's first Eurovision win, and it was succeeded in1979 as contest winner and as Israeli entry by "Hallelujah" byMilk and Honey. Israel thus became the third country, afterSpain (1968 and1969) and Luxembourg (1972 and1973), to win the contest in two successive years.
It was reported that several broadcasters of the non-participating Arab countries who were broadcasting the contest, cut abruptly the broadcast when it was clear Israel was going to win.Jordanian television cut the broadcast and showed pictures of flowers.[6]
Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta[a] performed their song in the Eurovision twenty-fifth anniversary showSongs of Europe held on 22 August 1981 inMysen.[7] Izhar Cohen returned to Eurovision in the1985 contest held inGothenburg with "Olé, Olé", finishing fifth in a field of nineteen.[8]
The song was performed as part of amedley of favorites in the opening number of the Eurovision fiftieth anniversary competitionCongratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest, held on 22 October 2005 inCopenhagen,[9] and in the opening number of the semi-final of the2006 contest, held on 18 May 2006 inAthens.[10]
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11] | 21 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] | 6 |
| France (IFOP)[13] | 25 |
| Germany (GfK)[14] | 22 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] | 12 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] | 17 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[17] | 9 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] | 4 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[19] | 20 |
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"A-Ba-Ni-Bi" was covered byGrup Vitamin, Turkish parody music group as "Acaba bu ne baba be?" ("I wonder what is this dad, hey?" in Turkish) inAşkın gözyaşları ("Tears of Love"), which was their 1994 album.
A Chinese version performed byShiao Lih-ju, titled "迎著風的女孩" ("The Girl Facing the Wind" in Chinese), was released in 1980. A cover byHarlem Yu of the Chinese version was released in 2009.
A parody of the song, with identical Hebrew lyrics in the first two lines and two lines in Mandarin Chinese, was used as the opening song of Hong Kong broadcasterTVB's 2009 game show Boom Boom Ba.
The song was performed in 2018, on aone-stringed guitar by Israeli singerNetta Barzilai[20] who won theEurovision Song Contest 2018.
The song was covered by:
It was also parodied as "I wanna be a polar bear" (intentionally misheard lyrics).
A Thai rendition of the song, performed by Thai singer Hongtong Daoudon,[21] was featured on the third season ofThe White Lotus.
| Preceded by | Eurovision Song Contest winners 1978 | Succeeded by |
