The Euro Yard’s Eurovision Top 100 list throws you a curveball today with number 76, “Varjoon-suojaan” from Finland in 1967.
If you are an avid Eurovision fan, as I am sure some of you are, you have probably heard of Fredi. In fact, if you remember any of his songs, you might know his entry from 1976, “Pump-Pump.” That was a memorable, funky number, complete with him wearing a sequined blazer. Don’t get me wrong: It was a fun, campy mess of a song that I enjoyed, though I might have rather heard it in Finnish.
Bet you forgot about his first entry in 1967, if you even knew he had one. This song, not his more notorious later entry, was where I got to appreciate that he was an immensely talented singer.
Vital Information: “Varjoon-suojaan”
| Song | Varjoon-suojaan |
| English Translation | Shadow-shelter |
| Performed By | Fredi |
| Written By | Lasse Mårtenson, Alvi Vuorinen |
| Country | Finland |
| Year | 1967 |
| Language(s) Performed In | Finnish |
| How It Fared | 12th Place (3 Points) |
| Was It Fair? | A disgrace |
What I Liked
If you could get over the weirdness and irritation of Austria having those rotating mirrors in the background, you would be smacked in the face by the vocals. His voice was a little raw, sure, but that was raw power from a unique set of vocal cords. The first time I watched and rated this song, my jaw nearly hit the floor asking where the hell that voice came from – it was soon replaced by wanting to know how this only came in 12th place.
The lyrics are just great as well. From Eurovision World, a snippet of lines include “Into the shadow from the shameless spotlights / I want to get into the shadow, away from the company of the famous.” I love when songs at this contest avoid the cliché and dull, and Finland succeeded in 1967.
Other Facts
- Fredi would appear again at Eurovision nine years later with a new song, but he would compose their 1979 entry as well.
- Lasse Mårtenson, the songwriter, was Finland’s entry to Eurovision in 1964.
- Fredi performed eighth in the running order out of 17 songs.
In Case You Need to See “Varjoon-suojaan” for Yourself
Here is the link to Fredi’s 1967 Eurovision performance.
