Follow My Heart
| "Follow My Heart" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Ich Troje & Real McCoy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Format | CD Single | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | André Franke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Real McCoy singles chronology | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Follow My Heart" was the Polish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, performed in English, Polish, German, Russian and Spanish by Ich Troje and Real McCoy. This was the fourth year in succession that the Polish entry featured multiple languages; however, only in 2003 had the entry (also performed by Ich Troje) featured more than two languages.
Musically, the song is inspired by the Eurodance style of the 1990s, a style with which Real McCoy (the name only being applied to "O-Jay" Jeglitza following the dissolution of the band) is associated. In keeping with this style, Ich Troje's verses and choruses are sung, while Jeglitza performs a rap somewhat reminiscent of his band's earlier hit "Come And Get Your Love".
Lyrically, Jeglitza begins with a bilingual (Spanish and English) rap in which he tells a girl that "you're the one for me/Your love made me a believer" and asks her to "take my gasolina". Michał Wiśniewski then sings in Polish, begging his lover to "let me at least touch your hands", and tells her "I'll get to your heart, do you want it?" At this point, the lyrics switch to English, and feature all the members of Ich Troje singing that they will follow their hearts in order to be guided towards their lovers. After another Spanish rap from Jeglitza, Wiśniewski switches to German to sing that love can enable one to see the truth, before the band then sings in Russian that one must always listen to one's heart. The final chorus is then delivered in English again.
At the Contest, the members of Ich Troje were dressed flamboyantly in costumes inspired by European aristocracy of the 18th century. A number of them also wore or carried masquerade masks, continuing with the lyrical theme of masking one's true feelings.
Unusually, Jeglitza performed his parts from among the audience, rather than onstage with the rest of the group, only joining them at the end of the song. Wiśniewski ended the performance by bending down to draw attention to his wife Wiśniewska's pregnancy.
As Poland had not ended the 2005 Contest in the top ten, the song was performed in the semi-final. Here, it was performed twelfth (following Macedonia's Elena Risteska with "Ninanajna" and preceding Russia's Dima Bilan with "Never Let You Go"). At the close of voting, it had received 70 points, placing 11th in a field of 23 and missing out on qualification for the final by one place (and 6 points), thus requiring Poland to qualify through the semi-final at the next Contest.
It was succeeded as Polish representative at the 2007 Contest by The Jet Set with "Time To Party".
References
- Nikolai Galanov. "Nikolai Galanov official site". Retrieved 2007-02-28.