Wahoo! It’s the Eurovision Song Contest! Break out the pork scratchings, crack open a few cans of Heineken, sit back and soak up several hours of high culture with erudite and witty commentary supplied by Sir Terry! You Merkins don’t know what you’re missing! 
Its true. I don’t know why the Eurovision Song Contest has never made it over to this side of the pond, not even to hear about it, or that it is even taking place. I remember Monty Python was constantly making fun of it. Could it be the European penchant for maudlin, predictable drivel? (e.g. David Hasselhoff was a megastar in Germany, a weak joke over here) Is this truly a culture clash? (why would anyone drink that Heineken bathwater when they have the finest of English ales to hand?)
Certainly a parting of the ways.
djm
well, tonight am watching something else:
and
but anyway, this is supposed to be swiss? where are the cows? where are the banks? the chocolate??
Amar, what is that junk? I hated it when it came out in the 80s. Who is coming out with this crap now? Why?
djm
don’t ask me man, it’s the swiss contribution to the contest.. 
why couldn’t these guys have a go? swiss heavy/death metal. 
(never heard of 'em..)
“Am I morbid?”
djm
Thank you so very much Amar, now I must go jam an ice pick in my temple so I don’t have to hear that cr@p anymore. Good bye cruel world. 
Mark
http://www.tv.com/father-ted/a-song-for-europe/episode/52891/summary.html
Have ye seen Fr Ted “a song for europe”?
its hilarious!
“My Lovely Horse” Lyrics:
My lovely horse,
running through the field.
Where are you going,
with your fetlocks blowing in the wind?
I want to shower you with sugar lumps,
and ride you over fences.
Polish your hooves every single day,
and bring you to the horse dentist.
My lovely horse,
you’re a pony no more.
Running around with a man on your back,
like a train in the night
like a train in the night…
The entries for “Song for Ireland 1996” were:
1 The Miracle is Mine
- Fr. Dick Byrne and Father Cyril McDuff
2 My Lovely Horse
- Fr. Ted Crilly and Fr. Dougal McGuire
3 If I could wear my Hat like my Heart
- The Grand Girls
4 You Dirty English Bastards
- The Hairy Bowsies
5 The Drums of Africa are calling me home
- Sean O’Brien
6 Sha la la la la la la la la la la la la
- Death Pigs (edit) Neil Hannon wrote the music for “My Lovely Horse.”
They should have entered it for a laugh, you never know what might have happened!! 
Wahhay!! Won by a bunch of Finns dressed up as monsters growling out a load of incomprehensible words. Brilliant!
Makes you proud to be a part of Western civilization, doesn’t it? 
djm
Well, it beats being American, at any rate. 
Bad heavy metal music.
Welcome to the 1980s, Eurovision.
Mukade
I take it you’re using the word “music” advisedly. 
Not only was Finland’s entry the best this year, but it was the best ever!
For the first (and maybe only) time in my life I was compelled to take part in the telephone vote. My faith in the British public was restored when we gave the Fins top marks.
The only downside was the booing directed at the Lithuanians because of their “we are the winners” song, just not cricket.
I didn’t watch it. I have a limited capacity for commercial Euro-muzak. There was a lot of interest in the Finnish Entry. I was slightly surprised to see that they won, and then realised I shouldn’t be.
Well done, the Finns. They’re dragged the Eurovision “Song” Contest a decade further on. Only two or three decades to catch up with the rest of us!
I suppose I’ll have to listen to what they sang, one of these days. No hurry…
But if you think about the regional differences in “popular” music across Europe: if they actually played the good regional stuff that people like, then close neighbours would hate it, and distant neighbours be completely confused or left cold. It would end up as a knife fight, instead of the Blind Man’s Buff it is now.
I sincerely hope you dont for a second think that this was actually a genuine “song” contest?
you do realise it is firmly tongue in cheek?
my lovely horse…
it was a great eurovision. Latvia, Germany, Lithuania and Denmark were all outstanding but Finland were simply amazing. By far the best thing I’ve seen on eurovision for years.
Germany? Hello? Those guys dressed up as cowboys? Heheh! It was certainly a high point of the evening, but not for the reasons the German band would have wanted!
Look on the bright side Steve,
The Soccer team might get a better placing.
Slan,
D.