JHONNY LOGAN - HOLD ME NOW

HOLD ME NOW

JHONNY LOGAN

SONGWRITER: JHONNY LOGAN

COUNTRY: IRELAND

ALBUM: REACH FOR ME

LABEL: EPIC RECORDS

GENRE: POP ROCK

YEAR: 1987

Seán Patrick Michael Sherrard(born 13 May 1954), better known by his stage name Johnny Logan, is an Irish singer and composer. He is known as being the only performer to have won the Eurovision Song Contest twice, in 1980 and 1987. He also composed the winning song in 1992.

Logan first won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980, with the song "What's Another Year" written by Shay Healy. In 1984, Logan composed the song "Terminal 3" which placed second at Eurovision, performed by Linda Martin. He won the contest for a second time in 1987 with "Hold Me Now", which he also wrote himself. His third win came in 1992, as composer of Linda Martin's winning entry "Why Me?".

"Hold Me Now" is a song composed and performed by Irish Singer Johnny Logan. It became the winner of the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest. Logan had previously won with "What's Another Year?" in the 1980 Contest and would go on to write the winner of the 1992 Contest("Why Me?" for Linda Martin for whom he had previously written "Terminal 3" at the 1984 Contest). The song is usually sung by Bohemians at home

matches in Dalymount Park.

In 2001, Logan released the Reach for Me with the first two tracks being revamped versions of his Eurovision winning songs which are titled in the album as "What's Another Year 2001" and "Hold Me Now 2001" in a revamped up-beta version. "Hold Me Now" from the album had a limited chart success in Denmark where it made it to #9 in the Hitlisten chart. It also made it to #54 in Swedish Sverigetopplistan Singles Chart.

The song was performed twentieth on the night, following Denmark's Anne-Cathrine Herdorf & Drengene with "En lille melodi" and preceding Yugoslavia's Novi Fosili with "Ja sam za ples". At the close of voting, it had received 172 points, placing 1st in a field of 22. After Logan had been proclaimed the winner with this song, he was overcome with emotion during the reprise and was unable to reach the high notes in this part of the song. As he had when he won in 1980 with "What's Another Year?", he shouted "I still love you, Ireland".

            Lyrically, the song is a ballad sung from the point of view of a man whose love interest is leaving him for someone else ("from now on you'll be with someone else instead of me"). The singer pleads with his girlfriend to "touch, touch me the way you used to do" in order to leave him with good memories of their relationship, even as they "fill this memory/for the last time".

        The chorus then tells the girl "don't say a word", as they prepare to part. Despite the sad nature of the parting, the singer says that "I will know/though we're apart/we'll always be together", which implies some sort of optimism on his part. The music (also composed by Logan) is that of a typical Eurovision power ballad, with the final chorus being introduced by a chorus of backing singers (Joan Lea, Karen Black and Alain Pentony) before they are joined by Logan's voice again.

The song was succeeded as winner in 1988 by Celine Dion representing Switzerland with "Ne partez pas sans moi". It was succeeded as Irish representative at the 1988 contest by Jump The Gun with "Take Him Home". "Hold Me Now" is regarded by many fans as one of the high points of Contest history, recently being voted the third-best song in Eurovision history (behind "Waterloo" and "Nel blu dipinto di blu").

Don't... don't close your heart to how you feel

Dream, and don't be afraid the dream's not real

Close your eyes, pretend it's just the two of us again

Make believe this moment's here to stay

Touch... touch me the way you used to do

I know tonight could be all I'll have with you

From now on, you'll be with someone else instead of me

So tonight, let's fill this memory

For the last time

Hold me now

Don't cry, don't say a word

Just hold me now

And I will know

Though we're apart, we'll always be together

Forever in love

What do you say when words are not enough?

Time... time will be kind once we're apart

And your tears... tears will have no place in your heart

I wish I... I could say how much I'll miss you when you're gone

How my love for you will go on and on and

Hold me now

Don't cry, don't say a word

Just hold me now

And try to understand that

I hope at last you've found

What you've been searchin' for

And though I won't be there anymore

I will always love you

(Hold me now)

(Don't cry,) don't say a word

Just hold me now

And I will know

Though we're apart, we'll always be together

Forever in love

What do you say when words are not enough?

What can I say

When my words are not enough.