Israel’s national final for Eurovision 2021 in Rotterdam was long and confusing with many twists and turns in format. Eventually, though, it all came down to a three-song showdown on 25 January. “Set Me Free” emerged on top.
Eden Alene will perform the track on 18 May 2021 in semi-final one.
Scroll down for “Set Me Free” lyrics
Israel in Eurovision 2021: Eden Alene “Set Me Free”
Eden Alene, who comfortably won Israel’s 2020 artist selection, has been a long time waiting for her chance to go to Rotterdam. After a four-song national final in 2020, “Feker Libi” was chosen to represent Israel. However, as the EBU announced the cancellation of the contest, KAN opted for a new selection format.
The Israeli broadcaster received 220 songs for the selection, whittled them down to nine demos, and kicked off the selection. Online voting took place, deciding the final three entries. The landslide winner was “Set Me Free”.
According to EuroMix, we should expect changes in the song, likely a revamp, especially considering the extremely low placement in which Israel found themselves in the betting odds. According to songstress Eden Alene herself, everything about the performance — from outfits to choreography — will be decided soon. She and KAN will get everything sorted out by May. This, according to Israeli media, will be in response to the grim betting odds. Alene plans to perform the song live before rehearsals start, but doesn’t know when nor where.
KAN has confirmed on Twitter that the song has an alternate version entirely in Hebrew. The Hebrew version, titled “Khofshiya” (Hebrew for “free”), hasn’t been ruled out as the final Eurovision version. The Hebrew lyrics also suggest the bridge would be structured differently. The lyrics of both versions are available on KAN’s site and will be listed below in this article.
What do the “Set Me Free” lyrics mean?
The lyrics, written by Haifa-based duo Ido Netzer and Amit Mordechai and Noam Zlatin, discuss coming out of an abusive relationship. While this is clearer in the Hebrew variation of the song, the English lyrics point in that direction too.
In the first verse, Eden sings: “Feeling like [I’m] in prison, looking for the reason I don’t wanna say goodbye”. This type of Stockholm Syndrome-ish love keeps the protagonist chained and she can’t tell why she’s still there. That opening verse fades away into the chorus with Eden finally freeing herself and leaving. “Used to be your treasure, now I’m gone forever”, she sings as the hook builds up.
The Hebrew lyrics of the chorus present a different sentiment than the English ones. In the version we know, Eden sings: “Set me free, feel my beating heart in perfect harmony, don’t let me down”. It’s not entirely clear who Eden is singing to or what she means by these lyrics, but the Hebrew lyrics give a different perspective. They translate to: “Free, come feel my heartbeat in every second, free again”. That then goes more in line with “Imma make it on my own”, showing the singer stepping out of the shadow and into the light, leaving the toxic relationship behind.
“Set Me Free” lyrics — Eden Alene (Israel ESC 2021)
Songwriters: Noam Zlatin, Ido Netzer, Amit Mordechai, and Ron Carmi
Take a look what we’ve become, it’s been so long
Getting you out of my life I feel so strong
Set me free
Feel my beating heart in perfect harmony
Don’t let me down
Feeling like in prison
Looking for the reason
I don’t wanna say goodbye
Feels like no tomorrow
Everywhere that I go
Babe I’m gonna lose my mind
Just another story
Tell me not to worry
And everything will be just fine
Used to be your treasure
Now I’m gone forever
Think I’m going back in time
Set me free
Feel my beating heart in perfect harmony
Don’t let me down
Oh, oh, oh imma make it on my own
Oh, oh, oh chalas im hashiga’on
Oh, oh, oh I’ma make it on my own
Oh, oh, oh chalas im hashiga’on
Life has been so easy
Used to call us cheesy
It was paradise in my bed so lonely
You’re the one and only
Hello I know I paid the price
Clock is ticking tik-tak
Everything is chik-chak
And I don’t know what to do
People tell me honey
Yalla balaganim
One day dreams will become true
Set me free
Feel my beating heart in perfect harmony
Don’t let me down, oh
Set me free
Feel my beating heart in perfect harmony
Don’t let me down
Oh, oh, oh imma make it on my own
Oh, oh, oh chalas im hashiga’on
Oh, oh, oh I’ma make it on my own
Oh, oh, oh chalas im hashiga’on
I’m so awesome, come and get some
What are we living for? (Oh)
I’m your reason, spicy season
Like we did before
Come let me take you high and set the place on fire
Twenty twenty-one degrees
Feel my beating heart and
Set me free
Set me free
Feel my beating heart in perfect harmony
Don’t let me down
Set me free
Feel my beating heart in perfect harmony
Don’t let me down
Just set me free
Hebrew lyrics
תסתכל איך שהזמן שינה הכל
בלעדיך חזקה יותר מכל
חופשייה
בוא תרגיש, הלב פועם בכל שנייה
שוב חופשייה
מרגישה בכלא
אין דברים כאלה
איך אתה כובל אותי
אין יותר תקווה
ואין לאן ללכת
קצת יוצאת מדעתי
story מעלה עוד
don’t worry כותבת שם
החיים עוברים מהר
הייתי רק שלך
עכשיו כבר לא איתך
יוצאת כבר לסיפור אחר
חופשייה
בוא תרגיש
הלב פועם בכל שנייה
שוב חופשייה
או ,או או
אין בזה כל הגיון
או, או ,או
חלאס עם השגעון
לא רוצה ביחד, קצתי מהפחד
קצת נגמר לי האוויר
במיטה יושבת, כל הזמן חושבת
ששילמתי ת’מחיר
השעון רץ תיק תק
הכל קרה בצ׳יק צ׳ק
לא משנה מה שהיה
honey די לקרוא לי
יאללה באלאגנים
עכשיו אני שוב חופשייה
או, או ,או
אין בזה כל הגיון
או ,או ,או
חלאס עם השגעון
תמיד לחיות
פשוט להיות
פשוט להיות
כי זה נגמר
זמנך עבר
זה סתם היה
חופשייה
חופשייה
בוא תרגיש
הלב פועם בכל שנייה
חופשייה
בוא תרגיש
הלב פועם בכל שנייה
שוב חופשייה
חופשייה
Hebrew transliteration
Tistakel ekh shehazman shina hakol
Biladeikha khazaka yoter mikolKhofshiya
Bo targish halev po’em bekhol shniya
Shuv khofshiya
Margisha bakele, ein dvarim ka’ele
Eikh ata kovel oti
Ein yoter tikva, ve’ein le’an lalekhet
Ktzat yotzet mida’ati
Ma’ala od Story
Kotevet sham Don’t Worry
Hakhayim ovrim maher
Hayiti rak shelkha, akhshav kvar lo itkha
Yotzet kvar lesipur akher
Khofshiya
Bo targish halev po’em bekhol shniya
Shuv khofshiya
Oh, oh, oh
Ein beze kol higayon
Oh, oh, oh
Khalas im hashiga’on
Oh, oh, oh
Ein beze kol higayon
Oh, oh, oh
Khalas im hashiga’on
Lo rotza beyakhad, katzti mehapakhad
Ktzat nigmar li ha’avir
Bamita yoshevet, kol hazman khoshevet
Sheshilamti ‘t’hamekhir
Hasha’on ratz tik tak, ‘kol kara bechik chak
Lo m’shane ma shehaya
Dai likrotz li motek, yalla balaganim
Akhshav ani shuv khofshiya
Khofshiya
Bo targish halev po’em bekhol shniya
Shuv khofshiya
Khofshiya
Bo targish halev po’em bekhol shniya
Shuv khofshiya
Oh, oh, oh
Ein beze kol higayon
Oh, oh, oh
Khalas im hashiga’on
Oh, oh, oh
Ein beze kol higayon
Oh, oh, oh
Khalas im hashiga’on
Tamid likhiyot
Pashut lihiyot
Pashut lihiyot
Ki ze nigmar
Zmankha avar
Ze stam haya
Khofshiya
Khofshiya
Bo targish halev po’em bekhol shniya
Shuv khofshiya
Khofshiya
Bo targish halev po’em bekhol shniya
Shuv khofshiya
Khofshiya
Hebrew lyrics translated to English
Look how time has changed everything
Without you I’m strong than everFree
Come feel my heart beating in every second
Free again
Feeling like I’m in prison, there’s nothing like it
How you chain me
There’s no more hope, and there’s nowhere to go
Losing my mind a little
Uploading another Story
Writing there “don’t worry,
Life goes by quickly”
Used to be only yours, now I’m no longer with you
Moving on to a different story
Free
Come feel my heart beating in every second
Free again
Oh, oh, oh
This makes no sense
Oh, oh, oh
Enough with the madness
Oh, oh, oh
This makes no sense
Oh, oh, oh
Enough with the madness
I don’t want (to be) together, the fear killed me
I’m slightly out of breath
In bed I sit, always thinking
That I paid the price
The clock goes tik tak, it all happened in a split second
Doesn’t matter what happened
Stop winking at me honey, bring on the craziness
Now I’m free again
Free
Come feel my heart beating in every second
Free again
Oh, oh, oh
This makes no sense
Oh, oh, oh
Enough with the madness
Oh, oh, oh
This makes no sense
Oh, oh, oh
Enough with the madness
Always living
Just being
Just being
Because it’s done
Your time is over
This was for nothing
Free
Free
Come feel my heart beating in every second
Free again
Free
Come feel my heart beating in every second
Free again
Free
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What do you think of the “Set Me Free” lyrics? Is it your favourite Eurovision 2021 entry so far? Let us know in the comments below!
Israel switched to English back in 2015 as a matter of principle and while we’ve seen a tiny bit of Hebrew and Arabic slang and onomatopoeia in ‘Toy’, ‘Feker Libi’ took it to another level with one line in Amharic,one in Hebrew and one in a make-belief African language repeated at least twice while English remained the dominant language. ‘Set Me Free’ followed that notion with the repetition of Hebrew/Arabic words or combination of words. There is zero chance the Hebrew version will win the day because the phonology doesn’t resonate right with the flow of the song. There is… Read more »
This needs a revamp and probably should switch to Hebrew. Eden is a top performer and has the capability to do really well but she can’t do it by herself!
Though I agree the lyrics are about leaving a toxic relationship, they would benefit from a more logical line of thinking. One minute she’s celebrating her freedom, the other she’s torturing herself with her past, then she’s happy again. Though it’s normal to be in this feelings’ rollercoaster when we’re breaking up, the melody never accompanies her confusion, it’s always a happy tune. I didn’t know there’s a hebrew version. I would probably change for that then. They actually convey the idea better.
The lyrics seem a bit all over the place in English – is she talking to her old boyfriend or a new one? Whereas in Hebrew it’s clear she’s talking to her ex. From that perspective alone I would suggest a change to Hebrew.
Obviously it’s Eden’s and KAN’s decision, but I think that going full Hebrew (and maybe adding a bit of Amharic in for good measure) would improve this song drastically. It would bring Israel solidly back into the mix for qualification. Plus, I think we all really want Amharic at Eurovision just as much as Eden does.
Ok, I really hope they go with Khofshiya. I don’t like Set Me Free, but i’d like it just that bit more if it were in Hebrew.
I would prefer the Hebrew version. It makes it sound more distinct