Wild Youth will represent Ireland at Eurovision 2023 with the song “We Are One”.
After a three year non-qualification streak, the Emerald Isle is hoping to change its fortune in Liverpool. Wild Youth will perform in semi-final 1 this May as they hope to bring the crown home for Ireland.
“We Are One” is an anthemic track about unity and celebrating diversity.
Scroll down for “We Are One” lyrics.
Ireland in Eurovision 2023: Wild Youth with “We Are One”
Wild Youth — that’s David Whelan, Conor O’Donohoe, Ed Porter and Callum McAdam — are set to fly the Irish flag at Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool this May. The boys formed the band in 2016 in Dublin, and released their debut single “All Or Nothing” in 2017. Following the success of their first single, Wild Youth went on to tour with superstar names including Niall Horan, Westlife, and Lewis Capaldi.
The band earned the prestigious Irish Eurovision ticket upon their victory at The Late Late Show Eurosong. Wild Youth picked up top marks from the national jury and the public televote and placed second with the international jury, scoring a grand total of 34 points and beating out fan favourite Connolly by a slim two point margin.
What do the “We Are One” lyrics mean?
“We Are One” is a call to celebrate diversity. The title — coincidentally — harkens back to the Eurovision 2013 slogan, following the themes of togetherness, unity, and inclusion. With lyrics like “you might be a leader, I might be a freak”, Wild Youth remind us that all humans live under the same sun despite coming from different walks of life.
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“We Are One” lyrics – Wild Youth (Ireland Eurovision 2023)
Songwriters: Conor O’Donohoe, Ed Porter, Jörgen Elofsson
We take our first breath
And we exhale
Though we give it all we got
Until we fail
We get back up again
We take a look around
Oh, life can be a long road
But at least we’re not alone
We might be different, we might be unique
You might be a leader, I might be a freak
And we might be different
But under the falling sun
Tonight we are one
We are one
When we rise, we rise like the sun
When we go down, we go down, we go down, we go down
We take our first step
And then we fall
But still we keep on going
Climbing every wall
We keep on fighting
Turning every stone
And life can be a long road
At least we’re not alone
We might be different, we might be unique
You might be a leader, I might be a freak
And we might be different
But under the falling sun
Tonight we are one
We are one
When we rise, we rise like the sun
When we go down, we go down, we go down
We are one
(We might be different, we might be unique)
We are one
(You might be a leader, I might be a freak)
We are one
(And we might be different
But under the falling sun)
Tonight we are one
(We might be different, we might be unique)
We are one
(You might be a leader, I might be a freak)
When we rise, we rise like the sun
When we go down, we go down, we go down, we go down
We are one
What do you think of the “We Are One” lyrics? How will Ireland fair at Eurovision? Share your thoughts below.
I just cant with this one- analyzing these lyrics is VERY painful. Garbage.
To be fair, the majority of ESC songs have rubbish lyrics, this is what happens when you reduce things down to the lowest common denominator in an effort to appeal to as many people as possible.
It’s horrible. Sounds like a pre 2000 entry
The song has everything going for it to become a good entry except for the lyrics which is a little too love-love-peace for a Eurovision song written in 2023/2022.
This is so ironic considering how dull and basic this song is lmao
Ireland… the land of poets & scholars.
But when it comes to Eurovision, they’re the land of AI-generated lyrics.
I agree (and I’m Irish) a big part of the reason is that most Irish people don’t have a particularly high opinion of ESC and if they do watch it, it’s only to make fun at how awful it is. No serious, established, self respecting Irish musician would touch it. I’ve been a fan for 50 years but as each year passes I have less and less interest. The last few years I have the remote in my hand and dip in and out of it. It should be called the “Eurovision Desperation Contest” as the majority of the acts… Read more »
Lyrics:
“We are Ooooooonnnnnnne!!!!”
“We’re NOT gonna qualify from…Semi Final Onnnnnnne!!!
There are currently 6 songs in semi-final 1 so far and I already forgot that this one was there… not a good sign…
I can’t beleive this one is the best so far in semi1.
I haven’t listened to any songs at all am glad to say because I already know
1 they are all the same
2 none of you can actually remember or sing last years winner either
That’s how lame this whole event is
Well, I think it’s safe to say that Jennifer Wilson is a Wild Youth fan and not a Eurovision fan.
Just love all the experts here about non qualification
I can’t wait to hear the crap that comes from the other countries which will be glorified here as fantastic
You guys are all a bit biased I have to say and totally forget the audience who vote
They are not YOU
No.
While the song is rather uninspired, I can’t deny that the studio cut is pleasant to listen to and the instrumental is great in my opinion. Perhaps this is a sleeper people aren’t aware of, but who knows? No one expected Ryan to qualify from 2018’s killer semifinal either until it happened
Such a basic song. Really not holding my breath with this one.
curious to see if staging maybe can help it but right now this is DOA. Simples.
The song is dull and currently my last place; however the National final provided me with a great deal of entertainment just due to the sheer incompetence of it all. Anyone want some meridian peanut butter?
I don’t get why a band with some fairly decent discography decided to get toneurovision with their most lame song
They misunderstood the assignment. They thought they had to dilute their true selves to fit in. The opposite is true.
I get the sense that that’s what they think Eurovision is.
This song is cliché, generic, bland and done to death. All pretentious lyrics like “we are one” and “we rise like the sun” make me want to scream!
It’s another non-qualification for Ireland. At least RTÉ will be spared from the expenses of staying an extra 4 days
Hot like fire absolute kills me.
Wonder how many “Hot Like Fire”, “Hot like the sun” lyrics we get this year, it’s about as predictable as Cyprus’ 12 points to Greece
At least it’s not fire and desire!
And higher, don’t forget higher.
The line “We go down” repeated adnauseum probably sums it up best.
Wow! it’s so original, so refreshing to hear this song! /s
Its too cliche
I like the vibe of the song, any song can Q to the final or NQ.. most of the songs in the 1SF are on the same level..
if this opens the semi, has great chance of qualifying, since its only the public. Although UK aren’t voting it might struggle. I hope they sing in the original key of the audio version and not the late late version and a Major revamp
I have a strong feeling this will open the semi. I’m very curious about what they will do with the revamp. A lot can be done with an effective revamp.
Is it getting a revamp for sure?
Really crossing my fingers for one
Yeah. Conor, the guy who sings the song, confirmed it on twitter. He said stuff about how he will re look at some parts of the song, it will be revamped and maybe a drum solo? But we’ll have to see.
That’s a possibility. I don’t know. It looks like they may have got moncrieff in to help wiry the revamp so it’s possible they’re relooking at the lyrics but that’s all the info I have. And that Ian Banham will do the stage, which was announced today. We’ll just have to wait to hear the changes made. I wouldn’t rule out some lyrics in the verses changed.
I’ve never heard the name Ian Banham before, so I just looked him up on Twitter. He seems horrible. Hates vaccines, makes fun of Sam Smith, lambasts the “MSM”…
Oh this sounds “entertaining”
Like why? Why do we enter ESC at all? It’s self harm at this stage.
Is he Irish? He seems to love Nigel Farage. Also an Andrew Tate fan. Sad, I was actually warming to Wild Youth.
Now I am more.
You should hardly judge wild youth by the stage director’s twitter. They all seem very much the opposite. Even now they’re promoting a protest because of the murder of a trans girl. They seem like good really good people. So do not put that man’s views on them. RTE probably just got him because he’s already working on dancing with the stars. Plus, I’m not seeing any Andrew tate stuff at all on his twitter page. How far did you scroll?
Too far. I don’t know why I do this to myself, he is not worth it. I searched on twitter for “Ian Banham Eurovision” and there’s a tweet from him the morning after Torino congratulating the UK on their win. It’s a song contest, not a “support” contest, he says. Sad.
Also, of course I don’t mean to blame the band for his views. I’m sure they are lovely people. I’ll just find it hard to root for a team with this man on it. He’s the wrong man for the job. I’m done with him now, I’ve given him enough of my time.
Wait…that sounds good. Sam Smith in that constume was a JOKE!
That’s rare for someone in that industry to have THOSE views…
I think more people would actually remember it if it opened!
There is a universality to these lyrics and this act. The song will fit perfectly into the scenario of a performance at the Eurovision Song Contest.
I could never choose to listen to this outside of that context, but the song is in the right context, so it is definitely not dead on arrival in a competitive sense.
Lyrical masterpiece. Pure poetry. Groundbreaking stuff.
Exactly, even the Beatles themselves would have been envious of what this Wild Youth have managed to put together here, truly riveting.
She loves you, yeah yeah yeah. The Beatles started out small too, the only way is up!
The lyrics are not bad on their own. The issue is that the same or similar phrases have been used by many other songs, inside and outside of ESC, to convey similar feelings. When the song is lyrically *this standard*, the melody and the performance either make it or break it. Everything in that godawful national staging in Ireland looked and sounded much worse than it would have in a selection with a stronger production team behind it. Thus, I can’t yet give my definitive impression on this song.
Bad lyrics can be good. If it makes people listening feel something.
They are certainly not great. The lack of innovation is, however, what’s the most disappointing part. They wouldn’t feel so bad if you haven’t heard them with little to no variety in so many other songs.
Ikke Huftgold from Germany agrees. 🙂
But this doesn’t matter – it’s an anthem and if it qualifies the teenieboppers will love it and it will make top 5
I don’t think so
Really !!!
Still sounds like the best Ireland’s ESC entry since Jedward’s Lipstick.
That was Brooke fr fr no cap
I just thought of it as a song about the unity of being in a crowd at a music concert. A chance to forget your troubles, if only for a little while. Nothing more.
This band looks nothing like different, freaks or unique in my eyes, just basic boyband material which makes this song a bit ironic. I’d like Ireland to qualify some year, but I don’t know if this is enough? Maybe?