Picture: LRT

Monika Linkyte will sing “Stay” for Lithuania at Eurovision 2023.

After her win in Pabandom iš Naujo, Monika Linkyte is hoping to keep the Lithuanian language firmly in the Eurovision grand final with her uplifting bilingual ballad. 

Scroll down to read the “Stay” lyrics.

Lithuania in Eurovision 2023: Monika Linkyte with “Stay”

Monika Linkyte is a 30-year-old singer songwriter from Gargzdai, Lithuania. A dedicated veteran to Lithuania’s Eurovision selection, she competed in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, until it was sixth time lucky in 2015. She represented her country at Eurovision 2015 alongside Vaidas Baumila and ultimately placed 18th in the grand final with their heartwarming pop-folk number “This Time”.

Since then she’s become a household name in Lithuania, scoring multiple platinum records and winning awards for Best Song, Best Album and Best Female Act at the Lithuanian Music Awards.

After withdrawing from Lithuania’s Pabandom iš Naujo in 2022 due to health reasons, she returned this year for another shot at Eurovision glory. And after a nail biting finish, it was Monika who rained victorious, and hence will be representing Lithuania at Eurovision 2023 with the uplifting ballad “Stay”.

What do the “Stay” lyrics mean?

“Stay” is an anthem of pain and healing. The verses touch on the struggles of growing up with pain, and suppressing it within. However, the song also touches on acknowledging pain in order to overcome it — “I had to taste it and embrace it” –- offering a glimmer of hope.

She pleas to her loved one to stay with her and be patient with her scars. The chorus “finally my heart is beating” is a sigh of relief, showing that slowly but surely, the healing process happens.

The hook “Čiūto tūto” is in the Lithuanian language. It’s an old phrase which was used in religious rituals when people would stand in a circle and sing traditional folk songs. It harks back to Lithuania’s ancient ethinc origins, and is a call to hear your inner self, from your heart. This follows Monika’s strong national identity in the performance, adorned with Baltic amber and dressed head to toe in the same colour.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Monika Linkyte (@monikalinkyte)

“Stay” lyrics – Monika Linkyte (Eurovision 2023 Lithuania)

I’ve carried sadness with me
I hid it well since sixteen
And all the crying, all the fighting
It kept putting out the fire
That burned so bright within me

As I look back to all those years
To broken dreams disguising fear
Being someone that I’m really not

Just stay with me
My heart is bleeding
I need your healing

Wait for me
Well, it ain’t easy
To love someone like me

Čiūto tūto, čiūto tūto, čiūto tūto
Finally my heart is beating
Čiūto tūto, čiūto tūto, čiūto tūto
Finally my heart is beating

I took it all on myself
I asked for nobody’s help
Had to taste it and embrace it
All the bitterness of failure
To find myself within me

Just stay with me
My heart is bleeding
I need your healing
Wait for me
Well, it ain’t easy
To love someone like me

Čiūto tūto, čiūto tūto, čiūto tūto
Finally my heart is beating
Čiūto tūto, čiūto tūto, čiūto tūto
Finally my heart is beating

Just stаy

Just stay

Čiūto tūto, čiūto tūto, čiūto tūto
Čiūto tūto, čiūto tūto, čiūto tūto

What do you think of Monika Linkyte’s “Stay” lyrics? Will they be chanting their way to the grand final in Liverpool? Let us know in the comments below!

26 Comments
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Martin
Martin
1 year ago

I love this song. Monika reminds me of Sarah Harding a lot.

Robe
Robe
1 year ago

Is it me, or wiwi ignoring Lithuanias entry this year ?

Indre
Indre
1 year ago
Reply to  Robe

I’ve noticed that too :))) already tired refreshing reactions videos and waiting to see Lithuania’s name 🙁

Quentinn
Quentinn
1 year ago
Reply to  Robe

no, not only you. They never gave a f about countries like Lithuania, but this year its just a shame… all reactions from popular countries appears immediately, even though songs are total crap heard 1000 times somewhere and they are still so excited about them and some countries always gets ignored or being rated with preliminary opinion. No respect for wiwi anymore, as they are super unprofessional and shouldn’t call themselves journalists, just bunch of fans with preliminary opinions and 0 taste. I hope soon theres gonna appear more professional people reviewing artists and songs with unbiased ratings. Today was… Read more »

Radvil777
Radvil777
1 year ago

Just love it! ???

Jesiah
Jesiah
1 year ago

It’s funny how people in this website were dismissing it and saying some very upsetting and hateful things to Monika.

Now those same people are praising her lol.

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
1 year ago
Reply to  Jesiah

It’s the usual cycle. First you hate it because it wasn’t your favorite from the national final, but then as time passes, you get used to it, and accept that it’s the winner, and then, once there’s some distance between the national final, and eurovision, you start to realize this song is not too bad, and it grows on you. Maybe you’ll end up liking or loving it in the end, and depending on how it does a eurovision, you might be either sad that it doesn’t qualify, or happy that it makes the final.

Jesiah
Jesiah
1 year ago
Reply to  BadWoolfGirl

That won’t happen with Poland, that’s for sure, song is outright trash basic uninspired and the worst thing is it’s written by 9 fricking people, oh and the song should be an easy song to sing but Blanka can’t sing it since she ain’t even an actual singer, I hope this spoiled cheating princess won’t scream with her unbearable voice when she NQs because I simply can’t stand her voice.

Jesiah
Jesiah
1 year ago
Reply to  Jesiah

Oh and PS her voice sounds like cat-mating at its peak, its nasty and disgusting.

Julia
Julia
1 year ago
Reply to  Jesiah

Yes, it’s bad, but you don’t need to be so hateful

Jesiah
Jesiah
1 year ago
Reply to  Julia

Why should I not act like this against a cheater, who clearly knew she was gonna win since the start since people in the juries wrote her song, she is TVP’ “superstar”,she had dancers from a school in which one of the juries teach in and she sat next to Edytya Gorniak’s son.
Oh and Edytya Gorniak herself (the same woman who believes Halloween means “he’ll win” and says its satanic and also claimed she lived for 4000 years) admitted on insta that Blanka was always guaranteed the win.

Julia
Julia
1 year ago
Reply to  BadWoolfGirl

Nah they just should have picked Ruta Mur

Jesiah
Jesiah
1 year ago
Reply to  Julia

Ruth Mur would’ve been so lowwwww in the rankings

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
1 year ago
Reply to  Jesiah

Maybe in your personal ranking, but we will never know since Ruta Mur’s not representing.

Dr.nick
Dr.nick
1 year ago
Reply to  Jesiah

XDDD

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
1 year ago
Reply to  Julia

I think Beatrich would’ve been the best option, but she didn’t win and I’ve accepted the outcome. What’s done is done and you can still listen to other national final songs. they haven’t gone away and I always create a playlist for the national final songs that didn’t make it to Eurovision.

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago

Don’t understand why some people, especially reactors like ThePeaceAround dislike it. Musically it’s very touching and the lyrics should be some of the best relatable all year!

XOOOD
XOOOD
1 year ago

by the time the semi’s come, when the NF season is over, most of us will change their mind; till then the “fans” will be salty.
I wasn’t a fan of the song at first either, but it grew on me and its currently my 5th.

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
1 year ago

if someone doesn’t like a song, they don’t like a song, and that’s fine because everybody has different tastes. I’ve seen Lithuania ranked either close to the bottom, or in the middle or in the top five in different ranking lists. I don’t know where you have Lithuania within your own personal ranking, but for me, it kind of waivers between either the lower end of the top 10 or top 15 placement. I meant I haven’t quite updated my ranking list because I’ve been very busy lately, but I think at some point, I will listen to either all… Read more »

Julia
Julia
1 year ago

I miss the other Monika

Xxx
Xxx
1 year ago

I’m surprised the fandom doesn’t like it, they usually like everything that’s ethnic. Maybe they just don’t like Lithuanian culture or it’s not stereotypically ethnic enough.

May
May
1 year ago
Reply to  Xxx

People don’t like this because it’s boring and forgettable

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
1 year ago
Reply to  May

That may very well be your opinion that YOU think the song is boring and forgettable, but I think it’s presumptuous to say that everyone thinks it is so because the truth is everyone has a different opinion on it. It’s fine to express that You don’t like it but somebody else might like it.

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
1 year ago
Reply to  Xxx

Some people in the fandom might still have some lingering resentment of this song winning over their favorite from the Lithuanian selection, and others might find it middle of the road compared to the other songs we have. It’s not the worst song of the year but it’s not really the best song to be a contender for the win. The recurring Lithuanian chant does keep the song from being merely an average ballad, but is it enough to be a sure fire qualifier? That will depend on the full picture of semifinal to which people are already declaring it… Read more »

Good
Good
1 year ago

The lyrics are actually pretty clever.

Ici Pempele
Ici Pempele
1 year ago

Lithuania just keeps serving since 2020, i have no choice but to stan!