In the aftermath of most storms there is still a bit of life, even if it’s just people rebuilding their houses and cleaning up debris. Unfortunately for the Common Linnets, the acoustic version of their song “Calm After the Storm” is totally devoid of any form of life. There’s no energy, no vigor, and, after listening to the debut on March 12, we seriously wanted to check if the artists still had a pulse.
Thankfully Ilse DeLange and Waylon have now revealed the final version of their Eurovision entry. It has calmed us down and undone much of the horror of the acoustic version. Today’s release shows the song to be more subtle than boring, and the backing makes the singers’ imagined heartache more believable.
It continues the trend of country music at Eurovision 2014—hello Malta, haaaay Switzerland. But this number seems slightly more sophisticated than those two. It takes cues from Crosby, Stills & Nash, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, and feels more organic to Nashville, where it was recorded. Anouk did well with understated last year, so perhaps Ilse and Waylon can have similar success?
Calm after the storm lyrics — Common Linnets
Driving in a fast lane
Counting boundary marker signs
The empty seat beside me
Keeps you on my mind
Living in a heartache
There is something I pursue
I can keep on chasing
What I can be for you
Oooo skies are black and blue
Thinking about you
Here in the calm after the storm
Tears on a highway
Water in my eyes
This rain ain’t gonna change us
So I used to cry
I can say I’m sorry
But I don’t wanna lie
I just wanna know if staying
Is better than goodbye
Oooo skies are black and blue
Thinking about you
Here in the calm after the story
Oooo after all that we’ve been through
There ain’t nothin’ new
Here in the calm after the storm
Baby I can find you
Down this broken line
Maybe you can find me
I guess we’ll know in time
Oooo skies are black and blue
Thinking about you
Here in the calm after the storm
There ain’t nothing new
Here in the calm after the storm
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Photo: Common Linnets
Now it is all over and I must say: I loved the song and the performance. Never thought it would get so many votes, for most people seem to think it is a song/dance/performance contest. In the old days, it was really a SONG contest. The juries had to listen to the songs before seeing the performance or even the artist(s). I am very happy that people seem to start appreciating real songs again! Thanks voters! BTW: I myself voted for the Norwegian song (as a Dutch person, I couldn’t vote for the Dutch song), which was also very good…
Boy O boy, you were so wrong with your bad comments.
Happy birthsday IIse! 🙂
If you like a lot Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine Mc Vie, John Mac Vie; than you probably like this one as one of the best of the contest, I guess.
It reminds me a little bit of “Farmer’s daughter”.
Let’s hope, Common Linnets keep going on this way!
It won’t win the contest, but that’s not needed; we got one talent more in Europe!
What Eurovision needs next is arena odorizers. Smell-o-vision.
Get some warm, low lighting, a faint whiff of hay and woodsmoke, maybe a trace of diesel, and together with the audience itself you’re halfway to the ideal country venue: A barn.
Their nearest rivals in semi 1 are perhaps Azerbaijan, Montenegro, Belgium, and San Marino. I imagine country fans will prefer them more strongly because they’re extra happy just to have the option. But I have no idea how many voters that might be.
This is the Ilse’s best performance I could find on Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhHeDOpjMFQ
pretty awesome, would have loved this power in the Eurovision song.
I like the variety it brings to the contest. Way more mellow than Switzerland & Malta, and a pleasant listen. So, hopefully it makes it stand out in that regard and squeeze into the final.
Well, Waylon and Ilse do have something to add to their song on stage: themselves.
Waylon participated in Hollands got talent. A video of one of his performances in this show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzSjxpvtgps And another video, just in case 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAb5MxgFpEQ He’s signed a recorddeal with Motown.
Ilse is very good in making a big stage small.
A live video of Ilse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6tSjtHuETE
So, on stage this song could be a very big suprise. We’ll have to wait and see..
http://www.hotmusiccharts.com/ee/itunes
Estonian Itunes chart have The Common Linnets on position 1!
I like the acoustic version much better, actually. This is one of those songs that would sound much more true to its concept if all the instruments were actually played live. Another example of why live instruments should be allowed in Eurovision once again. It’s also encouraging that they can sing well live (and Ilse can sing especially well).
The studio version is okay. It’s not musically that interesting for me.
I’d say, a small ranking of chances after 30 acts have been chosen is the logical thing to do (I’d expect Axel to win for Belgium and Carl to win for Norway. No doubt about it): 01 – Denmark 02 – Ukraine (Belgium, if Axel wins, between Ukraine and Malta) 03 – Malta (Norway, if Carl wins, between Malta and France) 04 – France 05 – Netherlands 06 – Hungary 07 – Estonia 08 – Montenegro 09 – Israël 10 – Sweden —————————– 11 – United Kingdom 12 – Germany (IF the girls sings better) 13 – Spain 14 –… Read more »
Actually, I loved that song. Ok, is boring to some people, but, in my opinion, is such a beautiful song! I can’t stop listening. Maybe isn’t the kind of song we used to hear at Eurovision. But is better than many songs of this year.
I really hope a top 10 to Netherlands.
@Dar: Absolutely right! And wait until what Valentina or Conchita releases their entries … if what Romania has is so bad that most ESC fans love it, things are going to be even worse when those 2 join the party …
This kind of song will suit Norah Jones. I like Norah Jones hence me liking this. But, home use only. 🙂
I don’t see it @ the big stage. I hope it will be presented in good spirit. Nevertheless, good luck Netherlands.
I can spend many many words why this song would be good or bad. In the end I close my eyes and it’s the only song so far that has truly touched me. The melody is incredibly relaxing and the lyrics are superb. The song may not be a smashing number one hit, but it’s quality.
es diferente y eso se agradece pero es aburrida sin novedad alguna le falta un momento fuerte,
I just can’t take to this song. It leaves no impression on me. Lyrically, it’s fantastic, and a big step up from the acoustic version, but it just doesn’t cross the line between boring and beautiful for me.
As others have mentioned already, this is a song that need to be listened several times to be fully appreciated, my first impression is that indeed, is a little too slow and probably won’t do too well, BUT! I said the same about Birds last year when it was first released but after a few plays, it grew on me to the point that it was one of my top favourites, and look how far it went. So for me, it is a little early to have this discussion, our opinions (or at least mine) could change in the following… Read more »
I like it, but this is a song that really need a specific placing in the running order. If this song is ordered between two loud, busy songs, they will be forgotten and do badly. In Semi-1 I think this may sadly get lost and not be highly voted for and may just fall short of qualifying. The only saving grace is that Belgium is in that semi and they typically give the Netherlands 12 points, which would be a nice boost.
I’m actually really starting to like this song. Sure it doesn’t have the spectacle and oomph of some of the other entries but it’s classy and most of all a grower. It may not fit into the typical “Eurovision” mould, but to be honest I think that mould was smashed several years ago. Isn’t it because of the all the eclectic musical genres that Eurovision is so popular in the first place? And there definitely is a market for this kind of stuff – for instance, in Ireland, Garth Brooks has just sold out 4 nights in an 80k capacity… Read more »
@Timselvision in my opinion there is a disconnect between avid Eurovision followers and the people that simply watch the show. As for the latter, they believe that a winning Eurovision song has to be cheesy or absurd, an eye/earcatcher so to speak. So in the mass psyche songs that do not fit the mold are considered out of the running, producing results that fit this prediction. The readers of this forum are the former, they can find redeemable qualities in most song but will mostly prefer the song that is truly inspired. Don’t get me wrong, both would be an… Read more »
It’s funny that the most Dutch people are so negative about Eurovision. The Dutch people are all like, ‘Nice, we’ll get last again!’ It would be classified as boring and soundless, and that it’s no ESC song. Well. I don’t have to remind you at Birds, or do I? I’m Dutch too and I prefer this above any of the songs who are in Semi 1. This is sensible, beautiful and not so Cheesy as all the other songs. No, it’s no ESC song. Who cares? Not only ESC fans are watching this show, you know. And there’s still a… Read more »
People who dislike and can’t see that this is a quality entry are probably the same people that love the pure shit that is miracle by Paula and ovi …
@Cascas: Finally someone here who speaks my “brains” 🙂 You’ve said it all man … Spot on!
This and “Moj Svijet” are probably the most well-produced song in the competition. I’m happy that Netherlands take this contest very seriously, they were like “let’s just focus on making a quality song rather than just 3-minutes-chew-it-up-and-forget-that-immediately”. It gives me chill at the first listen, and gives me a certain different atmosphere when listening to this. I really hope this will qualify..
At least it is not music that it produced for the lowest common denominator. The national committee chose a top notch artist and gave them total freedom. So many songs are selected on the basis of mass european appeal, IMHO. I would rather have a country finishing dead last with a song that does something original, in the artistic sense, than a gimmicky euro-electrothumping shitbag of a song that finishes in the top three.
@John: This will go not only out to you but for everyone who has also stated the same thing: so the great songs, the different ones, the ones that require some listening and are not so easy to grasp at first will score well through the juries. Which makes me wonder: are European televoters a bunch of twats with no ears whatsoever? I’m definitively not disagreeing with you but … I’d like to know what we all think of ourselves as televoters? Would we vote for a dog running on stage instead of a great song? I’ve witnessed so many… Read more »
Stunning, haunting and adorable heartfelt country folk song. The steel pedal guitar there brought me memories of early Shania Twain songs .. a very beautiful composition in such a more than welcome genre to Eurovision: folk-country or just country … the important is that the song is amazing (it demands just listening and no dancing) and thank God this is the needed contrast to all those annoying cheesy and generic absurd dance tunes that have suffocated the contest way too much. This is also not the classic power ballad sung by a female belter … This is what gives Eurovision… Read more »
Apparently people forget so often that music comes in all sizes and shapes and with all kinds of colours. Not all the songs out there need to be so energetic or so catchy to grab desperate attention: if you are not going to bother to listen to a song that requires a lot of listening (yeah that one verb that most people tend to neglect) then my suggestion is: buy a chewing gum and entertain your own mouth instead. Or maybe unless some DJ remixes this, you will get the energy and dynamism everybody expect all Eurovision songs to have.… Read more »
It’s a shame the song doesn’t make an immediate impact, however this is a pleasant country song to listen to, this song reminds me Lady Anterbellum style which I consider is something good, I think in televoting Netherlands will struggle but with juries they will do pretty good
Oeps…I mean Birds from Anouk was also not written whit eurovision in mind:)
This song is not written with eurovision in mind….but wasn’t either!
These singers wrote songs that suits themself.
I am glad the dutch are going their own way…at least last year and also this year we send quality instead of …. Well….you know all the years before-:)
Here is the studio version rom the official youtube channel from Ilse:
http://youtu.be/YwdJ5NkeyYU
Audio sounds better on this link.
@dhani , I’m interested to see what Russia come up with now … Could there be a chance the might not qualify .. Would the juries ever go hard on them .. How about the rather limp ukraine entry .. Thing is this is a quality entry however it just does not engage you.. Is Ilse or Waylon even aware of this ??? The way things or going the winner could be one of the following Azerbaijan ( currently busy buying some music from Scandinavia) Norway ( juries will love Carl Espen) Germany ( Madeline Juno if she gets selected.… Read more »
Hey, look on the bright side. Out of all the country genre entries that made it to eurovision, this is probably the only one that isn’t cringeworthy.
Shame. It’d make a really pleasant radio song though.
i’m a little bit disappointed cause untill the song was revealed, i was 100% sure the netherlands would qualify, cause the common linnets looks professional and like a strong contender. but with this song, im starting to get jervous that they wont qualify. it will definately not beat anouks 9th place.
and in the 1st semi final you can say that only 6 slots are available, cause the 4 others will definitely go to azerbaijan, ukraine, russia and armenia no matter what they send.
It needs a point where it peaks much higher .. It never gets there …
Birds was my favorite entry in 2013 but this only managed my top 5 or 10 ..
Everytime when they starting oeoeoeoeoe you think the real song will start, but then it falls down and the real song never starts…
yes it is too calm… can this Dutchman cry right now?