Belgium has revealed its entry for Eurovision 2019, “Wake Up” by Eliot Vassamillet. The song was written by Pierre Dumoulin, who previously penned “City Lights” for Blanche. But the enigmatic lyrics of “Wake Up” had listeners wondering just what was going on.

The song title alludes to both literally waking up from sleep, but also metaphorically waking up: becoming aware of a real situation.

But the lyrics play between reality and a dream state. The song opens with the clear line “I wake up every night”, but then Eliot says he “can’t find anyone to pray somewhere in the night”. Why does he need someone to pray in the middle of the night? Is it a dream or a nightmare?

As the chorus comes along, it become clearer that this is some sort relationship stress. He asserts, “I came to fight over you”, suggesting it is possibly related to a love triangle. And he’s very clear with his demands, saying “don’t want your lies, I need truth”.

While it can be hard dealing with the consequences of openness and honesty, Eliot is prepared. He notes that, “No one will cry if it’s true.”

Later in the song, Eliot delivers the most enigmatic part of the song. He sings, “If I can’t find you/I won’t hide you/It’s not what I do”. This suggests that if he can’t find someone, they may already be hiding. He doesn’t need to hide this person because they’re doing it themselves.

But there’s more to the song than just the lyrics. The instrumental creates a lush world of 1980s synths with a slowly building rhythm that guides the listener into the curious world of “Wake Up”.

“Wake Up” – Eliot

“Wake Up” lyrics – Eliot (Belgium Eurovision 2019)

I wake up every night
I can’t find anyone to pray
Somewhere in the light
Changing all up

I’m afraid, on the side
Looking out for the lines to say
Someone has the light
Feeding our fire

I came to fight
I came to fight over you
Don’t want your lies
Don’t want your lies, I need truth

I came to fight
I came to fight over you
No one will cry
No one will cry if it’s true

I’ll wait for the sign
I can’t find anyone to stay
But there’s something in the light
Saving our lives

I came to fight
I came to fight over you
Don’t want your lies
Don’t want your lies, I need truth

I came to fight
I came to fight over you
No one will cry
No one will cry if it’s true

And I can’t face you now
No, I won’t break you down
If I can’t find you
I won’t hide you
It’s not what I do

I came to fight
I came to fight over you
Don’t want your lies
Don’t want your lies, I need truth

I came to fight
I came to fight over you
No one will cry
No one will cry if it’s true

What do you think? What is Eliot singing about in “Wake Up”? How should the song be staged in Tel Aviv? Share your thoughts below!

Read more Belgium Eurovision news here

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Piet
Piet
4 years ago

Considering the title, considering Elliot saying it’s a message for young people to wake up and considering the lyrics (can’t find anyone to pray… I want truth, searching for the light, searching for someone, will not hide you, etc, etc) I think the “someone” is God Himself. In the lyrics he could have chosen “can’t find anyone to talk” instead of “can’t find anyone to pray” without consequence to the song, melody, or interpretation of the enigmatic text, except for you don’t pray to a person. You pray to a deity. The lies in my opinion are the lies of… Read more »

EscVegi
EscVegi
5 years ago

The Song is building nicely to nowhere and in the end it drops into nothing.. Boring.

Stephanie
Stephanie
5 years ago
Reply to  EscVegi

There are much worse songs than our entry trust me

Emily
Emily
5 years ago

I’m obsessed, this song is transcendent

Leo
Leo
5 years ago

Belgium never disappoints! Wow, my favourite so far!

Alexander
Alexander
5 years ago

Elliots song is something that will be elevated by a live performance. The verses are INCREDIBLE and the chorus, while a little lacking in the studio version, will sound much better live. Just like Hungarys song this year.

Good luck Elliot!

Katitam
Katitam
5 years ago

I’m a simple person: Belgium releases a song for ESC and it becomes one of my favourites. Eliot is the kind of singer that I was missing this year. He has a soft voice, the song it’s dark, the lyrics are quite deep, there’s some mystery in the atmosphere that the sound produces. There’s a sadness in him, a vulnerability.

I love this song. It’s like a little universe.

Safiya
Safiya
5 years ago

I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks something is wrong with the lyrics. I like his voice, I really like the instrumenal and the rythm but the lyrics kinda ruin the song for me. I always pay great attention to lyrics and it’s disappointing to hear a good song and realize that the lyrics don’t make sense. I know some people will say that they are just “deep” and not everyone can understand them but I feel that often we are just supposed to think that they are deep but they really aren’t. Deep lyrics don’t always have… Read more »

Veta
Veta
5 years ago
Reply to  Safiya

It’s not enough to only state the lyrics are deep. If they really have a meaning, everyone who claims they are deep should be able to explain what every single verse means. Otherwise, everyone else has a full right to call the lyrics nonsense.

Kosey
Kosey
4 years ago
Reply to  Veta

For me, it is about whatever is really important to you – what you would be willing to fight for – and the search for truth that most human beings are looking for. I don’t get those that say it’s boring or the chorus lets the verse down – to me, it is so powerful – I cry virtually every time I listen to it.

Firefly
Firefly
4 years ago
Reply to  Veta

I dunno, to me, it seems like the video is about the importance of finding truth in the world – the light being a metaphor for truth, the darkness being all the things that obscure our vision of each other and our world, and how the light of truth can save us as people. I think the video helps point this out – when I first saw it, I was like, “whatever, it’s a bit bland” & just stopped watching while I listened to the song, but now that I know the lyrics, & actually watched the video to the… Read more »

Jo.
Jo.
5 years ago

The verses are deep, but they tried to make it catchy with the chorus. That’s the problem with this song, it’s not supposed to be catchy, which makes the chorus some kind of barrier between the verses.
It’s good, but it could’ve been way better.

AMonsterLikeMe
AMonsterLikeMe
5 years ago

Am I the only one who loves the song? It’s an extremelly well produced track. Dark but not depressing, radio friendly but not generic, linear but not boring. It’s ticking all the right boxes of how a pop song in 2019 should sound. The instrumentation of the verses is extremelly clever while the chorus sounds like something Shawn Mendes would sing. Eliot has a beautiful soothing voice. I don’t understand this hate towards a great song. Yes, it’s not a winner but I could totally see this easily qualifying and placing in the top 10 in the final.

Gurl
Gurl
5 years ago
Reply to  AMonsterLikeMe

Of course you’re not the only one, there’s something mesmerizing in this song, I listened it on repeat 🙂

Rimig
Rimig
5 years ago
Reply to  AMonsterLikeMe

Currently my number 1, actually

Gurl
Gurl
5 years ago
Reply to  Rimig

It shares my number 1 now with Italy

avner
avner
5 years ago

The song is catchy, but the lyrics come off as random lines. This style felt poetic and cohesive in City Lights, but here it feels manipulative – not dream-like, but calculated mishmash. Eliot will have to work real hard to sell this live…

Firefly
Firefly
4 years ago
Reply to  avner

I feel totally the opposite, haha. Especially when you pair it with the video. I have a totally different take on the song, maybe I’m wrong, but to me it feels more like trying to find truth in a dark world where our view is obscured, “something in the light” to save us. Sound-wise I’d put it in my top 3, and thematically-speaking, I found it the most moving of all the entries this year 🙂

avner
avner
4 years ago
Reply to  Firefly

I too have underappreciated entries I feel especially close to… good for Eliot that he is getting some love because he seems to be completely outshined by his northern neighbor. Love to all — really; as the event nears, I feel all entries are like family.

JJ Abrahames
JJ Abrahames
5 years ago

Ireland is sending such songs since 2016

EscVegi
EscVegi
5 years ago

It is soo Boring there is no point what grabs me

Roy Moreno
Roy Moreno
5 years ago

I like this song, it’s not bad and Eliot’s a good singer
However, it’s kinda underwhelming… I expected more and it builds up to nothing :\
However, I always want to listen to it once more (probably to find out what I feel about this song)

Gurl
Gurl
5 years ago

Love this song and lyrics, his voice is beautiful.

Nitzan
Nitzan
5 years ago

Good song though the last chorus is disappointing after the buildup. I wonder which countries will take advantage of this gloomy year and send happy uptempo songs.

MoreChances
MoreChances
5 years ago
Reply to  Nitzan

Cyprus and probably Russia.

Pancake
Pancake
5 years ago
Reply to  MoreChances

Russia probably sending a Ballad. Sergey and his team confirm they’re working with an orchestra.

esc1234
esc1234
5 years ago
Reply to  Nitzan

Greece! just wait to hear the song, thats all i have to say

esc1234
esc1234
5 years ago
Reply to  esc1234

downvoting me for what? stop being bitter b*tches

Rimig
Rimig
5 years ago
Reply to  esc1234

Have you written it? Have you heard it?…

Ciara
Ciara
5 years ago

Boring. He’s lucky in a weak year.

Hobbityhop
Hobbityhop
5 years ago

I actually like the song, he has a good voice, and instrumentally it seems fine although I didn’t expect the chorus. The only problem I have is that I don’t understand what he is saying and I am a native English speaker. Otherwise, great job Belgium!

Tomoad
Tomoad
5 years ago

Eliot is so cute! <3

esc stan
esc stan
5 years ago
Reply to  Tomoad

And your point is? We’re judging the song, not his looks.

Tomoad
Tomoad
5 years ago
Reply to  esc stan

Just saying… If you really need me to judge the song; I like it a lot.

ESCFan2009
ESCFan2009
5 years ago
Reply to  Tomoad

Yesss! What Kristian Kostov and Isaiah were to me in 2017 and Mélovin in 2018 will be Eliot in 2019 <3 <3 <3

ESCFan2009
ESCFan2009
5 years ago
Reply to  ESCFan2009

The only dude I could never ever get is a Eurovision fan from Hamburg, Germany, and literally the most beautiful guy I have ever seen in the past 22 years of my life. And in this case I am not joking. I know, I “flirt” with artists in the comments and so on, but this is another level of truth (as Eliot sings) and I am serious about this! Anyways, I am always in for a good joke, but I feel like you are doing this under every single post for a few weeks now. Are you sad about Eurovision… Read more »

ESCFan2009
ESCFan2009
5 years ago
Reply to  ESCFan2009

Lol and I’ll give you that 😀 Let’s call it “making good-looking celebrities a compliment they will never read, but it is fun”. To say it with Oscar Enestad: “I don’t care, it’s exciting”.
: Do not delete this conversation due to the sentence of Bean above please, because it is quite funny and I guess the mentioned Hamburg Eurovision fan will read this and tbh I find it a bit romantic now, because I don’t write names, but he’ll know <3

ESCFan2009
ESCFan2009
5 years ago
Reply to  ESCFan2009

All together now: “Love is forever, love is forever and everyone” 😀

M_K
M_K
5 years ago

These were my thoughts so far: “It’s just a nice song and I think that might be the problem here. It’s well produced, it flows by smoothly but I don’t think it’s captivating in any way. It’s not deeply emotional but at the same time, it’s not light-hearted or entertaining or whatever. This is kind of an autotelic Eurovision entry, it pushes many buttons just for the sake of pushing them but somehow loses its heart and soul underway.” When it comes to the lyrics, it’s pretty much the same issue here. They’re not Björk-like crazy but at the same… Read more »

esc1234
esc1234
5 years ago

The worst thing that someone can do on eurovision is not to be bad. Is to be forgetable. And i am sorry but this song although it has a nice tune, it goes nowhere. If they hire the same stage director they had last year, it cant go through…

Loin dici
5 years ago
Reply to  esc1234

No more Mr. Pancake, please!

esc stan
esc stan
5 years ago

Why are there multiple blogs on this song? Is it just to make people suddenly love it? The song goes nowhere, I don’t know what the hell this song is even about because of how the message is so blunt, his pronunciation is bad and this doesn’t even compare to City Lights.
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Firefly
Firefly
4 years ago
Reply to  esc stan

That’s funny, I’m a native English speaker and I thought his pronunciation was WAY better than in City Lights (which was a great song, don’t get me wrong, just this criticism is not deserved).

dygh
dygh
5 years ago

It has without a doubt something to do with the climate strikes by children who want a better future and want politicians to do something. Very hot topic in Belgium.

Luk
Luk
5 years ago

Good lyrics