For the eight consecutive year since its 2014 return, Serbia will be present at Junior Eurovision. This time its bringing Dunja Zivkovic and Jovana Radonic to the La Seine Musicale stage in Paris. Together they will sing “Children’s Eyes”.
Scroll down for “Children’s Eyes” lyrics
Serbia in Junior Eurovision 2021: Jovana and Dunja – “Children’s Eyes”
Dunja, Jovana and their song were selected out of pool of seven entries in the running to represent Serbia in Paris. The committe then selected four acts to progress to live auditions where – guess what – the duo passed with flying colours.
Jovana Radonic is ten and she’s already well known to Serbian TV viewers, having competed in a regional music show Pinkove Zvezdice. She finished second behind Roko Blazevic, Croatia’s 2019 Eurovision singer. Her first live performance came a lot earlier, when she was only four-years-old.
Dunja Zivkovic is 11 and she recently won her category in a regional school project.
Their pairing didn’t come about by chance. Both girls attend the same music school and are coached by Ana Frlin, the songwriter of their Junior Eurovision song. They are off-stage friends too.
The pair hail from Novi Sad – soon to be the Capital of Culture for 2022 – and they are the first Junior Eurovision act to come out of Serbia’s autonomous region since Emilija Djonin in 2014. The Vojvodina’s capital is largely featured in music video for “Children’s Eyes”. We can see some beautiful shots of the Danube coast, Zezelj’s and Liberty Bridge.
View this post on Instagram
What do the “Children’s Eyes” lyrics mean?
Despite its English title, Serbia’s Junior Eurovision entry is sung entirely in Serbian for the first time since 2018. It’s a song about the sincerity of children.
The number starts with the two girls singing a spoken-word intro which tells us of the fragility of children’s feelings.
“In the tears of a child’s sorrow are all the seas of the world/in a frightened eye the whole sky stands.”
Accompanied by a cellist and a violinist, we see Jovana and Dunja running around some Danube sandy beach before the chorus starts. Then we see close-ups of many children’s faces of various ages, emphasising the song title.
The main chorus reminds us not to underestimate the power of children to feel things.
“Children’s eyes can see and know everything and all the seas are interwoven in a tiny things.”
The chorus is repeated throughout most of the song as the girls are joined by a mini kids choir. They have their hands up in the air — a sign to be heard and seen. We can hear a sentimental instrumental interwoven that slightly throws us back to some ’90s lullaby or children’s movie soundtrack.
In the last verse Jovana and Dunja turn entirely acoustic. Their voices are sweet and harmonic and the appearance of many children’s faces (eyes) gives us a little gospel-like feel. The pair are last seen overlooking their beautiful birth place of Novi Sad.
“Children’s Eyes” lyrics – Jovana and Dunja (Serbia JESC 2021)
Serbian text |
English translation |
U suzi dečje tuge sva su mora sveta. U uplašenom oku celo nebo stane. A u zrnu nade, u sredini cveta, Suncu šire ruke oči deteta. U njima je pesma ko more duboka. O beskrajnom nebu, o Suncu što greje. O svetu u kome je sve baš kako treba kad se dete voli, kad se dete smeje. Očima deteta sve se vidi, sve se zna I sva mora su u maloj suzi protkana. U očima deteta zrno nade proklija Kao topla reč Suncem hranjena. Oči deteta. Oči deteta svu lepotu sveta najlepšom čuvaju. U njima vile, vilenjaci, lutke i pajaci najlepše, najlepše snivaju. I kad Sunce igri prepusti dane i ko neku čigru zavrti naš svet u ritmu svih planeta neka bolje svane da radosne se bude oči deteta. Očima deteta sve se vidi, sve se zna I sva mora su u maloj suzi protkana. U očima deteta zrno nade proklija Kao topla reč Suncem hranjena. Oči deteta. Očima deteta sve se vidi, sve se zna I sva mora su u maloj suzi protkana. U očima deteta zrno nade proklija Kao topla reč Suncem hranjena. Oči deteta. |
In tears of children’s sorrow all the seas are holy. In a frightened eye the whole sky stands. And in the grain of hope, in the middle of the flower, The child’s eyes are wide open to the sun. There is a song in them like the sea deep. About the endless sky, about the sun that heats. About a world where everything is just as it should be when a child is loved, when a child laughs. Everything can be seen through the eyes of a child, everything is known And all the seas are interwoven in a small tear. A grain of hope germinated in the child’s eyes Like a warm word fed by the sun. The child’s eyes. The child’s eyes keep all the beauty of this world In them fairies, elves, dolls and clowns the most beautiful, the most beautiful dream. And when the Sun plays the days and like a tern our world spins in the rhythm of all the planets let it dawn better to joyfully awaken the child’s eyes. Everything can be seen through the eyes of a child, everything is known And all the seas are interwoven in a small tear. A grain of hope germinated in the child’s eyes Like a warm word fed by the sun. The child’s eyes. Everything can be seen through the eyes of a child, everything is known And all the seas are interwoven in a small tear. A grain of hope germinated in the child’s eyes Like a warm word fed by the sun. The child’s eyes. |
What are your thoughts on Serbia’s JESC entry? Let us know in the comments!
A beautiful song with great lyrics, Good Luck girls !!
The lyrics are really beautiful. Best of luck Serbia
A very nice song, with old school elements, we can feel some pretty nostalgic vibes listening to it, I like it, it’s touching, good luck Serbia!