Luke Black will sing “Samo mi se spava” for Serbia at Eurovision 2023.
The London-based songwriter brings an avante-gard dual-language track to Liverpool, as he hopes to match Konstrakta’s 2022 success and secure another top five result for Serbia.
Scroll down to read the “Samo mi se spava” lyrics.
Serbia at Eurovision 2023: Luke Black with “Samo mi se spava”
Luke Black — real name Luka Ivanović — represents Serbia at Eurovision 2023 with his thumping electronic track “Samo mi se spava”, sung in both Serbian and English.
30-year-old Luke won the Serbian national final Pesma za Evroviziju, earning his ticket to Eurovision by impressing the juries and public voters.
What do the “Samo mi se spava” lyrics mean?
Have you ever felt so lonely and worn out by the world that all you can do is play video games to forget it all? Well, for all the gamers out there, Luke Black understands your pain. “Samo mi se spava” translates to “I just want to sleep” – and honestly, don’t we all sometimes?
“Samo mi se spava” stands out for its memorable use of metaphors that reference video game language throughout, with phrases including “I don’t wanna choose my fighter, who’s taking control of me?”, and “Hello? Game over”.
The lyrics describe Luke’s desire to escape feelings of hopelessness and despair. Right from the start, he paints a bleak picture: “Baby watch the world on fire, it is all a game to me”. Throughout the song, Luke repeats: “I just want to sleep forever, like it better when I dream” to escape a painful reality. That reality is empty and scary — a world of war, famine, and monsters.
When Luke asks “Hello?”, there is no one around to answer him back. The phrase “game over” that follows then becomes a desperate plea for whoever is controlling him to release him from this terrible game.
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“Samo mi se spava” lyrics — Luke Black (Serbia Eurovision 2023)
Songwriters: Luke Black
Original text (Serbian and English) |
English translation |
|
Baby, watch the world on fire Halo? I just wanna sleep forever (S-spavam) A noć je, beskonačni sati (Tik-tik-tak) Halo? I just wanna sleep forever (S-spavam) War, glad je, bez nade S-spavaj |
Baby watch the world on fire Hello? I just wanna sleep forever (Go to sleep) It’s night-time, countless hours (Tick-tick-tock) Hello? I just wanna sleep forever (Go to sleep) War, there’s a famine, no hope Go to sleep |
The title is extra funny in my language. Phonetically it translates to “It welds itself for me” 😀
“The reason is sleeping as the world burns”
This line in the lyrics is not translated well. What is translated as “the reason” is acutually “common sense”.
I see someone already mentioned this in the comments, but they stated that it should be translated as “Conscience is asleep as the world burns “. I think this would be a better translation than “reason”, but still think “common sense” is a more accurate translation of the meaning.
I love Luke, he is such a lovely person.
Has anyone else noticed that this is the second Serbian entry in a row to feature lobsters. Wasn’t Konstrakta eating one at the start of the video for In Corpore Sano?
I’m a Ukrainian and on the day when the war began , I fell asleep in the middle of the day and slept for 2 days straight, because every time I seemed to wake up I remembered the news and I wanted to go to bed again. So, the concept of the song speaks to me. It’s a coping mechanism a lot of people employ in stressful situations.
Eventually commenters are going to learn that I really dislike this song. I know that’s bad of me, and I’m so sorry. The concept of a sleepy conscience has been done before at Eurovision, and what Luke adds to it is his style. I like Luke’s style, but the problem is that the message of the song appears to be without hope, and that is why I cannot like it.
The song could be heard as a realization of what’s happening. That in itself is hope? That the listener is not the only person to care, that others can also see the world around us for what it is, that maybe this will dawn on more people too.
Leading to change.
Would you like it better if the message was “dream on, dreamer, life is beautiful and there’s no war, famine and ugly things,” I wonder?
Good question. Perhaps I’d want to “dream of the future I want to create”, or “dream of how to make a difference.” Or better yet, maybe “dreams are an unwelcome distraction.”
Sometimes you want to listen to something gloomy and relates to your current feelings. Sometimes a more “hopeful” message can come across as cliché’ or even patronizing. I absolutely adore this entry and how Luke wrote and performed it.
more because Luke delivers it in also quite a entertaining way with the video game vibe and how he also perfectly acts like the lead character in that ”video game” with the right emotion through his vocals to fit well with the mood of the song
also think he definitely should be a model as well, some of those movements on stage, so slick, smooth, elegant and he looks so handsome
“War, there’s a famine, no hope
I’m just sleeping as the world burns” it’s actually “War, there’s a famine, no hope
Conscience is asleep as the world burns “
I love this song, it really taps into my emo side, not gonna lie, lol. I also like how the languages are blended, and the references to gaming and things happening in the world are things a lot of people can relate to. Really hoping it moves through to the final!
I love this song! I love its experimental side, how he blends both languages and its clever, gamer culture related, metaphorically rich and relatable lyrics.
Samo mi se spava hits hard and the lyrics resonate with me a lot, I hope he makes it to the final, he’d be robbed if not!
I absolutely love everything about this entry
For me sleep isn’t rest, it’s a break from living. I’m not resting I’m just going to a different place for a few hours.
Sleep is just death with benefits
Temporary demise.
Like Luke Black just made a song of my life about 15 years ago. Depressing time and all that I did back then was to escape from reality through video games.
This has some potential left with its video game reference, this could be bigger in Liverpool if the staging is done well.
The ultra-aggressive Serbian fans always used to put me off; say anything critical about three plastic hairdressers and they’d down vote you to Hell or start crying about NATO.
Since Konstrakta though that’s all changed. I think she alienated a lot of the nationalists dressed up as ESC fans and so we have all the decent Serbian music fans left. I’m glad they’re continuing in the same intelligent, artistic direction. I’ll probably vote for Luke in the semis.
One of my favourites! I just love how Serbia has something different, just like last year
I adore this entry, we’ve never had anything like it before. This might as well be a dark horse, I think his performance will be the one to talk about.
Behind the scenes from PZE 23, LB – SMSS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h_H8Zjr1do
I enjoy the song but this guy cannot sing . Terrible live vocals . I’m prepared by the negative votes down as it hits a nerve
As I expected. People can’t honestly say that he can sing live
Go to his youtube channel and checkout his live performances, especially him on piano; also guitar. Yes, he can sing. It is the song with strong loud electro industrial sound, how can you mix this with strong vocals?
not perfect vocals but tbh i don’t believe in perfection myself, i love his vocals, something quite soft feminine which cuts through the rough darkness vibes of the entry beautifully, a nice contrast
I love the path Serbia has taken the last two editions! They’re on their way to become alternative powerhouse of Eurovision! Hoping the risk pays of this year as well so we can see even more underground alternative music from them in the future!
Great message, delivered in such a cool way with the video game vibe
Serbia is on fire this year, and Luke is so hot too, i might be in minority but i love his casual outfit in his performance, nice contrast to the other characters
So hope he qualifies but very likely i am voting for him just to be sure
Most hype Loreen but this is more of a contender in terms of originality, sorry to say it as sweden have a decent dance song though