Photo: Yle / Nelli Kenttä

It’s crazy, it’s party, it’s Käärijä. One of the hot favourites to win Eurovision 2023, Käärijä represents Finland in Liverpool with his song “Cha Cha Cha”.

The unabashed and unpredictable bolero-donning superstar takes listeners on a journey with his metal-dance-pop fusion track.

Scroll down for the “Cha Cha Cha” lyrics

Finland in Eurovision 2023: Käärijä with “Cha Cha Cha”

Käärijä — real name Jere Pöyhönen — is a 29-year-old singer and rapper from Vantaa, Finland. The multi-faceted star released his debut single “Urheilujätkä” in 2016. He has followed Eurovision since he was a little boy, citing Verka Serduchka’s “Dancing Lasha Tumbai” as a memorable performance. 

Käärijä entered Finland’s Eurovision 2023 selection show UMK in February. His song “Cha Cha Cha” won the competition, scoring a landslide 539 points — 72 points from the professional juries and 467 points from the voting public.

What do the “Cha Cha Cha” lyrics mean?

Käärijä co-wrote “Cha Cha Cha” with Johannes Naukkarinen, Aleksi Nurmi and Jukka Sorsa. The song is a party track cutting across genres. Käärijä said: “Finland is a party country, a heavy metal country and a pop country – this song brings all of those together”.

The lyrics describe Käärijä’s progressing feelings on a night out. Starting out feeling melancholic, Käärijä heads to the bar with the intention to “mess my head up and to free my mind of fear”. A few piña coladas later, the singer heads to the dancefloor and shakes his troubles away — “this world ain’t making me scared no more”. 

“Cha Cha Cha” lyrics – Käärijä (Finland Eurovision 2023)

Songwriters: Johannes Naukkarinen, Aleksi Nurmi, Käärijä, Jukka Sorsa

Original text (Finnish)

English translation

Rankka viikko ja paljon pitkii päiviä takan
Mielenkiintona piña colada ja rata
Ilta on vielä nuori ja aikaa kumota
Tää jäinen ulkokuori on aika tuhota

Pidän kaksin käsin kiinni juomista niinku
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha, ei
En mieti huomista ku tartun tuopista niinku
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha, ei
Haluun olla sekasin ja vapaa huolista niinku
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha, ei
Ja mä jatkan kunnes en enää pysy tuolissa niinku

Muutama piña colada on jo takana
Silti mul on vielä naamataulu vakava
Yeah yeah ye ye yeh
Ilta on vielä nuori ja aikaa kumota
Tää jäinen ulkokuori on aika tuhota
Parketti kutsuu mua ku en oo enää lukossa
Niinku cha cha cha mä oon tulossa

Pidän kaksin käsin kiinni juomista niinku
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha, ei
En mieti huomista ku tartun tuopista niinku
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha, ei
Haluun olla sekasin ja vapaa huolista niinku
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha, ei
Ja mä jatkan kunnes en enää pysy tuolissa niinku whoa

Nyt lähden tanssimaan
Niinku cha cha cha cha enkä pelkääkään tätä maailmaa
Niinku cha cha cha
Kun mä kaadan päälleni samppanjaa

Cha cha cha
Toinen silmä jo karsastaa
Ja puhe sammaltaa ku tää toinen puoli must vallan saa
Cha cha cha
En oo arkena tää mies laisinkaan
En oo mut tänään oon se mies, tänään oon se mies

Nyt lähden tanssimaan
Niinku cha cha cha
Enkä pelkääkään tätä maailmaa
Niinku cha cha cha
Kun mä kaadan päälleni samppanjaa

Niinku cha cha cha
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha aa-aah
Niinku cha cha cha
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha

This exhausting week and the many long days are behind
There’s only bar and piña colada on my mind
There is some time for a few, the night is still youngish
This icy shell is something I have to demolish

Holding on the drinks with both hands tied on them like a
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha, no
There’s no tomorrow when I grab a pint tightly like a
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha, no
Wanna mess my head up and to free my mind of fear like a
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha, no
And I stay on this seat until I have to climb off it like a

A couple piña coladas I have devoured
Yet the expression I have on my face is sour, yeah yeah ye ye yeh
There is some time for a few, the night is still youngish
This icy shell is something I have to demolish
The floor is calling me when I’m no longer so frozen
Like a cha cha cha I am approachin’

Holding on the drinks with both hands tied on them like 
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha, no
No, there’s no tomorrow when I grab a pint tightly like a
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha, no
wanna mess my head up and to free my mind of fear like a
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha, no
And I stay on this seat until I have to climb off it like a whoa

I head towards the dance floor
Like a cha cha cha
And this world ain’t making me scared no more
Like a cha cha cha
When Champagne all over myself I pour

Cha cha cha
One eye keeps turning crossed too far
And talking is so hard when this different side of me does its part
Cha cha cha
I don’t usually go and drop my guard, not me
But now I am that guy, now I am that guy

I head towards dance floor
Like a cha cha cha
And this world ain’t making me scared no more
Like a cha cha cha
When Champagne all over myself I pour

Like a cha cha cha
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha aa-aah
Like a cha cha cha
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha
Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha

What do you think of “Cha Cha Cha”? Could Finland win Eurovision 2023? Let us know in the comments section below.

23 Comments
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TomTW
TomTW
1 year ago

Are these lyrics an official translation? There’s a lot of embellishment in the English that’s just not there in the original Finnish lyrics. Like in the line “with both hands tied on them” where does the “tied” part come from? That’s not what it says in Finnish. I think the translation of “Ja mä jatkan kunnes en enää pysy tuolissa niinku” is a bit confused too. It says “And I’ll keep going till I can’t stay in my chair anymore like a–” You might want to get someone to tighten up the translation.

a meow
a meow
1 year ago
Reply to  TomTW

One quick look at the translation tells me that it’s supposed to be a singable English version rather than a faithful translation. Syllable count and rhymes indicate that… try singing along to the original with those and you will see 🙂

TomTW
TomTW
1 year ago
Reply to  a meow

Aah that makes a lot more sense now. Thanks for pointing it out! Indeed the “translation” follows a rhyming scheme. That’s fun. It’s just kind of misleading for wiwibloggs to call it a translation without this explanation.

Bandido
Bandido
1 year ago

‘the happiest country’ is only the myth, don’t know where this come from?

Frank Arthur
Frank Arthur
1 year ago

I go to be the most happy in the world when he win ,is sooo sexy and hot,and have a sort of song also ,perfect winner ,no doubt,

poe-tay-toe-chips
poe-tay-toe-chips
1 year ago

this is so much fun

I know it’s not the same language, but my friends and I call this “dark caramelldansen” lol

it’s kind of got that vibe.

Televote will properly appreciate this, I just hope the juries don’t try to bury this in the final

Man
Man
1 year ago

This is awful. 0/10

Chupacabra
Chupacabra
1 year ago

So f***ing honest!

Benito Camelo
Benito Camelo
1 year ago

The first listen blew my mind, it was a lot of everything and it was cohesive. After a few more listens and analyzing it a bit, I think the song grew on me, I love the message and the way he conveys the feelings of the song.
If Kaarija doesn’t win, at least I wish it gets Finland its second best ever result

Nikki
Nikki
1 year ago

I’ve always had a soft spot for the weirdos (AKA Finland and Moldova) and after years lurking the lower part of my Top 10s they finally reached the Spot #1-B (1-A is Italy). He’s one of my biggest discoveries this year (with Joker Out, Teya and Salena and La Zarra (all Top 5 this year)). If Spotify did monthly wrappeds, they would have call me out about him (and Marco) on the March one. The song is very tongue-in-cheek and even if you don’t understand the lyrics, you can kinda feel it, and it has that very Finnish weird, but… Read more »

Milla
Milla
1 year ago

Nice message..

ANDREW BROWN
ANDREW BROWN
1 year ago

Love him love the song the winner for me

Rambo Amadeus
Rambo Amadeus
1 year ago

Alright, I’ve got to give Kaarija the credit for fooling Finnish drunkards into supporting this song while the lyrics are actually criticizing their behavior, but strictly in terms of the music itself, I can appreciate it to some extent but I’ll just never be a huge fan of it.

Noam600
Noam600
1 year ago

It’s not fair what’s happening here, the other participants in this year’s competition don’t get that amount of posts, some countries barely get one post a month.

Noam600
Noam600
1 year ago

Maybe stop uploading posts related to this song or the singer? This is already the 20th post about this song or about the singer. Is he paying you to promote the song or something? Sweden, Finland and Norway are really stars on your blog!

Noam600
Noam600
1 year ago
Reply to  Noam600

We really need more posts about unicorn.. but I think it will be when the rehearsal will start….

Fatima
Fatima
1 year ago
Reply to  Oliver Adams

You’re right, I’ve been following the contest for decades and I have never seen so many reaction videos for one song. I stopped counting at 93.

Milan
Milan
1 year ago
Reply to  Oliver Adams

It makes sense, but you’ll agree that stories such as “Käärijä has lost his signature green bolero…and is offering a reward for its return” or “Käärijä boosts interest in the Piña Colada with “Cha Cha Cha”” are not exactly breaking news material.

Jonas
Jonas
1 year ago

For a party song, it’s quite sad. Finland is supposedly the happiest country in the world. It’s shame that this kind of behaviour is necessary to get through life. It shouldn’t be. I love this song, but I do hope the listener understands that.

Alex
Alex
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonas

Funny how the article doesn’t mention anywhere it’s specifically actually a light critique of the absurdity of that phenomenon, and Käärijä in person embodies the fact you can live life, party and be free without liquid courage.

At least, that’s how I understood the song, that it specifically outlines that it is NOT a glorifying of alcohol but instead commentary on how you shouldn’t need that to live a little.

West
West
1 year ago
Reply to  Alex

That’s how I see the song as well – I only read the translation, but there is a mention that even after several drinks he’s still unhappy. Also in the live performance supports this as well.

Jonas
Jonas
1 year ago
Reply to  Alex

Yeah, that’s what I mean, that I hope the point the song is making is not lost on anyone.