On March 3 Ari Ólafsson won Söngvakeppnin 2018 with his song “Our Choice” and the right to represent Iceland at Eurovision 2018 in Lisbon. Even though Ari is only 19 years old he has been involved in music productions and stage productions for some years, as his debut on the stage was a leading role in a production of Oliver Twist 11 years old.
“Our Choice” is a song about love and tolerance and bears the message of a united and unprejudiced world. Like the lyrics say: “Different voices, cultures and people and places. Inside we’re all the same”. The song also preaches that it really is our own choice to make the world a better place, we all have a voice and should unite “to help and to heal in different ways”.
“Our Choice” is written by Þórunn Erna Clausen, a true Söngvakeppnin veteran as this is her 11th time she has written the lyrics to a song in Iceland’s national final. This also won’t be her first time flying the Icelandic flag in Eurovision as she was the lyricist to Iceland’s entry in 2011, “Coming Home“.
Ari Ólafsson – “Our Choice” at Iceland’s Söngvakeppnin 2018 final
“Our Choice” Lyrics – Ari Ólafsson
All the faces you see on your way
Have a story they could tell
Tiny traces of life’s joy and sorrow
Why can’t we treat each other well
We all have a choice we can make
There’s always a choice we can make
To help and to heal in different ways
Too many are dying in vain
Together we could ease the pain
If somehow we could ease the pain
In every single language,
There’s a word for love and for blame
Different voices, cultures and people and places
Inside we’re all the same
We all have a choice we can make
There’s always a choice we can make
To help and to heal in different ways
Too many are dying in vain
Together we could ease the pain
If somehow we could ease the pain
We’ve only got each other now,
Don’t walk away and play pretend
It might as well be you
Who’s suffering tonight
We all have a choice we can make,
There’s always a choice we can make
To help and to heal in different ways
Too many are dying in vain
Together we could ease the pain
If somehow we could ease the pain
Together we could make a change
