When Israel’s Mei Finegold released “Same Heart” back in 2014, she won over tens of thousands of new fans one verse at a time. From the opening guitar riff to her sensual, smokey vocals, it became immediately clear that she would be a fan favourite in the run-up to Copenhagen.
“Same Heart” is driven by anger, but it doesn’t come off as angry. Instead empowerment and girl power rule the day as Mei presents a woman who has taken charge and transformed heartache into independence. In the music video, the transition from 0:55 to the Beyonce-esque dance moves at 1:00 capture her dynamism and power. It also captures Mei’s transition from girl to woman, from victim to victor.
Amid all that one line really stood out: “I’m skinning you out, no longer apart, we don’t beat from the same heart.”
The act of “skinning” means different things to different people, so we just had to reach out to Mei as part of our new series The Eurovision Dictionary — our look at those distinctly Eurovision-related words and phrases that are frequently open to (mis)interpretation.
In the video at top, we share our takes on the phrase “skinning you out”. And then, around 4:04, we hear from Israel’s Eurovision 2014 star, who breaks it down once and for all.
What is YOUR definition of “skinning you out”? Did you correctly guess Mei’s interpretation? Let us know down below…
Eurovision weird English lyrics are a delight. My favorite is probably the amazing “How can I be without me?” by Inga and Anush in 2009.
Sebalter’s whole song is also great for the weird lyrics.
So funny to see that English native speakers had to struggle, whereas this has been clear for everybody else from the very beginning.
At the time, when I reviewed this, I thought that it was a metaphor for… something. I guessed it was about re-claiming one’s body after souls had separated, I think. Or maybe it was about tattoos. :S
Mei mentions the contradictions herself, so that’s made me happier after five years that at least we weren’t the only ones looking for meaning in those lyrics! 🙂
P.S. I’m amazed that she didn’t qualify for the Grand Final that year.
She didn’t make it and Belarus and Greece did. Even in a smaller field than usual, I’ll never get that.
I have a question – in Puppet on a string she sings about winning on a roundabout but then losing on a swing! What does that mean?!
In the UK, winning on the roundabout meant that my friends got dizzy and let go of the roundabout before I did. Losing on the swings would happen because my friends could swing higher than I could. Both lyrics are about the highs and lows of “the fun of the fair”, and are direct references to the games of youth.
This, of course, implies that the young woman is perhaps too young to have her “strings pulled”, but thank goodness it’s only a song, not a crime documentary. 🙂
I answered this, but it appears that my answer was removed. Puppet on a string indeed.
I’m waiting for the “moon me up” episode of Eurovision Dictionary. Or Lordi’s “arockalipse on the day of rockoning” one. Or Scooch’s “something to suck on”. Or the whole lyrics of “Euro Neuro” for that matter. This series is gonna be fun!
you need an explanation of “something to suck on”?
Seriously?
“Lunar moon me up” is a personal favourite of mine too – though I think it comes from a pun on her name in Azeri being linked to the moon.
I (a native Hebrew speaker), always understood this sentence as
“I’m taking a knife and removing you from my skin” – her boyfriend is like a tattoo, a patch, and she is skinning him out (from HER skin).
btw. She, Imri Ziv and Kobi Marimi all play in the same Theatre (HaBima, where the red carpet took place)
“No longer a part” seems like a close answer
Wow!! It really is off season
“Skinning you out” means : vote for Denmark, they killed Marius. Never forget.