Ukraine’s Jerry Heil and alyona alyona are ready to fly Ukraine’s yellow-and-blue at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö.
The duo formed by Jerry Heil and alyona alyona emerged victorious in this year’s edition of Vidbir, the Ukrainian national selection, with their spiritual song “Teresa & Maria.”
The song blends traditional elements, highlighting Jerry’s powerful vocals and alyona alyona’s fierce rap skills. It already has a touch of Eurovision winner vibes: one of the songwriters behind the song is Ivan Klymenko, who was a lyricist for Kalush Orchestra’s winning entry “Stefania” in Eurovision 2022.
Speaking to Wiwibloggs ahead of the national final in January, Jerry Heil summed up the “Teresa & Maria” lyrics, making it clear we all have the agency to move toward the saints.
“No one was born holy — we all came here as human beings, so who we become is our responsibility,” she said. “The rules of today’s reality game are all about taking responsibility. If you want the change — be the change.”
Scroll down to read the “Teresa & Maria” lyrics
Ukraine at Eurovision 2024: Jerry Heil & alyona alyona with “Teresa & Maria”
From the outset, they were among the fan favorites to win Ukraine’s national selection. But it wasn’t smooth sailing. The competition voting app experienced technical issues, leading to a one-day delay in the results announcement…and some unfortunate eyebrow-raising among rival acts. No matter. Our girls won fair and square. Beyond the public vote, the duo also topped the jury, which included Ukraine’s Eurovision 2016 winner Jamala.
Jerry Heil is a familiar figure among Eurovision enthusiasts who follow Vidbir. This year marked Jerry’s third attempt to represent her country in Eurovision. She first competed in 2020 with the song “Vegan,” and then made another attempt in 2023 with “When God Shut The Door,” finishing in third place. Initially gaining fame as a YouTuber, Jerry is also a former contestant on X Factor Ukraine and is regarded as a promising artist in the Ukrainian music scene.
Alyona Alyona is making her debut on Ukraine’s Eurovision scene, although she previously served as a member of the Ukrainian jury for Eurovision in 2021. She also clinched the Public’s Choice Award at the Music Moves Europe Talent Awards contest in 2021, solidifying her acclaim as a rapper. Additionally, she has garnered recognition through her participation in various international music festivals.
The duo’s collaboration was born of mutual respect. As alyona alyona told us in January, they’re a natural fit creatively.
“First and foremost, Jerry is an exceptional singer,” Alyona said. “The lyrics of her songs resonate with me deeply, and I feel like we’re on the same wavelength when it comes to our song choices or opinions. So, if someone were to ask me who the best Ukrainian singer to collaborate with is, I would undoubtedly choose Jerry. Her voice, style, and energy align perfectly with mine.”
What do the “Teresa & Maria” lyrics mean?
Jerry Heil and alyona alyona’s song aims to convey a message of love and compassion, celebrating and representing all the divas of the world, while also promoting an anti-war message.
“But you should know: your own happiness
Is in your hands
Come on, baby, shine
I’m not holy, I’m alive”
The lyrics emphasize the significance of the actions taken during one’s lifetime, stressing that happiness is not something to passively wait for, but rather something to actively create. Touching upon themes of holiness and real-life experience, the song draws parallels between two biblical figures.
“Mother Teresa and Virgin Mary are with us
Barefoot, as if on a blade, they walked on the ground”
Mother Teresa, an Albanian-Indian Catholic nun, was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta by the Catholic Church after her death. She is revered as a symbol of kindness and compassion, dedicated to helping those in need. The Virgin Mary, a biblical figure, is recognized as the mother of Jesus. Through her actions, she embodies a universal symbol of pure love. Combining kindness and love encourages people to strive for positive change, peace and harmony, thereby creating a better world for everyone.
“There are saints in the sky
They have walked this Earth,
(…)
With us are Mother Teresa and Virgin Mary
All the divas were born as human beings.”
Most biblical stories imply that saints were initially human beings. Focusing on the two main characters of our song, Mother Teresa and Virgin Mary, were born as human beings, underscoring the idea that divinity exists among us, not solely in heaven. Holiness is not an inherent trait; rather, it is achieved over time through one’s actions. Indeed, even if someone is recognized as “holy” after death, this designation is determined by the actions they performed while alive, the deeds that define their character and legacy. The song emphasizes that divas, heroes, and those who can enact change are not exclusively in heaven but are present here on earth among us.
“Teresa & Maria” lyrics and translation — Jerry Heil and alyona alyona (Ukraine Eurovision 2024)
Lyrics: Jerry Heil, alyona alyona, Anton Chilibi, Ivan Klymenko
Ukrainian text
Dzhere-dzhere-dzherelo Probyva sobi shliakh Shcho by shcho by ne bulo Svit na yiyi plechakh
Mani-mani-manivtsi Zvyvysti, skeliasti Ale znai: v tvoyiy rutsi Tvoye vlasne shchastia
Davai, mala, palai I’m not holy, I’m alive
Z namy Mama Tereza i Diva Maria Bosi, niby po lezu, ishly po zemli With us mama Teresa, Diva Maria All the Divas were born as human beings
Z namy Mama Tereza i Diva Maria Bosi, niby po lezu, ishly po zemli With us mama Teresa, Diva Maria All the Divas were born as human beings
Navit shche zmalia my shukaly shliakh Ta zhyttia – petlia, niby dlia tykh khto padaie Na svoikh plechakh shche male divcha Nese z boliu chan i vbacha, shcho to vada ye Znovu ne taka, to nadto miaka Odiah na kistkakh, holiaka chy to pid vinets De tvoie dytia? Shcho tvoie zhyttia? Ta roky zh letiat! I zatiam: skoro vzhe kinets
I khai khtos khoche aby my zlamalys Khai buva v tobi zariadu Ne po likot, a po palets I khai khtos khova za posmishkoiu Nenavyst i zazdrist Koly ty puskayesh v sertse hniv Dobra y liubovi zamist Ale v nebi ye sviati Yikh nohy bachyly tsyu zemlyu, znayesh Tviy ternystyi shliakh Same tomu ye ne daremno I khai bude duzhe strashno y temno I chasom ne lehko Ta z toboyu zavzhdy budut Z neba sliduvaty predky
Z namy Mama Tereza i Diva Maria Bosi, niby po lezu, ishly po zemli With us mama Teresa, Diva Maria All the Divas were born as human beings
Z namy Mama Tereza i Diva Maria Bosi, niby po lezu, yshly po zemli With us mama Teresa, Diva Maria All the Divas were born as humаn beingѕ
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English translation
Spri-spri-spring Carves its way No matter-no matter what She carries the weight of the world On her shoulders
The pa-pa-path Is winding and rocky But you should know: your own happiness Is in your hands
Come on, baby, shine I’m not holy, I’m alive
Mother Teresa and Virgin Mary are with us Barefoot, as if on a blade, they walked on the ground With us are Mother Teresa and Virgin Mary All the divas were born as human beings
Mother Teresa and Virgin Mary are with us Barefoot, as if on a blade, they walked on the ground With us are Mother Teresa and Virgin Mary
All the divas were born as human beings
Even when we were little, we searched for a path But life is like a loop for those who are falling A girl, who is still so young, Carries a burden of pain On her shoulders, seeing it as a flaw Again not as she should be, either too soft Or skinny like a twig, half-naked or going down the aisle Where is your child? What is your life worth? But years are flying by! And bear in mind: the end is near
And even though someone wants us to break Even though sometimes the energy in you Makes you work not elbows deep, but fingers deep And even though someone hides hatred And envy behind a smile When you let anger into your heart Instead of kindness and love There are saints in the sky They have walked this Earth, And you know, that’s why your thorny Path is not in vain And though it may be very scary and dark And sometimes not easy But you’ll always have your ancestors Watching you from heaven
Mother Teresa and Virgin Mary are with us Barefoot, as if on a blade, they walked on the ground With us are Mother Teresa and Virgin Mary All the divas were born as human beings
Mother Teresa and Virgin Mary are with us Barefoot, as if on a blade, they walked on the ground With us are Mother Teresa and Virgin Mary All the divas were born as human beings |
forget what i earlier said in these comments, yes good song, its my 2nd place in my ranking this year behind Norway
my top 10
and yes i also rank Israel fairly, into a nice 15th place
Please people: do google search about personality of mother therese. To those who doesn’t know yet , and think she was saint : you’ll be shocked.
One a fairy tale chararacter, the other a religious fanatic.
NEXT!
Unpopular opinion: y’all pretend to like this just bc it’s Ukraine, despite Ukrainians themselves hating this song (or so I’ve gathered on Ukraine Twitter and Telegram)
I’m Ukrainian and I love it 🙂
It’s my favourite song from the qualification contest for Eurovision in Ukraine.
It’s not often I read a genuine religious message of comfort in a Eurovision song, so this is what “Teresa & Maria” brings to me. I’m happy that the song stands out and provokes divisive reactions from the fandom; these kind of songs make Eurovision more interesting. And yes, I was born as a human being.
Is this the first?
The first genuinely religious message in a Eurovision song? No. There are quite a few. Probably around 10-12 depending on how you count them. I’m going to pick out three of them as the most serious: Portugal 1964, António Calvário “Oração” – This song has such a “sound of music” theatrical performance that it’s easy to overlook the fact that the whole song is a confession to the Lord for wrongdoings. (I recently saw this one again at FdC 2024, which is how I know about it. Thanks RTP.) Greece 1976, Mariza Koch, “Panaghia Mou” (“My Lady, My Lady”) –… Read more »
Oh, right, of course… thank you! Great examples. For some reason I couldn’t get past the various Amens (1995, 2021 x 2) or Hallelujah.
My way of counting is crossing a certain threshold of vagueness. Israel 1979 doesn’t cut it, for example, though maybe the original Hebrew lyrics are better.
Portugal 1964 reminds me of Hungary 1994, arguably the best religious Eurovision song ever. My bad for forgetting that one.
The Danish preselection have had a few through the years., which is odd considering how non-religious the Danes normally are. There was Conf3ssions Halllelujah in 2022. And in 1997 the very forgetable song “Du er den eneste” (You are the only one) was actually praise to God. I only realised that recently.
Thank you, I didn’t know that. 🙂
About relevant national selection songs, evidently I should probably also mention “Dear Father” by Laura Bretan in Romania 2019. This is quite a famous song, mainly because of how unintentionally romantic is sounds, but I was told at the time that it was intended to be about the love of God.
I don’t usually appreciate the recent Ukrainian entries, but this has grown to me a lot.
I don’t like their vocals.
Ukraine has beautiful song this year, we should all support them , that country is suffering rn.
Ukraine needs weapons and ammo, not pity votes at ESC
I love how this song triggers the Russian troll farms. You can all rot with your dead comrades. Russia doesn’t care about you and no one else does either. GLORY TO UKRAINE from the USA
And you think US cares about Ukrainians? They will fight to the last Ukrainian since this is about U.S. and NATO taking control of Ukraine and setting up on the border with Russia. U.S. overturned Ukraine’s president in 2014 and installed a puppet. Since then Ukraine started attacking civilians in the Donbass, wanting to purge them all. Ukraine’s politicians have even said that.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
It Is A Really Ofencive Thing To Me That Ukraine Is Singing A Song About Religious Figures When They Are Comiting Crimes On Russians In Donbass Region Since 2014 And Bans Russian Language , Guess What Ukraine Language Its Oficial Language Of Russia But In Ukraine If You Speak Russian You Are Jailed
S T F U
F U zigger
Ukraine Should Not Take Part On The Eurowision Because Of Politiks Entrys Every Year . EBU Do Something Imitietly Because The Contest Cant Be Take Serious Now And If You Dont Ban Them Please Inwite Belarus And Russia Back Because Since The Operation Ukraine Attack West Multiple Times And Tries To Blame Russians For This . There Colours Are Showed Now Ban This Traitors
I Just Know I Am DownWoted As Usually But I Will Supoort What Is Right Even If The World Its Against Me Because This Is Not Ok To Do
No one likes you, go away russian troll
No one likes americans either
Russian troll, go back to hell
The Virgin Mary, Our Lady, is not really a feminist role model in my eyes. She is known only as the mother of Jesus, a role that was assigned to her by a man. Did she even have a choice? I believe she was only 14 at the time of her impregnation. Her remaining time on earth was spent wholly in service to her divine son and carpenter husband. Do we actually know anything about her? Did she have any hobbies? Everything we DO know about her comes from the accounts of four men. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. No… Read more »
Mama Teresa, at least, whatever about her character, is a better example of pro-actively chasing and realising the life you actually want.
While sadistically enjoying the suffering of the poor. She didn’t believe in pain medicine and kept the poor and sick practically warehoused despite people sending millions after seeing all the suffering. She had a policy of re-using needles and injecting people with expired vaccines and medicines. She and her nuns had no qualified medical training so were practicing medicine without a license. Many who would have been saved with proper medical treatment ended up dying, and in a lot of pain. Mother Teresa thought their suffering would “do the world good.” She was also friends with brutal dictators, pedophile priests,… Read more »
You make it sound like Virgin Mary actually existed.
It’s not wholly our own responsibility who we become. The first 18 years are kinda crucial, where we totally rely on others and are shaped by them.
Even after we grow up, society and the world at large can continue to knock us back.
Why can’t non-English speaking artists hire a copywriter to double-check the lyrics?
The fact the song says ”all the Divas were born as a human beings” puts me off it so much. I also find this line a little blocky, it doesn’t fit well in the instrumental.
There is dark but sweet heart to this song, which I find very warm and comforting.
Nobody noticed how “all the divas were born as a human beings” constitutes a grave grammatical mistake in English
no, no grammatical mistakes there though?
I hope they do great.
The song is a masterpiece
I hope this doesn’t win. Can’t be bothered to look into what a horrible excuse for a human being Mother Teresa was before dedicating half your song to her? And if they actually know her history and still decided to praise her, that just makes this song even more ignorant than their painful ignorance regarding the English language.
The song is fine, but damn those English lyrics are awful. This song definitely should’ve stayed fully in Ukrainian
please NQ Ukraine
another ukraine thread here boring, i predict this will be their first NQ year
no one likes woke vegans anyway
I thought that’s general knowledge Mother Teresa was money grabbing, mobbing, tax fraud evil person… definitely not a good role model to sing about her… and why English skills of Ukrainian people is so drastically low? What is the excuse, they’re not part of the ussr for more than 30 years already?
as if Baby Lasagna’s english is that good LMAO, similar to Shantel in Disko Partizani
Isk about his English, but the song terrible for sure…
I been to many places in western Europe and in many of those people don’t know English even a little bit. I’m talking about Madrid for example. Even in the hotel they couldn’t really say anything in English and used their phone to tell me stuff. What is their excuse?
What is the name of that hotel? Maybe it wasn’t a hotel and it was a hostel. I was in Madrid at the Preparty and I had no problem speaking not only in English but also in my native language. I think it was more difficult for me to practice my limited level of Spanish at the hotel because there were staff there who didn’t speak it. The same thing usually happens to me in Ibiza. I also think that being a language that is officially spoken in 21 countries, they can travel the world with fewer limitations than many… Read more »
You gave Madrid as a great example, Spaniah, Italian, French are lingua franca, languages that are globally learned, spoken in multiple cointries so they don’t need to learn English bc they can do well in most cases w/ their native languages… this is not the case with Dutch, Scandinavian, or similar smaller countries, and their English skill is extraordinary …
They cannot pronounce z’s tho’…using an s: eassssy.
Their excuse is they probably don’t write songs in English that are trying to win a competition.
Why do people have to know English perfectly? Is there an international law that makes that language the only one in the world? with how wonderful all languages are beyond English and the wonders that people without the mental capacity to enjoy them miss.
No, they don’t have to talk it perfectly, but at least have the right grammar. If you have Slavic, Baltic, German or Swedish accent doesn’t bother me, but wrong grammar does. I agree that the lyrics should have had a grammar check before they released the song. It puts me off also
That way of thinking of English speakers is curious. On the contrary, I love and am proud to hear a foreigner speak in my language with his flaws. The simple effort of trying to speak or write a language that is not ours seems more to be admired than criticized, although that depends on the mentality of each individual, even each culture.
Well, I’m Danish so English is not my mother tongue.I just hate wrong grammar in general.
Not everybody needs to pander to the Anglosphere. You talk like English is the default language that everybody must know. No.