A-Ba-Ni-Bi was the Israeli entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1978 in Paris performed by Izhar Cohen & Alpha Beta. It is an upbeat disco-style song that talks about how children relate to love - the title itself is sung in the Bet language, a children's language game where each syllable of the word is repeated with a bet replacing the consonant. It is also one of the few songs that ends directly after a key change.
It is often a subject of mistaken lyrics among Eurovision fans, many believe that the line "a-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-be-v" sounds like "I want to be a polar bear".
It was performed 18th on the night following Luxembourg and preceding Austria. At the close of voting, it was declared the winner with 157 points, giving Israel its first victory. Nurit Hirsh also made history by becoming the first (and only) female conductor to win the contest.
Lyrics[]
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
O-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
Keshehayinu yeladim
Ahavnu besodei sodot
El mi hayinu nechmadim?
Rak ledodim uledodot
Vehabanot hamiskenot savlu
Hametukot, hen rak makot kiblu
Ve'et ma shehirgashnu be'emet
Lachashnu rak bisfat haBet
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
Ahava hi mila yafa
Hi tfila yafa, hi safa
Ahava hi elai tova
Hi tamid titgaber
Ubisfat ahava nedaber
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
Ani cholem vekam shalosh milim
Umahu ha'olam? – Shalosh milim
Veze ma she'ani margish ka'et
Mamash kmo az, bisfat haBet
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
I love
I love you
I love
I love you
I love
Love you
When we were children
We would love in secret
Who were we nice to?
Only to uncles and aunts
And the poor girls suffered
Those sweethearts, they'd just get beaten up
And what we really felt
We whispered only in the Bet language
I love
I love you
I love
I love you
Love is a beautiful word
It's a wonderous prayer, it's a language
Love is good to me
It will always overcome
And we shall speak in a language of love
I love
I love you
I love
I love you
I dream and I wake up to three words
And what is the world? – Three words
And that is how I feel now
Just like back then, in the Bet language
I love
I love you
I love
I love you
I love
I love you
I love
I love you
I love
I love you
Eurovision Song Contest 1978 | |||
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Participants | |||
Colm Wilkinson • Jahn Teigen • Ricchi e Poveri • Seija Simola • Gemini • Joël Prévost • José Vélez • Co-Co • Carol Vinci • Jean Vallée • Harmony • Nilüfer & Nazar • Ireen Sheer • Caline & Olivier Toussaint • Tania Tsanaklidou • Mabel • Baccara • Izhar Cohen & Alpha Beta • Springtime • Björn Skifs | |||
Songs | |||
Born to Sing • Mil Etter Mil • Questo amore • Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus • Da li dou • Il y aura toujours des violons • Bailamos un vals • Bad Old Days • Vivre • L'amour ça fait chanter la vie • 't Is OK • Sevince • Feuer • Les jardins de Monaco • Charlie Chaplin • Boom Boom • Parlez-vous français? • A-Ba-Ni-Bi • Mrs. Caroline Robinson • Det blir alltid värre framåt natten |