What are October Rain lyrics? Eden Golan’s song deemed ‘too political' as Israel prepares to make "necessary adjustments" to Eurovision entry

October Rain, the song sung by 20-year-old Eden Golan, which was submitted by Israel in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, has been barred by the Eurovision organizers. According to the BBC, the organizers barred the song last week, claiming it broke the rule of political neutrality. The news outlet also reported that the song bears apparent references to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 last year.

According to the BBC’s report, the European Broadcasting Union stated that they were assessing the lyrics of the song, to which Kan, an Israeli TV broadcaster, reacted by saying they had “no intention to replace the song.”

However, following the incident of the song being barred as Israel’s entry in the contest, Isaac Herzog, the Israeli President, called for “necessary adjustments” to be made to the song so that it could enter the show.

Before 2024, Israel won the Eurovision Song Contest four times in the past and has no intention of being disqualified from the contest this year.

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October Rain lyrics allegedly contain indirect references to the Hamas attack on Israel

The BBC reported that Kan had submitted two songs for its entry, with October Rain as the leading submission, and Dancing Forever in the second place.

After the organizers of Eurovision 2024, set to be hosted at Malmö, Sweden, barred the entry of the song from the contest last week, Israeli broadcaster Kan released a statement saying they had contacted the lyricists of both songs, asking them to “readapt the texts while preserving their artistic freedom.”

Here are the lyrics of October Rain:

Verse 1

Stand by me

Look into my eyes and see

People go away but never say goodbye

Verse 2

Someone stole my moon tonight

Took my light

Everything’s black and white

Who’s the fool who told you

Boys don’t cry

Pre-Chorus

Hours and hours and flowers

Life is no game for the cowards

Why does time go wild

Every day I’m losing my mind

Holding on to this mysterious ride

Chorus

Dancing in the storm

We got nothing to hide

Take me home

Leave the world behind

And I promise you that never again

I’m still wet from this October rain

October rain

Verse 3

Living in a fantasy

Ecstasy

Everything’s meant to be

We shall pass but love will never die

(There’s no air left to breathe

There’s no space

I’m gone day by day

Everyone is a good kid one by one)

The phrases “no air left to breathe,” “who’s the fool who told you boys don’t cry,” “life is no game for cowards,” and “people go away but never say goodbye” from the song draw indirect references to the first Hamas attack on Israel, which took place on October 7, 2023.

President Herzog, who has called for making adjustments to the entry, emphasized how the country “must raise its voice” in international forums at a time “when those who hate us are seeking to repress and boycott the state of Israel.”

According to the BBC, October Rain’s entry in the Eurovision 2024 contest, to be held in Malmö, Sweden, is due to be confirmed next Sunday.