You Let Me Walk Alone by Michael Schulte
After having waited so long for a second victory, Lena’s 2010 win with Satellite must already seem so far away for the poor Germans. Their most recent form has been abysmal; two almost accidental lasts and a last-but-one. Most of the choice in this year’s national final hardly set the pace aflutter either, so I backed the Bavarian schlager band Voxxclub, who at least sounded distinctly German and looked like they were having fun. Neither the professional jury, nor the group made up of fans agreed, and in the end it was a clean sweep for soloist Michael Shulte.
It’s a nice song, if a little formulaic. It has a personal touch too, as a tribute to his late father and the love and values he instilled in his family. Reviewers are making comparisons to Ed Sheeran, whose sound couldn’t be more current and mainstream, although when I hear it, it reminds me more of a more intensely powerful and personal ballad by former savage Garden frontman Darren Hayes, Two Beds and a Coffee Machine, which deals with the nocturnal, nomadic nature of his own family due to his violent father’s alcoholism.
You might raise a cynical eyebrow to it taking a team of four songwriters to deliver such a ‘personal’ song, and indeed it does feel very by the numbers. However, it surely has to do better than Germany’s recent efforts, so don’t be surprised if this tugs every presentational heartstring to move itself up the table.
My marks: 6 points
Will it qualify? N/A Big 5
- Read Phil’s review of this song
- Read Mo’s review of this song