Edyta Górniak’s success at Eurovision. It’s been 30 years!

The history of the song “It’s not me”. – From the USA to Eurovision

Poland’s debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994 not only went down in gold in the annals of history, but also brought unforgettable moments and emotions associated with Edyta Górniak’s performance. The song “It’s not me”, which Edyta performed on stage in Dublin, has its roots much earlier, and nowhere else but in the U.S. Composer Stanislaw Syrewicz originally wrote the music for the song with the American band Chicago in mind, and the song was titled “No One Said It Was Easy”. Intended for the American market, the song eventually made its way to Poland and was adapted for Eurovision. The story of this hit song shows how unpredictable the fate of music that crosses borders and cultures can be.

Controversy and challenges – Edyta Górniak at Eurovision

Edyta Górniak’s Eurovision performance was not only moments of triumph, but also controversy and challenges that she had to face. The biggest controversy was when, during the jury rehearsal, Edyta sang a part of a song in English, which was a violation of the rules that required singing in the native language. This decision was prompted by health concerns for the singer, who was struggling with laryngitis. At the time, six countries objected, which could have ended in Poland’s disqualification.

English has a slightly different emission and spares the throat in a way. I remember being afraid that if I sang the piece in its entirety at the dress rehearsal, I would simply lose my voice and not be able to perform the piece in the evening. (…) Victor says:

“Listen, you have to sing rather the whole thing, but maybe just sing a fragment in English, because it’s lighter for your vocal cords,” explained Górniak years later.

However, despite these obstacles, Górniak performed brilliantly, winning the hearts of the audience and the jury, which ultimately brought her second place.

Edyta Górniak’s memorable performance at Eurovision in 1994

On 30 April 1994, Edyta Górniak performed at the Point Theatre in Dublin in the final of the 39th Eurovision Song Contest, presenting herself in a way that was memorable for audiences around the world. She appeared on stage in a simple but expensive white dress bought in Hong Kong for 30 million old Zloty, a staggering sum for the time, the equivalent of her mother’s annual salary.

Of course I am aware that thirty million is, for example, my mother’s annual salary, but what do you expect me to do? This is my profession. I do all this for the people. I have a duty to live up to their expectations, she said in an interview with Marcin Meller for ‘Playboy’.

Despite her health problems, Edyta performed phenomenally, scoring the maximum number of points from five countries and ultimately taking second place. This performance remains Poland’s best result in Eurovision history. Without the language controversy, could the result have been even better? We will probably never know the answer to this question.

The impact of the performance on Edyta Górniak’s career and Polish music

Edyta Górniak’s success at Eurovision was not only important for her career, but also for the perception of Polish music internationally. Second place is to this day Poland’s best result in the history of the contest, which allowed Górniak to launch her international career. These are moments that unite generations and that will be remembered for years to come.