Congratulations 🎶

On 6 April 1968 Cliff Richard‘s song “Congratulations” finished second at the thirteenth Eurovision Song Contest which took place in the Royal Albert Hall in London and was the first to be broadcast in colour.
The song, which was the favourite to win, lost by just one vote to Spain’s entry and some said that voting had been rigged by the Francoist State to be able to host the contest the following year.

Despite not winning, it topped the charts throughout Europe and sold millions of copies.

Written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter its title was “I Think I Love You”, then changed into “Congratulations” (the longest single-word title), because it was argued that you either love someone or you don’t.

Congratulations and celebrations
When I tell everyone that you’re in love with me
Congratulations and jubilations
I want the world to know I’m happy as can be

Who could believe that I could be happy and contented
I used to think that happiness hadn’t been invented
But that was in the bad old days before I met you
When I let you walk into my heart

Congratulations and celebrations
When I tell everyone that you’re in love with me
Congratulations and jubilations
I want the world to know I’m happy as can be

I was afraid that maybe you thought you were above me
That I was only fooling myself to think you loved me
But then tonight you said you couldn’t live without me
That round about me you wanted to stay

Congratulations and celebrations
When I tell everyone that you’re in love with me
Congratulations and jubilations
I want the world to know I’m happy as can be

Congratulations and jubilations
I want the world to know I’m happy as can be

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Congratulazioni e festeggiamenti
quando dico a tutti che sei innamorata di me
Congratulazioni e rallegramenti
voglio che il mondo sappia quanto sono felice

Chi avrebbe creduto che io potessi essere felice e soddisfatto
Una volta pensavo che la felicità non fosse stata inventata
ma era nei tristi tempi passati, prima che ti conoscessi
quando ti ho fatta entrare nel mio cuore

Congratulazioni e festeggiamenti
quando dico a tutti che sei innamorata di me
Congratulazioni e rallegramenti
voglio che il mondo sappia quanto sono felice

Temevo che tu potessi pensare di essere superiore a me
che mi stavo solo illudendo pensando che tu mi amassi
ma poi stasera hai detto che non potevi vivere senza di me
e che volevi restare accanto a me

Congratulazioni e festeggiamenti
quando dico a tutti che sei innamorata di me
Congratulazioni e rallegramenti
voglio che il mondo sappia quanto sono felice

Congratulazioni e rallegramenti
voglio che il mondo sappia quanto sono felice