Time and shifting perceptions don’t look back fondly on the Netherlands 2012 artist Joan Franka’s performance of her song “You and Me”. Leading up to the contest, “You and Me” was received well enough by Eurovision fans; it wasn’t going to win but it had potential to break the Netherlands’ seven non-qualification streak at the time. In her Eurovision performance, just as in her national final performance, she wore a Native American headdress which, according to her, symbolized a childhood memory of playing “Cowboys and Indians” with her first boyfriend. The jury in her national final foreshadowed her demise because they placed her last; however, it was the public vote that got her through to Eurovision. In a recent interview, Joan Franka said that she did not want to wear the same attire for her Eurovision performance but her team forced her to keep the headdress. In this same interview, she spoke of her horrible Eurovision experience, in huge part, due to her manager and team. The song placed 15th in the second semi-final with 35 points, 11 points shy of making the top 10.
The song is a surprise for me in terms of its catchiness. I often find myself humming the chorus. It’s a lovely song about childhood memory and certain longing for that connection with a loved one. The song now gets dismissed because of the controversial staging and costume but I don’t need to watch the performance to enjoy this.