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"A-Ba-Ni-Bi" (English: I) was the Israeli entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978 in Paris, performed by Izhar Cohen & Alphabeta.

It won the Contest with 157 points, giving the country its first-ever victory since it began competing five years earlier.

Lyrics[]

A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach

A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
O-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach

Keshehayinu yeladim
Ahavnu besodei sodot
El mi hayinu nechmadim?
Rak ledodim uledodot

Vehabanot hamiskenot savlu
Hametukot, hen rak makot kiblu
Ve’et ma shehirgashnu be’emet
Lachashnu rak bisfat haBet

A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach

Ahava hi mila yafa
Hi tfila yafa, hi safa
Ahava hi elai tova
Hi tamid titgaber
Ubisfat ahava nedaber

A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach

Ani cholem vekam shalosh milim
Umahu ha’olam? Shalosh milim
Veze ma she’ani margish ka’et
Mamash kmo az, bisfat haBet

A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach

A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev
A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach

A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev

A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-he-bev o-bo-ta-bach

I love
I love you
I love
I love you

I love
Love you

When we were children
We would love in secret
Who were we nice to?
Only to uncles and aunts

And the poor girls suffered
Those sweethearts, they’d just get beaten up
And what we really felt
We whispered only in the Bet language

I love
I love you
I love
I love you

Love is a beautiful word
It’s a wondrous prayer, it’s a language
Love is good to me
It will always overcome
And we shall speak in a language of love

I love
I love you
I love
I love you

I dream and I wake up to three words
And what is the world? Three words
And that is how I feel now
Just like back then, in the Bet language

I love
I love you
I love
I love you

I love
I love you
I love
I love you

I love

I love you

Videos[]

Eurovision Song Contest
Winners
Lys AssiaCorry BrokkenAndré ClaveauTeddy ScholtenJacqueline BoyerJean-Claude PascalIsabelle AubretGrethe & Jørgen IngmannGigliola CinquettiFrance GallUdo JürgensSandie ShawMassielSaloméLuluLenny KuhrFrida BoccaraDanaSéverineVicky LeandrosAnne-Marie DavidABBATeach-InBrotherhood of ManMarie MyriamIzhar Cohen & AlphabetaMilk & HoneyJohnny LoganBucks FizzNicoleCorinne HermèsHerreysBobbysocks!Sandra KimJohnny LoganCéline DionRivaToto CutugnoCarolaLinda MartinNiamh KavanaghPaul Harrington & Charlie McGettiganSecret GardenEimear QuinnKatrina and the WavesDana InternationalCharlotte NilssonOlsen BrothersTanel Padar & Dave Benton with 2XLMarie NSertab ErenerRuslanaHelena PaparizouLordiMarija ŠerifovićDima BilanAlexander RybakLenaEli & NikkiLoreenEmmelie de ForestConchita WurstMåns ZelmerlöwJamalaSalvador SobralNettaDuncan LaurenceMåneskinKalush OrchestraLoreen
Winning Songs
RefrainNet als toenDors, mon amourEen beetjeTom PillibiNous les amoureuxUn premier amourDanseviseNon ho l'etàPoupée de cire, poupée de sonMerci, chériePuppet on a StringLa, la, laVivo cantandoBoom Bang-a-BangDe troubadourUn jour, un enfantAll Kinds of EverythingUn banc, un arbre, une rueAprès toiTu te reconnaîtrasWaterlooDing-a-DongSave Your Kisses for MeL'oiseau et l'enfantA-Ba-Ni-BiHallelujahWhat's Another YearMaking Your Mind UpEin bißchen FriedenSi la vie est cadeauDiggi-Loo Diggi-LeyLa det swingeJ'aime la vieHold Me NowNe partez pas sans moiRock MeInsieme: 1992Fångad av en stormvindWhy Me?In Your EyesRock 'n' Roll KidsNocturneThe VoiceLove Shine a LightDivaTake Me to Your HeavenFly on the Wings of LoveEverybodyI WannaEvery Way That I CanWild DancesMy Number OneHard Rock HallelujahMolitvaBelieveFairytaleSatelliteRunning ScaredEuphoriaOnly TeardropsRise Like a PhoenixHeroes1944Amar pelos doisToyArcadeZitti e buoniStefaniaTattoo
Contests
19561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Countries
AlbaniaAndorraArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBelarusBelgiumBosnia and HerzegovinaBulgariaCroatiaCyprusCzechiaDenmarkEstoniaFinlandFranceGeorgiaGermanyGreeceHungaryIcelandIrelandIsraelItalyLatviaLithuaniaLuxembourgNorth MacedoniaMaltaMoldovaMonacoMontenegroMoroccoThe NetherlandsNorwayPolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaSan MarinoSerbiaSerbia and MontenegroSlovakiaSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomYugoslavia
Miscellaneous
European Broadcasting UnionEurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1978
Songs
"A-Ba-Ni-Bi" • "L'amour ça fait chanter la vie" • "Il y aura toujours des violons" • "Les jardins de Monaco" • "Born to Sing" • "Feuer" • "Parlez-vous français?" • "Charlie Chaplin" • "Bailemos un vals" • "Vivre" • "The Bad Old Days" • "Questo amore" • "t Is OK" • "Det blir alltid värre framåt natten" • "Mrs. Caroline Robinson" • "Boom Boom" • "Dai li dou" • "Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus" • "Sevince" • "Mil etter mil"
Performers
Izhar Cohen & AlphabetaJean ValléeJoël PrévostCaline & Olivier ToussaintColm T. WilkinsonIreen SheerBaccaraTania TsanaklidouJosé VélezCarole VinciCo-CoRicchi e PoveriHarmonyBjörn SkifsSpringtimeMabelGeminiSeija SimolaNilüfer & NazarJahn Teigen
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