This is What the Uncensored Eurovision Song About Israeli Hostages Sounds Like

On Saturday evening, Israeli singer Eden Golan performed the uncensored version of her Eurovision Song Contest entry for the first time. Golan sang her song “October Rain” at a Tel Aviv rally held weekly in support of a deal to release the hostages held in Gaza by Islamic terrorists. The song “October Rain” is about the Israeli hostage families who, after six months, are still in great uncertainty about the fate of their loved ones. Below, you will find the original lyrics.

Earlier this month, Israel took fifth place at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Malmö, Sweden. However, this did not go without controversy and violence. Eurovision’s radical left-wing fans urged the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organizer of the contest, to disqualify Israel over the Gaza war. The anti-Jewish fans (and some former participants) felt it was inappropriate to allow a country that would commit ‘genocide’ to participate.

Despite these calls, the EBU allowed Israel to participate, but this decision came at a cost. Due to violent unrest, the Israeli delegation required heavy security during the music festival. Eden Golan and her team could not leave their hotel independently and were transported in a large convoy to ensure their safety in Malmö. Crowds of violent Muslims and leftist protesters filled the streets, calling for her death and attempting to storm her hotel. While some media outlets framed the mob’s anger as being about the war, the targeting of an innocent Jewish girl mirrored the antisemitic violence seen on October 7, highlighting deep-seated Jew hatred rather than a political protest.

Despite these threats and challenges, Israel was extremely popular with European TV viewers, receiving almost the most points in the televoting, right behind Croatia. Especially in Western European countries with significant mass Islamic immigration, Israel received the coveted douze points (12 points).

Adjustments to song lyrics

There was a lot of buzz not only about Israel’s participation but also about Israel’s Eurovision song. According to the EBU, the original lyrics were too “politically charged” as they contained direct references to the October 7 Islamic terror attacks. On that day, Muslims belonging to Hamas murdered, raped, and tortured as many as 1,200 Israelis in southern Israel, including at a music festival and in kibbutzim. More than 200 Israelis were also kidnapped to the Gaza Strip as hostages.

However, the EBU did not want Israel to reference this in the Eurovision song, so the lyrics had to be adjusted several times. The original title, “October Rain” (which referred to October 7), was changed to “Hurricane.” Many question why the EBU considered a terrorist attack on innocent Israelis and Jews to be political and not something universally condemnable.

The song lyrics themselves were also modified. For example, the phrase “Take me home” (which refers to the hostages) had to make way for “Take it all.” Additionally, “Promise me that never again” (a reference associated with the Holocaust) was changed to “Promise me you’ll hold me again.” Finally, the Hebrew closing text, “They were all good children, one by one,” was adapted to “You always leave a little light for me.” There were even more changes.

Performance in Tel Aviv

Now that the Eurovision Song Contest is over, Eden Golan can freely sing the song’s original version. She did this on Friday evening in Tel Aviv, on the renamed Square of the Hostages. Amid the hostage families, Golan sang the song “October Rain” about the great uncertainty in which those close to them still find themselves.

This is not without reason. After more than half of a year, around 130 Israeli hostages are still kidnapped in the Gaza Strip. The hostages have been severely abused both psychologically and physically, and some were also sexually violated. On Friday, the bodies of four hostages were found in Rafah, including that of Shani Louk.

Below are the original lyrics for “October Rain”

Writers of the history
Stand with me
Look into my eyes and see
People go away but never say goodbye

Someone stole the moon tonight
Took my light
Everything is black and white
Who’s the fool who told you
Boys don’t cry

Hours and hours and flowers
Life is no game for the cowards
Why does time go wild
Every day I’m losing my mind
Holding on in this mysterious ride

Dancing in the storm
We got nothing to hide
Take me home
And leave the world behind
And I promise you that never again
I’m still wet from this October rain
October Rain

Living in a fantasy
Ecstasy
Everything’s meant to be
We shall pass but love will never die

Hours and hours and flowers
Life is no game for the cowards
Why does time go wild
Every day I’m losing my mind
Holding on in this mysterious ride

Dancing in the storm
We got nothing to hide
Take me home
And leave the world behind
And I promise you that never again
I’m still wet from this October rain
October Rain
October Rain

לא נשאר אוויר לנשום
אין מקום
אין אותי מיום ליום
כולם ילדים טובים אחד אחד

(There’s no air left to breathe
There’s no space
I’m gone day by day
Everyone is good kids one by one)

Changes Made for Eurovision: “Hurricane”

The main changes to the song are as follows:

1. The Hebrew lyrics were fully replaced. The new lyrics are:

בלי מילים גדולות
רק תפילות
אפילו אם קשה לראות
תמיד אתה משאיר לי
אור אחד קטן

Which translates to:

“No big words
Only prayers
Even if it is hard to see
You will always leave
A little light for me”

2. The word “flowers” was replaced by “powers.”
3. The phrase “October Rain” was removed from the song.
4. The “writers of history” was replaced with a metaphor associated with a symphony.

Below is the renamed song “Hurricane”.

Writer of my symphony
Play with me
Look into my eyes and see
People walk away but never say goodbye

Someone stole the moon tonight
Took my light
Everything is black and white
Who’s the fool who told you boys don’t cry?

Hours and hours, empowers
Life is no game, but it’s ours
While the time goes wild

Every day, I’m losin’ my mind
Holdin’ on in this mysterious ride
Dancin’ in the storm, I got nothin’ to hide
Take it all and leave the world behind
Baby, promise me you’ll hold me again
I’m still broken from this hurricane
This hurricane

Livin’ in a fantasy
Ecstasy
Everything is meant to be
We shall pass, but love will never die, mm

Hours and hours, empowers
Life is no game, but it’s ours
While the time goes wild

Every day, I’m losin’ my mind
Holdin’ on in this mysterious ride
Dancin’ in the storm, I got nothin’ to hide
Take it all and leave the world behind
Baby, promise me you’ll hold me again
I’m still broken from this hurricane
This hurricane

This hurricane

לא צריך מילים גדולות
רק תפילות
אפילו אם קשה לראות
תמיד אתה משאיר לי אור אחד קטן