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Si la vie est cadeau

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Wikipedia article


{{Infobox song

| name = Si la vie est cadeau

| cover = Corinne Herms - Si la vie est cadeau.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Corinne Herms

| album =

| B-side = Pour un jour de toi

| released = 2 May 1983

| recorded = 1983

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Chanson

| length = 03:05

| label =

* Polydor Records

* PolyGram Music

* Saban Records

| writer =

* Jean-Pierre Millers

* Alain Garcia

| producer = Jean-Pierre Millers

| prev_title = Le Blouson gris

| prev_year = 1979

| next_title = Vivre deux

| next_year = 1983

| misc =

}}

"'Si la vie est cadeau'" (; "If Life Is a Gift") by Jean-Pierre Millers (music) and Alain Garcia (lyrics) was the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1983, performed in French by French singer Corinne Herms for .

The song is a dramatic ballad dealing with the wonder of life, likening it to a gift. The lyrics tell of the singer's suffering in love with a man "who promised [her] the whole world" and did not follow through: "what about the child I wanted to give to you in the spring?". She then sings that any kind of gift is welcome, whether it be given, stolen or returned, and warns that the good times are too short, implying that the listener should savor them for all they are worth. Herms also recorded the song in English and German, as "Words of Love" and "Liebe gibt und nimmt" ("Love gives and takes") respectively.

The song was performed 20th (last) on the night, following 's Pas de Deux with "Rendez-vous". At the close of voting, it had received 142 points, placing 1st in a field of 20. The win brought Luxembourg equal with on five contest wins each, however both countries would later be eclipsed by , which would win seven times.

Compared to the previous years' Eurovision winners, "Si la vie est cadeau" only proved to be a moderate commercial success, peaking at #2 in France, #3 in Belgium, #12 in Ireland, #13 in Sweden, #14 in Switzerland, #19 in the Netherlands and failing to chart in most other European countries.[http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Corinne+Herm%E8s&titel=Si+la+vie+est+cadeau&cat=s Swisscharts.com, chart positions "Si la vie est cadeau", 1983]



The song was succeeded in 1984 as winner of the contest by Herreys representing with "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley". It was succeeded as Luxembourgish representative at the 1984 contest by Sophie Carle with "100% d'amour".

The Finnish rendering "Lahjan sain" was recorded by Lea Laven being the title cut of her 1983 album release.


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