"Primaballerina" (from Italian for "first ballerina" – the second highest female ballet dancer) is a 1969 song performed in German by Swedish singer Siw Malmkvist and written by Hans Blum. It was the entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1969. Malmkvist was the second of three female Scandinavian schlager artists to represent Germany in the contest in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the first being Norwegian Wenche Myhre in with "Ein Hoch der Liebe" and the third Danish Gitte Hænning with "Junger Tag" in. Malmkvist had previously also represented her native Sweden in the 1960 contest with "Alla andra får varann".

Song information

"Primaballerina" is a midtempo schlager song. It is addressed to a porcelain figure on a clock, who is asked why she is alone and has to pass through life without a lover. The singer tells that music is the life of the Primaballerina and that she just keeps turning to chimes. Nevertheless, in the final chorus she says that one day everything beautiful will fade and that the porcelaine figure will never understand that.

Excerpt

German

Primaballerina, Primaballerina Alles Schöne dieser Welt, das muss einmal vergehn Primaballerina, Primaballerina Kleine Porzellanfigur, das wirst du nie verstehn

English translation

Prima ballerina, prima ballerina Everything beautiful of this world has to fade one day Prima ballerina, prima ballerina Little porcelaine figurette, you will never understand that

At the national final

Three singers took part in the German national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 1969, each of them performing three songs. It was the third song performed by Siw Malmkvist and the seventh song performed overall in the first round of voting following Peggy March with "Aber die Liebe bleibt bestehn" and preceding Rex Gildo with "Festival der jungen Liebe" and first in the second round of voting with only three songs remaining. In the final round, the song was awarded seven out of 13 possible points sending the song to the Eurovision Song Contest in Madrid.

At the Eurovision Song Contest

The song was performed thirteenth on the night, following 's Kirsti Sparboe with "Oj, oj, oj, så glad jeg skal bli" and preceding 's Frida Boccara with "Un jour, un enfant". At the close of voting, it had received 8 points, placing 9th in a field of 16. It was succeeded as German representative at the 1970 contest by Katja Ebstein with "Wunder gibt es immer wieder".

Other versions

Other versions by Siw Malmkvist

Malmkvist recorded other two versions of the song: in her native Swedish and in Spanish. The title was kept for both versions.

Cover versions

Many cover versions of the song were recorded:

Releases and commercial success

The song was released on a vinyl single with the song "Mir fehlt der Knopf am Pyjama" as B-side. The song entered the German single charts and eventually peaked at #13. It is Siw Malkvist's third last charted single to date. It was the most successful German Eurovision Song Contest entry since "Zwei kleine Italiener" in and the second most successful one overall at the time of its release. The song later appeared on various Siw Malmkvist greatest hits compilations and on German Eurovision Song Contest compilations.