Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2007/03/01/push_the_button/

Israelis vote for Eurovision nuclear apocalypse

'Push the Button' unlikely to top Iranian charts

By Lester Haines

Posted in Bootnotes, 1st March 2007 09:28 GMT

Israelis have "voted overwhelmingly" to send a song having a poke at Iran's nuclear ambitions to this year's Eurovision Song Contest, the BBC reports.

In a move likely to have Mahmoud Ahmadinejad choking on his Rice Krispies this morning, Teapacks' Push the Button will wow the Helsinki crowds in May with lines such as: "The world is full of terror, if someone makes an error, he's gonna blow us up to kingdom come."

The song continues, in traditional Eurovision style: "And I don't wanna die, I wanna see the flowers bloom, don't wanna go kaput-kaboom."

The fun-filled ditty was selected by Israeli music-lovers from among four Teapacks offerings, including the "facetiously titled" Salam Salami, "so-named after the group discovered that its original lyrics, with words taken from the Bible, broke Eurovision Song Contest rules on suitable content".

Defending their contribution to peace in the Middle East, Teapacks say "it is their role to stir up controversy". Singer Kobi Oz explained: "The idea is to do something that crosses the accepted norms."

And just to prove how far Eurovision has come since the days of Cliff Richard and Abba, former Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins will on 17 March battle former East 17 star Brian Harvey and ex-Atomic Kitten Liz McClarnon for the honour to represent the UK in Finland. Reports that Marilyn Manson and Iggy Pop will this year give forth for Cyprus with a rendition of the old favourite Gonna Greece your partition, Gonna stuff your Turkey are unconfirmed. ®