"Tom Pillibi" is a song written in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

by Pierre Cour, composed by

André Popp André Charles Jean Popp (19 February 1924 – 10 May 2014) was a French composer, arranger and screenwriter. Biography Popp was born into a family of German-Dutch background, in Fontenay-le-Comte, Vendée. He started his career as a church org ...

and performed in 1960 by

Jacqueline Boyer Jacqueline Boyer (, born Eliane Ducos, 23 April 1941) is a French singer and actress. She is also the daughter of performers Jacques Pills and Lucienne Boyer. In 1960, she won the Eurovision Song Contest for France singing "Tom Pillibi", with m ...

as 's entry and the winner of the

Eurovision Song Contest 1960 The Eurovision Song Contest 1960 was the fifth edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest, held on Tuesday 29 March 1960 at the Royal Festival Hall in London, United Kingdom, and hosted by British television presenter and actress Catherine ...

, gaining other versions including covers by other Eurovision entrants and by

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

star

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...

. It was released as a single on 10 April 1960.

Original and cover lyrics

The song is a moderately

up-tempo A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special mus ...

number, with the singer talking about her lover – the title character. She describes his material wealth - two castles, ships, other women wanting to be with him. She then admits that he has "only one fault", that being that he is "such a liar" and that none of what she had previously said about him was true. Nonetheless, she sings, she still loves him. In what would become increasingly the norm over Contest history, the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

version of the song, while still about the same man, conveyed quite a different impression. In this version, Tom is a compulsive womaniser and not to be trusted at all. Perhaps as a result of this, Des Mangan's book on Contest history confuses the issue further by describing the song as being about "a man with two castles and two boats and who's generally a right bastard, but she still loves him anyway." Boyer also recorded a

German-language German ( ) is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol. It is also a c ...

version of the song, under the same title.

Eurovision Song Contest

The song was performed thirteenth on the night, following 's

Renato Rascel Renato Rascel (), stage name of Renato Ranucci (; 27 April 1912 – 2 January 1991), was an Italian film actor and singer. He appeared in 50 films between 1942 and 1972. He represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1960 with the s ...

with " Romantica". At the close of voting, it had received 32 points, placing 1st in a field of 13. The song is noted as the first Eurovision winner to be performed last, reviewed by entertainment website

Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...

as an initial prove that a bias for recency "might just be at play in Eurovision". The song was succeeded as contest winner in by

Jean-Claude Pascal Jean-Claude Villeminot (24 October 1927 – 5 May 1992), better known as Jean-Claude Pascal (), was a French comedian, actor, singer and writer. Early life He was born in Paris into a family of wealthy textile manufacturers. His mother, ...

, singing "

Nous les amoureux "Nous les amoureux" (; "We, the Lovers" or "Us Lovers") was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1961, performed in French for by French singer Jean-Claude Pascal. The song was performed fourteenth on the night (following 's Dario Cam ...

" for . It was succeeded as French representative that year by

Jean-Paul Mauric Jean-Paul Mauric (, 17 June 1933, Hyères, Var – 5 January 1971, Marseille) was a French singer, best known for his participation in the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest. Mauric studied at the Conservatoire de Toulon, and after touring around P ...

with "

Printemps, avril carillonne France was represented by Jean-Paul Mauric, with the song "Printemps, avril carillonne", at the Eurovision Song Contest 1961, which took place on 18 March in Cannes following Jacqueline Boyer's victory for France the previous year. For 1961, broa ...

Cover versions

"Tom Pillibi" gained several recordings by internationally known and national well-established figures, including other Eurovision representatives, on the same year of the original release. Numerous accolades receiver, actress and singer

, recorded the song in English in April 1960.

Laila Kinnunen Laura “Laila” Annikki Kinnunen (8 November 1939, Vantaa – 26 October 2000, Heinävesi) was a Finnish singer. She was one of the most popular Finnish singers of the 1950s and 1960s, and represented Finland at the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest ...

, one of Finland's most popular singers and the country's 1961 Eurovision debutante, recorded a Finish version on 14 June 1960, as well as Sweden's 1962 Eurovision representative

Inger Berggren Inger Berggren (23 February 1934 – 19 July 2019) was a Swedish singer. Her biggest hits were "Sol och vår" and "Elisabeth serenad", both in 1962. Berggren was born in Stockholm. She began her vocal career with Thore Swanerud's orchestra, an ...

References

External links

Official Eurovision Song Contest site, history by year, 1960

Detailed info & lyrics, The Diggiloo Thrush, "Tom Pillibi".
{{Authority control Eurovision songs of France Eurovision songs of 1960 French-language songs Eurovision Song Contest winning songs Songs written by Pierre Cour Songs written by André Popp Columbia Graphophone Company singles 1960 songs