After sending in two of the more remarkable songs in the 1956 contest, Germany continues the trend with Margot Hielscher’s “Telefon, Telefon” (Telephone, Telephone), which not only used a telephone as a prop, but also featured phrases from other languages — a Eurovision first. The song ambles along pleasantly, with a “late night in a city bar” vibe as Heilscher’s character sings about the surprises and joys which can come from a phone call.

In contrast, France’s entry is more “sunny summer morning” — “Le belle amour” (Beautiful Love), performed by Paule Desjardins, describes a day with one’s lover. Like the first French entry “Le temps perdu”, this song is more about creating an atmosphere than a structure modern ears would easily recognise. Unfortunately, there’s not much here to keep me interested.