All songs for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 have been selected. During the weeks between the national final season and the actual Eurovision Song Contest, we will introduce all 39 entries in random order. Part seventeen of the series is dedicated to the Belgian entry.

Basic information

Performer:	Tom Dice
Song:	Me and my guitar
Language:	English
Music:	Tom Dice, Jeroen Swinnen, Ashley Hicklin
Lyrics:	Tom Dice, Jeroen Swinnen, Ashley Hicklin
Draw:	10th in the first semi final

The song

Me and my guitar is a mid-tempo pop song, which is – as the title already suggests – facing on the guitar in the arrangement. The lyrics are autobiographical and deal with Tom Dice's way into the music business and the doubts and hopes that went along with it:

So maybe I should get a nine to five
But I don't want to let it go, there's so much more to life

Tell me that I’ve got it wrong
Tell me everything will be okay
Before I fall
Tell me they'll play my songs
Tell me they'll sing the words I say
When darkness falls

The performer

Tom Dice, whose real name is Tom Eeckhout, founded his first band The Dice at the age of fiteen. He became famous, when he competed in the second season of the talent search X Factor. Coached by Maurice Engelen, he finished second in the final behind winner Dirk de Smet.

After his X Factor appearance, Tom Dice released his first single, which was an acoustic cover version of the Leona Lewis song Bleeding love. The single was a success in the Flemish part of Belgium peaking at number seven and staying in the charts for more than three months. Currently, he is working on his debut album, which is said to be called Teardrops and it is expected to be released in 2010.

The singer was internally chosen to represent Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest and his song Me and my guitar was officially presented during a special TV show. The song has been a commercial success as it entered the Flemish single charts at number two and climbed to the top the week after. The song has also peaked at number 18 in the Walloon single charts. Furthermore, Me and my guitar entered the Dutch single charts peaking at number 85. It is the fourth consecutive Belgian entry submitted by Flemish broadcaster VRT to reach the top of the charts.

The songwriters

The Belgian entry was written by Tom Dice, Jeroen Swinnen (who is also the producer of the song) and Ashley Hicklin. Jeroen Swinnen is a producer and occassional songwriter for various different singers and bands. Among others, he has worked with Ellektra (I hate it but I love it), Novastar (Because) and Geena Lisa, for whom he co-wrote the Eurosong 2008 entry Wheel of time. Me and my guitar is his second number one hit as a producer in Belgium following the Natalia & Gabriel Rios cover of the Leonard Cohen Song Hallelujah. Ashley Hicklin is a singer and songwriter, whose debut single Eskimos to Astronauts is set to be released on 21st May. He had already worked with Jeroen Swinnen in the past.

The national selection

It was the turn of Flemisch broadcaster VRT to select the Belgian entry. Having been known for their large national finals called Eurosong in recent years, they opted for an entirely internal selection for the first time since 1985. Following the Walloon broadcaster's choice last year, it is the second internal selection of the Belgian entry in a row. Tom Dice was chosen and his song Me and my guitar was officially presented during a special show called Eurosong 2010: Een song voor Tom Dice.

Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest

Flemish broadcaster VRT is to select the Belgian entry every second year taking turns with the Walloon broadcaster RTBF. History shows that the French speaking broadcaster was far more successful having provided the only Belgian winning song in 1986 and the only two second placed entries in 1978 and 2003, which was also the last year that Belgium was in the top ten. The last entry submitted by the Flemish broadcaster that made the top ten took part in 1977. However, both broadcasters were not too successful in recent years as Belgium has been eliminated during the semi finals every year since 2005.

We wensen België en Tom Dice veel geluk en een goed resultaat in Oslo! Nous souhaitons bonne chance à la Belgique et à Tom Dice. Marquez un bon résult à Oslo!
Wir wünschen Belgien und Tom Dice viel Glück und eine gute Platzierung in Oslo!

Videos

Performance during the presentation show/Preview video:

Tom Dice with Bleeding love:

Performing Wonderwall in X Factor:

Too late:

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the Norwegian entry.

Previous parts of this series:

1. Ireland
2. Belarus
3. Albania
4. Denmark
5. Russia
6. Bulgaria
7. Switzerland
8. FYR Macedonia
9. Armenia
10. Spain
11. Poland
12. Croatia
13. Finland
14. Greece
15. Ukraine
16. Lithuania