"Fairytale" was the Norwegian entry for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, and the eventual winner. Performed by vocalist and violinist Alexander Rybak, the song smashed the record at the Moscow based event in the competition's 54-year history with a massive 387 points. Rybak, who also wrote the song, was born in Minsk in what was then the Soviet Union. While not the most powerful of ballads, it was a worthy winner, especially as he wrote it in English, which although the lingua franca of the known Universe, is not his first language. As he was only 23 years old at the time of his victory, one has to take issue with the opening line, "Years ago when I was younger," unless he was referring to a kindergarten romance, as in the Al Stewart song "A Long Way Down From Stephanie."
Rybek is a highly trained classical musician and he performed the song at the contest while playing the violin.
Rybak was born in Belarus. He said his background helped him to win the competition as whilst the happiest people in the world live in Norway, Belarus is known for the melancholy of its people. The song features east European-styled folk rhythms.
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