"Hanna started her career by singing in local rock groups by night and driving a forklift truck at a paper mill by day."

The Spin

On the surface, Finland's entry for this year's Eurovision Song Contest, Hanna's "Leave Me Alone" is just as melodic and catchy as the best Eurovision pop should be. Underneath, it's a straight-ahead rock song complete with aggressive lyrics and a mean guitar solo.

"I know it's not your typical Eurovision entry", says Hanna, who co-wrote the song's lyrics. "But the important thing is that I believe in it. After all, the Eurovision Song Contest is about the songs, not about the singers". But of course, the competition is about the singers, too. And one thing Hanna can certainly do is sing.

Growing up in Eastern Finland near the Russian border, Hanna started her career by singing in local rock groups by night and driving a forklift truck at a paper mill by day. Her lucky break came in 2004 when she took part in the TV talent show "Idols", the Finnish version of the international hit format "Pop Idol". It didn't take the Finns long to fall in love with this talkative, friendly, and completely unpretentious small-town girl with the big voice. In other words, Hanna won "Idols" and signed with Sony BMG because she sang like a true diva but acted utterly unlike one.

At 25, Hanna is now a veteran of the Finnish music scene, the country's best-selling English-language solo artist, a huge concert favourite, and one of Finland's best-loved celebrities. Even after her Gold and Platinum albums and countless hit singles she still continues to grow musically: on her new album "Lovers", which also features "Leave Me Alone", she co-wrote most of the songs.

With "Leave Me Alone" and the Eurovision Song Contest, it's time for the rest of Europe to get to know the un-diva-like rock diva.

"By now, Finns probably have a pretty good idea about who I am, both as a singer and as a person", Hanna says laughing. "I don't think I'm going to be changing anytime soon." Hanna's Finnish fans certainly hope so.

Influences : Bon Jovi, Blind Melon, Kotiteollisuus, Alanis Morissette, Alice in Chains, Him, Agnes, Popeda, Maija Vilkkumaa, Bleak, Metallica...

The Singer

The pressure was on the hosts like never before to come up with a worthy follow-up to prove that Lordi's success wasn't a flash in the pan. Failed on all counts. The Finnish pre-selection this year was once again one of the most abysmal pieces of tv masquerading as musical entertainment. It appeared that such was the paucity of talent in the area that they couldn't even bring themselves to reduce the numbers of wannabe singers for the first four weeks. Anyway they plumped for a vixen who can't hold a note in Hanna Pakarinen, who has since de-greased from her fiery scarlet locks and plumped for the more traditional Finn black look. Ms Pakarinen raised the bar of being off-key during those performances, so it is with a heavy heart that I have to say another Latvia-style failure will be coming up for Finland as hosts. Shame, she's a reet looker.

The Past
  
In nine attempts since 1990, Finland were pants. Their highest placing during this time was 15th. The economic miracle in the country was not reflected in terms of pan-European crap-pop. And then came 2006 & Lordi. The orcs will go down in the anals of Eurosong as a wonderful addition to performance over content, cueing incredulous scenes of celebration in Helsinki.
Their Eurovision entrants have always been (as our fellow Australian EBU-members like to say) "full-on". Typically, a Finnish singer is aggressive, belts out their tune, and distresses the viewers to such an extent that they can't bring themselves to look at them come voting time. Mind you, in 1982 no-one could bring themselves to look at Kojo, before or after the contest. So to 2007, and especially since they've dropped tax on alcohol, I'm all for the Finns.

The Song

"Leave me Alone" is your typical lovingly gentle ballad from the Finns, speaking of new-found love and the majesty of coupling with that lifelong partner....of course it isn't...it's about revenge, hurt, and bitterness, your standard Finnish blend. She's angry is Hanna, and she's not afraid to show it. Having been entrapped in the sauna by her best friend's beau, she wails at her predicament, and tips over a table of afternoon tea in the process. In the truest tradition of Laura and her ilk, the song goes to show once again that hell hath no fury like a Finnish woman scorned. (There is something grammatically marvellous about the line "you took me to bed, that's what you were seeking" though).

Overall

The studio version of "Leave me Alone" is so superior to the live effort that you would swear it's a behind-the-curtain Jean Hagen/Debbie Reynolds scenario, but then again a sweet girl like Ms Reynolds is very unlikely to have grown up in the Northern tundra and come out unscathed. There's a plethora of svelte songstresses this year, but Hanna just about wins the "pwhoarr, take a look at that" award for 2007. Sadly, it will be the only thing Finland will be triumphing with.

In a Nutshell
"I took her to bed, that's what I was thinking"

the philosopher says

alienation {Ger. Entäusserung or Entfremdung}
Extreme separation from one's own nature, from the products of one's labor, or from social reality, which often results in an indifference or outright aversion toward some aspect of life that might otherwise be attractive and significant. Hegel introduced the term, pointing out that human life, unless comprehended through the Absolute, easily becomes estranged from the natural world. Simone de Beauvoir and other feminist thinkers point out that women in a patriarchal culture undergo additional forms of alienation when they are pervasively treated as the objects of male sexual desire and effectively coerced into submitting to male-biased political, social, and intellectual norms.


Leave Me Alone

I'll have to leave, but you are still sleeping
There's nothing to say, our time has run out
You took me to bed, that's what you were seeking
But you don't even care what I am about

I wanna, I wanna wake you

Leave me alone, I wanna go home
I don't wanna see you, so leave me alone
Leave me alone, 'cause I feel like dying
Leave me alone, I wanna go home
The day will still come when I see you crying
'Cause you will get yours, just leave me alone

But what if I stay and wait till she comes home
She don't even know, she loves you in vain
The lies that you told will turn into sorrow
I gotta go crazy just to stay sane

I wanna, I wanna break you

Leave me alone, I wanna go home
I don't wanna see you, so leave me alone
Leave me alone, 'cause I feel like dying
Leave me alone, I wanna go home
The day will still come when I see you crying
'Cause you will get yours, just leave me alone

I gotta, I gotta hate you

Leave me alone, I wanna go home
I don't wanna see you, so leave me alone
Leave me alone, 'cause I feel like dying
Leave me alone, I wanna go home
I couldn't care less if love just lies dying
And this is goodbye, just leave me alone
Prediction Semi Final Reigning champs so don't have to qualify
Final 21st