The song 'Goeiemorgen, morgen' ('Good morning, morning' in Dutch) by Nicole & Hugo was the Belgian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971. It has remained a hit in Flanders and the surrounding area but is currently going viral in Ukraine because it has a completely different meaning there.
The Flemish-language song is going viral on the social media platform TikTok, showing Ukrainian TikTokkers dancing and singing along loudly to the music. The word 'goeiemorgen' does not mean "good morning" like in Dutch, but instead sounds a lot like a Russian swear word.
"Goeiemorgen is indeed super-popular here. My girlfriend sings the song every day," a Ukrainian passer-by told the correspondent of the Dutch broadcaster NOS. "It actually sounds like a dirty word here. It means something like 'f*ck'."
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Ukrainians are now using the frequently-used curse and swear word to downplay all sorts of consequences of the war, such as the power cuts they suffer almost every day as a result of ongoing Russian attacks on infrastructure. Meanwhile, parts of Ukraine are covered in snow and have become a lot colder.
In the country, the song is not as innocent as the lyrics of the Flemish hit suggest, but an ironically raised middle finger to Russia and the invasion.
"When the lights go out, for example, or when we cannot take a shower because there is no water. Then we shout: 'Goeiemorgen!'" On TikTok, a lot of videos show people walking around with a candle while singing the Belgian song. "We joke about it and try to stay positive."
