Hemel en aarde



"Hemel en aarde" ("Heaven and earth") was the Dutch entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998, performed in Dutch by Edsilia.

The song is a moderately up-tempo ballad, with Edsilia describing her feelings on discovering love in what was seemingly an unexpected place. She tells her lover that "Heaven and earth are opening/When you touch me", as well as singing that she "never wanted to believe" that such a thing was possible.

The song was recorded in English as "Walking On Water".

The song was performed eighteenth on the night (following Cyprus' Michael Hajiyanni with "Yenesis" and preceding Sweden's Jill Johnson with "Kärleken är"). At the close of voting, it had received 150 points, placing 4th in a field of 25. This was the Netherlands' best result in the contest since their win in 1975, until The Common Linnets reached a second place in 2014 with their song "Calm After the Storm".

It was succeeded as Dutch representative at the 1999 Contest by Marlayne with "One Good Reason".

The song has also been covered by artist Ruth Jacott.

Hemel-en-Aarde
There is a valley just beyond Hermanus (South Africa) called the Hemel-en-Aarde valley. Some of the most southern vineyards in South Africa are found here.