Everything you need to know about  Eurovision’s “(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi” by 5MIINUST & Puuluup

Eurovision Song Competition (ESC) 2024 is around the corner. If you haven’t already, it’s time to get to know Estonia’s entry: “(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi” by 5MIINUST & Puuluup.

Much like Vegemite, this song tends to evoke strong reactions—either love or hate, with little room for middle ground.

Dive into this comprehensive post to uncover everything you need to know about the song, the artists, and some intriguing trivia tidbits. Our exploration wouldn’t have been possible without the wealth of Eurovision Reddit posts, videos, interviews, and articles dedicated to these talented performers – links throughout and at the end. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you feel there’s something missing. Simply drop us a line at media [a] eesti.org.au.

It’s the longest song title in Eurovision history

Estonia’s entry has made Eurovision history with its title. ‘(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi’ is the first song in over a decade that Estonia has sent in our native language, and now holds the record for the longest song title ever to grace the Eurovision stage* with 55 characters. 

This record-breaking title surpasses the previous holder, San Marino’s “The Social Network Song (OH OH – Uh – OH OH),” from ESC 2012, which had 44 characters. Other notable contenders include Germany’s “Man gewöhnt sich so schnell an das Schöne” (1964) and France’s “C’est le dernier qui a parlé qui a raison” (1991), both with 41 characters.

*The longest Eurovision song title could technically go to Spain’s “Que Me Quiten Lo Bailao – They Can’t Take The Fun Away From Me” (2011). But since the title is just a repetition by translation, most say it does not qualify. It is generally accepted that Estonia have broken the record this year.

The birth of e-pop?

What does Estonia’s ESC song title mean?

To translate “(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi” to English is not exactly the easiest task. But people have tried:

• (Of those) narcotics we (certainly) don’t know anything.
• We (really) don’t know anything about (these) narcotics.
• We don’t know (anything) about (these particular) drugs.
• We (do) know nothing about (those) drugs.
• We (sure) know nothing about (these) drugs.

My favourite translation of “(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi” is probably “we (sure) know nothing about (these) drugs”, but most translate it as “We (really) don’t know anything about (these) drugs”.

In essence, the song title is a denial of knowing about these/those drugs. Is it a tongue-in-cheek answer, like *wink* I don’t know anything *wink wink*, or an earnest rejection? I’ll leave that for you to decide as you read on.

I can’t wait for the commentators to announce this song. Already now, many have given up and call it “The Drug Song”, or “Nendest Something Something”, or simply “Nendest…”.

One fan shortened the title into an acronym and found a (coincidental or deliberate?) easter egg: NNETMKM. Net (нет) is “no” in Russian and mkm is a way to say “no” in Estonian. Even the acronym is a way to deny knowing anything about those drugs!

Who are the performers, 5MIINUST & Puuluup?

The song is performed by two separate groups who have come together for Eurovision: 5MIINUST and Puuluup (or 5MxP).

5MIINUST x Puuluup told us that if there’s ever a movie of their lives, Brad Pitt would play all 6 of them: “2 with underwear, 4 without.” The first rule of lyre club: you do not talk about lyre club.

Eurovision.tv

An unlikely collaboration… or is it?

“These folk punkers sing in their own language and dart around the stage like agents of chaos. It’s madness, but is there a method to their madness?”

– Boris Meersman

Both bands have been making music for around a decade, but their sounds are very different. YouTube channel “Overthinking It” figures that: “You have a folk group that’s not mainstream enough to make it to Eurovision on their own, you have a rap group that’s not ethnic enough to make it to Eurovision on their own. They need each other.” Although an unlikely match, it looks like these opposites really do attract, spawning an inter-generational, cross-genre friendship.

In an interview by Eurovision World, 5Miinust and Puuluup explained that the bands met through the Estonian Music Awards and thought it would be fun to collaborate. They just didn’t realise it would become “such a deep collaboration”.

The groups enjoyed each other’s company so much so, that they went on a band camp in Vormsi (a small island in West Estonia) to come up with new music – which is where the song “(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi” was born.

“Eventually, we started looking for ways of playing into each other’s songs and create like a mash-up of our music. It worked so well and we enjoyed the energy and vibe so much that when it looked like it was over, we didn’t want it to end. In fact, the reason we went to a band camp to come up with this song was precisely because we wanted to hang out more. We really developed a good friendship. We have the same humor, same likes… it made sense.”

Puuluup and 5Miinust, via Eurovision World

It was in just one day that they had the idea and agreed to compete in Eesti Laul.

“We felt like there were folk vibes, the Estonian language, and a catchy song that could do well in Europe.”

Puuluup and 5Miinust, via Eurovision World

In Eesti Laul, they were runaway favourites among fans from the second the song dropped. They ended up winning Eesti Laul in a televote landslide, despite coming third with the juries due to 2 jurors (including ESC-alumni Anna Sahlene) ranking them last. In Estonia, the top 3 performing songs are taken through to a Superfinal, which is televote only.

So it seems: combining these two artists led to the perfect storm for a truly unforgettable Eurovision entry. 5MIINUST brings the fire power and bass, while Puuluup brings a rare Scandi-Estonian instrument that introduces the world to a whole new soundscape. And if that’s not enough, 5MIINUST and Puuluup just released a whole album together, kannatused ehk külakiigel pole stopperit (“Suffering, or the village swing, has no stopwatch”), under Universal Music Estonia.

No one can argue that this record is not the third most Estonian thing possible, after kama and a bog hike. Popmuusika “Rehepapp”, noh.

Kaspar Villup via ERR

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What is “(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi” about?

Overthinking It said it best: “Lyrically, Nendest… is mostly about band members loudly telling us that they haven’t done any drugs, and they don’t even know what drugs are, and how dare you imply otherwise!”

The song opens with the subtlety of a sledgehammer as the group emphatically set the record straight, “We’re not junkies”.

From the outset, we’re thrust into the middle of a scenario where accusations have already been flung their way, setting the tone for the unfolding drama. Each verse reinforces their assertion of innocence, which poet Joonas Veelmaa described as something like “an explanatory letter, manifesto, or interview with a journalist, attempting to debunk some myth”.

We learn that the criminal TV-reality show Politseikroonika is on the scene and uniformed police are turning their summer house upside down – but they’re convincing themselves (and us) that everything will be just fine. Because really, what could go wrong when they only have a humble bag of chips on the table, not a bag of… anything else?

Admist the chaos, the group pleads ignorance, claiming they wouldn’t be able to differentiate between vitamins and speed if their lives depended on it. All they know is lemonade and cider. What’s that about mushrooms? Check the kitchen to find culinary variants like russalas and champignons (certainly not any illicit type).

And anyway, how could they possibly be addicts? Drugs are a vice reserved for the rich, not for them. They’re as clean as a whistle, even if their ragtag wardrobe was scrounged during a dumpster dive.

(Further on in the post, we’ll break down the lyrics some more.)

Each verse adds to the comedic narrative. Despite the eyebrow-raising circumstances, nobody knows whose drugs those are. Nendest… revels in absurdities and the lengths some go to defend their innocence, all while compelling us to join in the dance. But are the characters actually innocent victims of harassment or guilty as charged?

Innocent or Guilty?

So, are 5MIINUST and Puuluup innocent victims of circumstance, or are they just good at spinning a tall tale?

Not unlike the title, the meaning of “(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi” has also been open to translation. Is the song blatantly about drugs or is there more to it? Are they good guys or bad guys?

Making it all the more difficult to interpret, both groups are known for their “trolling”. For example, in one of the Eesti Laul interviews, they talked about how the TV building is the illuminati HQ and ERR’s head of entertainment shows is controlled by external forces. In another interview with Puuluup, they explain the meaning for their song “Chika Pua”. Ramo is speaking in Estonian and Marko translates into English. Of course, Marko’s translation is completely different to what Ramo is actually saying. Worse still (?), each time they discuss “the song”Chika Pua” in a live show, Puuluup tell a different, very detailed, story of what this song means. You almost actually believe them every time – but you probably shouldn’t.

When it comes to interpreting Nendest…, there are two main camps: (1) They’re guilty, or (2) They’re being unduly harassed.

Camp One: Guilty

People in the Guilty camp think they’ve been caught red-handed and are trying to talk themselves out of trouble.

Literary critic Saara Liis Jõerand concluded that it’s a story of digging oneself into a hole: “Just the fact that something is denied at the beginning makes you a little doubtful. If I were to say, for example, that ‘I don’t live in Pärnu’, then you might start to wonder whether I actually do. And if I say again that ‘I don’t live in Pärnu, where the sea is’, it gets progressively worse,” Jõerand explains to ERR.

Overthinking It questions how the group have a “suvila” (summer house) and why they would wear “kleidid” (dresses) from the trash. He posits that the group are in fact drug makers, wearing trash “dresses” like disposable scrubs and using drug-money to purchase the summer house. Comments, however, disagree with this take, pointing out that “suvilas” are quite normal in Estonia (not necessarily denoting wealth) and that he’s missed a cultural reference about the “dresses”. (Read more below.)

Camp Two: Innocent

On the other hand, some fans argue that the group are being unduly harassed. The theme of trying to catch someone with drugs based on appearances is an old one in hip-hop, as memorably explored in Chamillionaire’s 2005 hit, Riden’. To build this claim, fans point to the numerous references of wealth (or lack thereof):

“The mention of class hints at how wealth can impact the way police perceive people. If they were rich it would be OK for them to have drugs, but because they’re poor, they need to defend themselves and deny everything. Or it could just be a glorious piece of intelligent humour.”

Lucy Percy via Wiwiblogs

In my view, the song doesn’t necessarily imply that “it would be OK for [rich people] to have drugs”, but instead suggests that the Nendest characters simply don’t have the money to fund an addiction. This interpretation is reinforced by references to their class throughout the song. For instance, the line “Ducklings are small, but poppies are so tall” alludes to the Italian song “Papaveri e Papere” (Poppies and Ducklings), which allegorises the rich and the poor. (Read more below.)

The Italian song’s lyrics describe how the poppies (representing the wealthy elite) grow tall and beautiful in their luxurious gardens, while the ducks (representing the working class) quack and waddle around in the dirt. Despite its light-hearted tone, the song critiques the class divide and advocates for greater empathy and understanding towards those who are less fortunate.

Additionally, an intriguing interpretation suggests that 5MIINUST might be portrayed as the police force and Puuluup as the supposed drug dealers, only for it to be revealed that Puuluup is actually organising talharpa classes (with dancing!) in secret. 5MIINUST ultimately joins Puuluup’s Vormsi dance and Hiiu Kannel class. This twist underscores the idea that appearances can be deceiving and suggests that the music itself may be the real “addictive drug.”

What the artists have to say

Eurovision.tv explains that “[5MIINUST and Puuluup’s] Eurovision entry is the first song they’ve made together, and they wanted to make it all about breaking social barriers and overcoming prejudice — they say it marks their opposing reputations, 5MIINUST as ‘wild boys’ and Puuluup as ‘pristine'”. According to Veisson and Korea, inspiration for the song stemmed from a candid conversation while on the road. Veisson elaborates:

“We were driving to the band camp discussing different cultures and we complained to the boys that we knew nothing about drugs even though we work in the music business. I don’t know why but we had this idea that it would be expected of us to know about it because there are so many people within the industry who do it. People assume such just because we’re musicians.

Puuluup via Eurovision world

This conversation sparked the idea for the song. Veisson pointed out that they could sing about that: We don’t know anything about drugs. The concept grew organically.

Its original title contains two extra words in brackets – we (really) don’t know anything about (these) drugs:

“There are double brackets in the song’s title that alludes to our band. If you take the brackets out, then it’s only about Puuluup, as they really don’t know,” 5Miinust laugh. “We have fed this notorious image of ourselves as being crazy guys, so we had to find a middle term between both experiences and create a controversial song.”

When asked whether they are trying to promote the use of drugs with Nendest, much like their song itself, they denied it. The group explains that there are multiple layers to it:

The first one is to have fun, above all as that’s the most important thing and why we did this song in the first place. Another layer is not to judge a book by its cover and remain true to who you are. There’s also references to social and political issues, drug abuse, and even a reference to an old Italian song from Sanremo.

5Miinust and Puuluup via Eurovision world

The Veisson Dance

“(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi” lyrics — 5Miinust & Puuluup (Estonia Eurovision 2024)

You can also see how Eurovision has translated the song here.

*In March 2024, it was announced that, in accordance with Eurovision regulations prohibiting any reference to trademarks, mention of Lay’s chips would be removed from a verse of the song ahead of the contest. The amended lyrics are “ainus kott mis laual täis pandipudeleid” – “the only bag on the table is full of recyclable bottles”.

Breaking down some of the lyrics

Politseikroonika ja suvilas on reid – Police Chronicle and the summerhouse is being raided

Rohelised Lays | Green Lay’s

Per my comment above, this lyric had to be amended to comply with ESC’s rules.

You can find a humorous video about how 5Miinust came up with the new line to replace “Rohelised Lay’s” here.

Saab huugama ära | We’ll get it going

Somewhat of a tricky lyric to translate. Some options include:

• We’ll get it going
• We gon’ be done getting turnt

Tarekese tagatoas on laual ainult IPA-d | On the table in the backroom there are only IPAs

IPA’s are beers.

The word tarakese is a diminutive form of “tare,” which translates to “cottage” or “small house” in Estonian (the -ese ending suggests “small”). It could refer to a small cottage or a cozy home.

This lyric suggests a laid-back and intimate setting, where the speaker is describing a scene in a cottage or a small house, where the only items on the table are IPAs (a type of beer). The use of “tarakese” adds a sense of warmth and familiarity to the description, evoking a cozy and comfortable atmosphere.

Prillid on pupilli–.. eino pulli pärast ikka | Sunglasses for pupil–… no well, just for fun obviously

5MIINUST have only ever taken their sunglasses off during a performance once, and that was when they won Eesti Laul. 

Pardikesed väikesed, kuid moonid on nii pikad | Ducklings are small, but poppies are so tall

The line about poppies and ducklings is a reference to the Italian song Papaveri i papere (poppies and ducks), paraphrased from its in Estonian translation Pardike ja mooniõis. In English it’s known with different lyrics as Poppa Piccolino. The original song is an allegory about the rich and the poor, which may relate to the following line about leaving drugs for the wealthy.

Fun fact: The singer of the 1980 duck song was Estonia’s first ever Eurovision representative in 1994, Silvi Vrait.

Viiriana Vikka

Reddit user saiaaiaasjaajaja (great username by the way –”bread garden make-things-happen-er”) suggests that the lyrics “Viiriana Vikka” are probably nonsensical:

“As an Estonian, I don’t think it means anything. Seems like a somewhat nonsense adlib to rhyme with the pikad/ rikkad/ kikkad/ plikad ending verse. Kind of sounds like it could be a girl’s name- it’s capitalized, and comes after the phrase referencing girls.”

There we have it. Viiriana and Vikka took away his candies.

Pilvikud ja šampinjonid – kus on teie niidid? | Russulas and champignons – where are your filaments?

“Niidid” likely refers to the filaments or threads that are present on certain types of mushrooms, particularly when they are still young or developing. These filaments are a characteristic feature of mushrooms and are often seen as small white threads on the surface of the mushroom’s cap or stem.

The lyric seems to be questioning the absence of these filaments, perhaps as a metaphorical way of questioning the authenticity or genuineness of something. Colloquially in English, “mushrooms” also refer to the psychedelic kind – the group is probably referencing this. This line is likely some wordplay, hinting at culinary mushrooms as opposed to the illicit kind.

How to watch Eurovision 2024 in Australia

LIVE from Malmö Wednesday 8 to Sunday 12 May at 5:00am, and the prime time Access All Areas broadcasts from Friday 10 – Sunday 12 May at 7:30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.

Estonia was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the second half of the show, in the 13th spot (after Belgium’s Mustii). In Australia, catch the second semi-final on Thursday 9th May, starting at 5AM.

If all goes well (get your votes in!) the Final is Sunday 12th.

Notes for your Trivia Night

• (nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi is the longest title in Eurovision history, a record that has not been broken for 12 years with ESC San Marino 2012 entry
• The groups’ combined age is 242 years old
• Estonia has the lowest note this year, as well as the largest range in vocals (B2-G4)
• 5miinust and puuluup have got along so well that they are releasing a collaborative album named Kannatused ehk külakiigel pole stopperit on April 26th.
• 5miinust have released songs with Nublu (UMK 2024) including one with Elina Born (Estonia 2015), as well as Juri Pootsmann (Estonia 2016)
• Despite sweeping the televote, 5miinust and puuluup came 2nd in both the semi-final and the regular final, only winning in the deciding superfinal vote

Want More?

Here’s a great video:

Here are links to some posts too:

• Eurovision.tv: 5MIINUST x Puuluup
• Wiwiblog: Estonia’s 5Miinust & Puuluup sing about police raids and recreational substances in “(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi” lyrics
• ESCUnited: Critical Analysis: The Flaws and Fixes of “(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi” (Estonia)
• Reddit: For those of y’all crushing on “that guy from Estonia,” a very brief guide to the members of 5Miinust (and Puuluup)
• Reddit: 5MIINUST knows exactly what they are doing. (Eesti Laul)
• Reddit: 🇪🇪 ‘(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi’ – 5MIINUST & Puuluup Estonia 2024 Appreciation Thread