“I surrender to the light” — Raiven showcases a woman’s strength and resilience in the “Veronika” lyrics

Slovenia’s Raiven is ready to cast a spell on Eurovision 2024.

Back in December, Raiven, whose real name is Sara Briški Cirman, was announced as Slovenia’s Eurovision representative by RTV Sloveniija, the country’s national broadcaster. RTV Slovenija decided against holding a national selection in 2024 and opted instead for an internal selection. Raiven was asked to send in several songs for consideration, and in January she revealed her song “Veronika”. Eagle-eyed fans did not miss the fact that Bojan Cvjetićanin, who represented Slovenia in 2023 as the frontman of Joker Out, was credited as a fellow songwriter.

“Veronika” is a genre-melding, electro-opera track that soars to mystical heights. As Raiven described the song in her interview with Wiwibloggs the day after her song reveal, the song brings a “powerful, dramatic, but feminine energy.”

Scroll down to read the “Veronika” lyrics

Slovenia at Eurovision 2024: Raiven with “Veronika”

Raiven is no stranger to the Eurovision community, and her persistence to represent her country has finally paid off. She competed in EMA, Slovenia’s national selection, three times previously: in 2016, 2017, and 2019. Each time she landed among the top three contestants. However, this year Slovenia chose to bypass a selection and handed its Eurovision banner over to Raiven.

Raiven is already well-known in her home country as an opera singer (a mezzo-soprano, to be precise), a songwriter, and a harpist. She made her first foray into electro-pop in 2014, and in 2021 she won the Popevka music festival in her home country with her song “Volkovi”.

Raiven is always busy with new projects too. She released an EP in February and is getting ready to play the lead role of María in a production of the tango opera María de Buenos Aires, which will be performed at the Ljubljana Opera House this summer after Eurovision ends. Talk about a packed schedule!

What do the “Veronika” lyrics mean?

“Veronika” speaks about the unfair judgment and pressure placed on women — and the strength women exude despite these pressures. It is a strongly feminist song that works on multiple levels, as it references both concrete and abstract ideas.

But to fully understand all the nuances of this song, we must first ask: “Who is Veronika?”

Well the Veronika in question refers to an actual historical figure: Veronika of Desenice. She was the first person to be put on trial for witchcraft in Slovenia back in 1425 and is part of a well-known legend. Veronika, a poor peasant woman, had caught the eye of a young nobleman. He fell in love with her and together they ran away so that they could be married. However, the nobleman’s father was displeased by this news and ordered them both arrested. While the nobleman was imprisoned and tortured, Veronika suffered an even worse fate. She was accused by the nobleman’s father for casting a spell on his son and put on trial, even though the judges were unable to bring forth any evidence marking her as guilty. (Obviously.) Even so, the father ordered for Veronika to be drowned and then buried her corpse within his castle’s walls. Legend has it that you can hear Veronika’s cries even now from the castle.

This tragic love story sets the foundation for Raiven’s song, in which Raiven puts herself in Veronika’s position. She begins the song in a vulnerable place: “I hid in the river/And went into the silent night/With loud steps/Voiceless cries for help.” Here, Raiven references Veronika’s death by drowning and describes a victim who has no agency.

Even though the victim’s death is unjust, at the very least her death frees her from the pain imposed upon her by the world. Raiven thus sings: “Now that I am just water/In the waves, I seek peace.”

The song then reaches a turning point when Raiven sings of a transformation and rebirth: “I drown in myself/I surrender to the light.” With death comes a new beginning, and she is taking back her power.

As the song progresses, Raiven’s power grows. She no longer hides in the shadows but steps into the light and boldly beckons: “Find me, wound me, protect me/ Lift me up, let me go, love me.” She now stands her ground and dares you to take her on. “Who are you afraid of/ when you deny your desires?”

Yet at the same time, Raiven describes herself absorbing the emotions and flaws of those around her, taking on these added burdens even though they are not her own: “You look me in the eyes/The image of you shines in them/I am a frameless mirror/Just a reflection of your fears.”

By the end of the song, Raiven finds strength in numbers. She declares, “I am/you are/Veronika/Only she knows your truth.” Veronika becomes a representation of a universal feminine collective that transcends any single individual, as Raiven sings about the shared experience of being a woman in a world that so often tries to prevent them from sharing their stories.