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The cure for writing a song that bombs is to write another song, and another . . . writes JOHN WATERS

I’M DELIGHTED that The Irish Times, in yesterday’s report on the Eurosong shortlist, remembered to remind us all about Helsinki. I had quite forgotten that, the last time I was involved in a Eurovision entry, we “came last”. I have, however, to admit to puzzlement on reading that I told the reporter who called me that one “can’t be imprisoned by one’s fast emotions”. I’m not sure, in this context, what “fast emotions” are. Asked, as I recall, if I had not felt “humiliated” after Helsinki, I replied that one should not be a prisoner of one’s, er, past emotions.