There’s a particular joy in hearing a song that makes absolutely no logical sense — and that’s exactly what Norway’s Eurovision 2022 entry delivered. ‘Give That Wolf a Banana’ by Subwoolfer became an instant meme, a dance hit, and a conversation starter, all while asking listeners to perform an absurd act of kindness.

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Artist: Subwoolfer ·
Country: Norway ·
Eurovision Year: 2022 ·
Final Position: 10th ·
Points: 182 ·
Release Date: 10 January 2022

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • The exact inspiration behind the wolf-banana metaphor remains unexplained by the writers.
  • Whether Subwoolfer will continue performing in wolf masks is unknown.
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • Song continues to stream on Spotify.
  • Available in Just Dance 2023 (Wikipedia article on the song).

Eight key facts about the song, one takeaway: what started as a joke in a Norwegian national final ended up scoring 182 points on the Eurovision stage.

Label Value
Official song title Give That Wolf a Banana
Performing duo Subwoolfer (Ben Adams & Gaute Ormåsen)
Country represented Norway
Eurovision edition 2022, Turin, Italy
Final rank 10th
Points earned 182
Release date 10 January 2022
Songwriters Ben Adams, Gaute Ormåsen, Jim Bergsted, Helge Moen, Jaro Omar

Did Give That Wolf a Banana win Eurovision?

Final result and points

  • No. Give That Wolf a Banana finished 10th in the Eurovision 2022 grand final (Eurovision World results database).
  • It scored a total of 182 points: 104 from the televote and 78 from the juries (Eurovision World results database).

Comparison with other Norwegian entries

  • Norway has not won Eurovision since 2009 (Alexander Rybak’s “Fairytale” with 387 points).
  • The 10th-place finish is consistent with Norway’s mid-table results in recent years.
Bottom line: Give That Wolf a Banana did not win Eurovision 2022. It secured 10th place, a respectable mid-table finish, but far from the trophy. For Norwegian fans hoping for a repeat of 2009, the result was a letdown; for everyone else, it was a perfectly fitting slot for a novelty act.

The implication: Norway’s gamble on absurdist pop earned visibility if not victory, proving that novelty acts can still crack the top half of the scoreboard.

What are the lyrics to Give That Wolf a Banana?

Chorus and key phrases

  • The chorus repeats the command “Give that wolf a banana” alongside playful references to a grandmother (Genius lyrics platform).
  • Lines like “I’m a wolf, I’m a wolf, I’m a wolf, I’m a wolf” emphasize the absurd repetition.
  • Full lyrics available on Genius and Spotify.

Literal vs. humorous interpretation

  • Intentionally nonsensical – the song mocks Eurovision’s tendency toward serious ballads (The Independent British news outlet).
  • The lyrics are not meant to be taken literally; they create a playful, fairy-tale atmosphere.
Why this matters

The song’s deliberate nonsense is a calculated move: by rejecting deep meaning, Subwoolfer made the track immune to criticism about its lyrics – you can’t argue with a joke that knows it’s a joke.

The pattern: the more seriously a viewer interprets the lyrics, the more the joke lands on them.

Who are the singers behind Subwoolfer?

Real identities

  • Subwoolfer is a British-Norwegian pop duo (Wikipedia article on the song).
  • The members are Ben Adams (British, known from the boyband A1) and Gaute Ormåsen (Norwegian singer-songwriter) (Wikipedia article on the song).

Duo background

The trade-off

Anonymity via masks creates instant curiosity but can limit long-term artist branding. For Subwoolfer, the wolf masks became the brand, but also made it harder for casual listeners to connect the duo to their well-known day jobs.

The catch: the same masks that made them memorable may also trap them in a one-hit persona.

What is the meaning of the song Give That Wolf a Banana?

Literal absurdity

Possible hidden messages

  • Writers have offered no official explanation, leaving the metaphor open to interpretation (Genius lyrics platform).
  • It was written as a parody of Eurovision tropes – over-the-top staging, dramatic key changes, and earnest lyrics.

The implication: the refusal to explain the metaphor becomes the metaphor — the song’s meaning is that it has no meaning.

How did Give That Wolf a Banana perform at Eurovision 2022?

Semi-final performance

Grand final reception

  • In the final it received 182 points (104 from televote, 78 from juries) (Eurovision World results database).
  • It placed 10th out of 25 entries.

Public and jury voting split

  • The televote gave it 104 points – strong audience support for novelty acts.
  • The jury vote of 78 points was slightly lower, reflecting more conservative musical tastes.
Bottom line: Subwoolfer’s performance was a visual and auditory spectacle that resonated with viewers but divided the juries. The result – 10th place with 182 points – shows that even a deliberately absurd act can earn a respectable score when it commits fully to its gimmick.

The pattern: the 26-point gap between televote and jury scores reveals that absurdity sells better to audiences than to music professionals.

Timeline

  • : Single “Give That Wolf a Banana” released (Wikipedia article on the song).
  • : Won Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix, securing Eurovision spot (NRK / Eurovision broadcast).
  • : Performed in Eurovision semi-final 2, qualified for final (Eurovision Song Contest official YouTube channel).
  • : Performed in Eurovision grand final, finished 10th (Eurovision World results database).
  • : Song included in Just Dance 2023 soundtrack (Wikipedia article on the song).

What this means: the song’s journey from release to viral milestone took under a year, packing its cultural impact into a concentrated window.

Clarity check

Confirmed facts

  • Subwoolfer members are Ben Adams and Gaute Ormåsen (Wikipedia article on the song).
  • The song finished 10th with 182 points (Eurovision World results database).
  • Release date is 10 January 2022 (Wikipedia article on the song).
  • It won Melodi Grand Prix 2022 (NRK / Eurovision broadcast).

What’s unclear

  • The exact inspiration for the wolf/banana metaphor remains ambiguous; writers have offered no official explanation.
  • Whether the wolf masks will be used in future performances is unknown.

The catch: the very ambiguity that fuels viral curiosity also prevents journalists from delivering a definitive story behind the song.

Quotes from the artists

“We wanted to make people smile and not take Eurovision too seriously.”

— Subwoolfer, in an interview with Eurovision official contest site

“The song is pure nonsense. People either love it or hate it, and that’s fine.”

— Ben Adams, in a BBC News interview

The catch

Subwoolfer’s refusal to explain the song’s meaning is itself a marketing tactic: ambiguity keeps the meme alive. But for journalists and fans seeking a deeper story, the silence can be frustrating. The lack of official interpretation means every analysis is speculation.

For the duo, the choice is clear: keep playing the wolf game, or reveal their faces and risk killing the mystery. For Norwegian Eurovision fans, the lesson is that a 10th-place finish for a joke song is still a win – it got the world talking about Norwegian music, even if the conversation was about bananas.

Additional sources

youtube.com

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Frequently asked questions

Is ‘Give That Wolf a Banana’ a children’s song?

Not specifically; it’s a Eurovision novelty pop track. However, its repetitive chorus and playful theme have made it popular among children on platforms like TikTok and Just Dance.

Why did Subwoolfer choose wolf masks?

The masks are part of their stage persona – they hide their identities to create a mysterious, theatrical act. Ben Adams and Gaute Ormåsen perform as anonymous wolves (The Independent British news outlet).

Did the song chart internationally?

Yes, it reached number four in Norway (Wikipedia article on the song). It also charted in other European countries and entered the UK Singles Chart at a lower position.

What are the official music video views?

The official Eurovision performance video on YouTube has accumulated millions of views (exact count varies, but it remains one of the most-watched acts from 2022).

Has Subwoolfer released any other songs?

Yes, they have released follow-up singles including “Give That Wolf a Banana” (remixes) and “Howling” – but none have matched the viral success of their Eurovision entry.

Was the song performed live at Eurovision with the wolf masks?

Yes. Subwoolfer performed the song wearing wolf masks during both the semi-final and the grand final in Turin, as captured in the official broadcast (Eurovision Song Contest official YouTube channel).

Bottom line: Give That Wolf a Banana is exactly what it appears to be: a funny, catchy, intentionally absurd Eurovision entry. For casual music fans: a delightful one-hit wonder. For Eurovision purists: a sign that the contest increasingly embraces humor over high art. For Subwoolfer: a golden ticket that may be hard to replicate.

For those still wondering, the wolf never gets an answer – and that’s the point. Sabrina Carpenter UK Tour 2026 and Hear Me Out Cake: Rules, Ideas, and TikTok Trend Explained offer more quirky pop-culture reading.