"Como tudo começou" ("How everything began") was the Portuguese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1999, performed in Portuguese by Rui Bandeira. The song is a ballad, with Bandeira lamenting the end of a relationship. From the lyrics, it seems that he inadvertently caused this to happen. He begs his lover not to leave him, but ultimately appears resigned to his fate. The song was performed sixteenth on the night (following Sweden's Charlotte Nilsson with "Take Me To Your Heaven" and preceding Ireland's The Mullans with "When You Need Me"). At the close of voting, it had received 12 points, placing 21st in a field of 23. Due to the rapidly-expanding size of the Contest, the decision was taken to restrict participation in the 2000 contest to those countries with the best average results over the previous 5 years, a group which did not include Portugal. As a country broadcasting but not entering that Contest (a so-called "passive participant"), Portugal was re-admitted in the following year.

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