Born in a Japanese concentration camp in the former Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) during World War II, Grönloh and her family moved to the Eindhoven area in The Netherlands after the war. Anneke's career soon started to take off. She sang jazz material, American standards, Indonesian folk songs and rock 'n roll with Peter Koelewijn & Zijn Rockets. Koelewijn attended the same Eindhoven high school as Grönloh.
Her début solo single, 'Asmara', failed to chart in The Netherlands, but was a hit in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, where Grönloh toured succesfully as early as 1960. Her Dutch big break followed in the summer of 1962 with the Dutch smash hit, 'Brandend Zand' ('Burning Sand'), which hit #1 in the Dutch Top 40. It was the first of four consecutive #1 hit singles for Grönloh in some eleven months' time. 'Paradiso', 'Soerabaja' and 'Cimeroni' also hit the top spot. Versions of these hit singles in other languages charted in no less than 48 countries. In total, Anneke Grönloh has 'claimed sales' of over 30 million records, primarily singles.
Anneke Grönloh never had a Dutch chart hit again after 1964, but she continued to perform succesfully until 2017, in The Netherlands and the Far East. Her anniversary concert in Singapore in 1994, celebrating her career of 35 years, was attended by 30,000 people. Some of her albums are hardly known in The Netherlands, but sold over 100,000 copies in Indonesia and Malaysia, notably 2002's Nina Bobo.
Having suffered severe pulmonary embolism in 2016, Grönloh's health deteriorated. She stopped performing in the summer of 2017, aged 75, and passed away on 14 September 2018 at her home in France, where she spent the final years of her life. She was 76 years old.
Jij bent mijn leven
Anneke Grönloh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
en dat je mij bedriegt
maar ik aanvaard 't
want jij bent mijn leven
Van al wat je zegt
komt er nooit iets terecht
Dat heeft zo vaak toch,
Maar ik blijf naast je staan
Waar je ook mag gaan
kan niets ons beiden scheiden
Ik weet dat je liegt
en dat je mij bedriegt
maar ik aanvaard 't,
want jij bent mijn leven
Jij, jij kunt fantaseren
dat je 't zelf haast gelooft
Jij, jij hebt telkens weer
mij een hemel op aarde beloofd
Ik weet dat je liegt
en dat je mij bedriegt
Maar ik aanvaard 't
want jij bent mijn leven
Van al wat je zegt
komt er nooit iets terecht
Dat heeft zo vaak toch
vertrouwen verdreven
Maar ik blijf naast je staan
waar je ook mag gaan
kan niets ons beiden scheiden
Ik weet dat je liegt
En dat je mij bedriegt
Maar ik aanvaard 't
want jij bent mijn leven
Ik weet dat je liegt
En dat je mij bedriegt
Maar ik aanvaard 't
want jij bent mijn leven
Want jij bent mijn leven
Want jij bent mijn leven
The lyrics to Anneke Gronloh's song Jij bent mijn leven express a theme of unconditional love and acceptance, despite the knowledge of betrayal and deceit. The singer acknowledges that their partner lies and cheats, but accepts it because they are their world. The lines "Van al wat je zegt komt er nooit iets terecht, Dat heeft zo vaak toch, vertrouwen verdreven" highlight the lack of trust that has been built due to the partner's deceitful behavior. However, the singer remains faithful and promises to stand by their partner wherever they go, demonstrating the depth of their commitment.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the central theme of the song, which is the unconditional love and devotion of the singer. The repetition of the line "Ik weet dat je liegt en dat je mij bedriegt, maar ik aanvaard 't omdat jij bent mijn leven" (I know that you lie and deceive me, but I accept it because you are my life) underscores the strength of the bond between the two lovers, despite the flaws in their relationship. This deep love keeps the singer from giving up on their relationship, despite the partner's lack of integrity.
Overall, Jij bent mijn leven is a song that touches on the complexities of romantic love, and how unconditional love can sometimes triumph over betrayal and deceit.
Line by Line Meaning
Ik weet dat je liegt
I am aware that you are not truthful
en dat je mij bedriegt
and that you deceive me
maar ik aanvaard 't
but I accept it
want jij bent mijn leven
because you are my life
Van al wat je zegt
Of all that you say
komt er nooit iets terecht
nothing ever comes of it
Dat heeft zo vaak toch,
This has often
vertrouwen verdreven
driven away trust
Maar ik blijf naast je staan
But I keep standing beside you
Waar je ook mag gaan
Wherever you may go
kan niets ons beiden scheiden
nothing can separate us
Jij, jij kunt fantaseren
You can fantasize
dat je 't zelf haast gelooft
almost believing it yourself
Jij, jij hebt telkens weer
You, you repeatedly
mij een hemel op aarde beloofd
promised me heaven on earth
Want jij bent mijn leven
Because you are my life
Contributed by David F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@treverthetree
Thank you! This song is so catchy ❤
@miguelrubiales_17
She is my winner🤩🥰. The song and the lyrics are so beautiful. My second place is Spain ❤
@eurovisionarchives3620
Lovely than I expected , wonderful song
@wimsminia9527
Heel veel dank voor deze video. Fan vanaf het eerste uur. Wim. Many thanks for this video. Fan from the very beginning. William.