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.
Paradiso
Anneke Grönloh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ach die tijd vergeet ik niet
Paradiso met je palmenstrand
Wat geluk was werd verdriet
'k Zag jou voor 't eerst in Paradiso
Samen lagen wij daar in de zon
Eerst leek alles mooi een eldorado
Paradiso met je palmenstrand
Ach die tijd vergeet ik niet
Paradiso met je palmenstrand
Wat geluk was werd verdriet
And're meisjes wist je te bekoren
Steeds een ander steeds "ik hou van jou"
Ik die eerst niets kwaad van jou kon horen
Wist helaas maar al te gauw dat jij mij snel vergeten zou
Paradiso met je palmenstrand
Ach die tijd vergeet ik niet
Paradiso met je palmenstrand
Wat geluk was werd verdriet
The song "Paradiso" by Anneke Grönloh tells a tale of a woman reminiscing about a love affair that took place in the beautiful beachside resort of Paradiso. She describes the initial excitement and joy of the relationship as they lounged together in the sun, but soon realizes that what she had thought of as happiness was fleeting and turned into misery. The woman recalls how her lover moved on to other girls, always professing his love for them, leaving her feeling hurt and forgotten. Despite this, the memories of Paradiso with its palm-fringed beach remain deeply ingrained in her mind and she cannot forget the time they spent there.
The lyrics speak to the human experience of love and loss, and how sometimes what we initially think of as perfect and pure can quickly turn into disappointment and heartbreak. The romantic setting of Paradiso only adds to this sense of bittersweet nostalgia, as the woman is left to look back fondly on a past that can never be reclaimed.
Line by Line Meaning
Paradiso met je palmenstrand
The place called Paradiso had a beautiful beach with palm trees.
Ach die tijd vergeet ik niet
I will never forget that time.
Paradiso met je palmenstrand
The place called Paradiso had a beautiful beach with palm trees.
Wat geluk was werd verdriet
What started as happiness turned into sadness.
'k Zag jou voor 't eerst in Paradiso
I saw you for the first time in Paradiso.
Samen lagen wij daar in de zon
We both lay in the sun together.
Eerst leek alles mooi een eldorado
At first, everything seemed perfect like paradise.
Later bleek dat wat ik vond geluk was dat niet blijven kon
But it turned out that what I found to be happiness couldn't last.
And're meisjes wist je te bekoren
You were able to charm other girls.
Steeds een ander steeds "ik hou van jou"
You always had another girl with the same phrase 'I love you'.
Ik die eerst niets kwaad van jou kon horen
Even though at first I didn't believe anyone who spoke badly about you.
Wist helaas maar al te gauw dat jij mij snel vergeten zou
Eventually, I had to accept the sad truth that you would quickly forget about me.
Paradiso met je palmenstrand
The place called Paradiso had a beautiful beach with palm trees.
Ach die tijd vergeet ik niet
I will never forget that time.
Paradiso met je palmenstrand
The place called Paradiso had a beautiful beach with palm trees.
Wat geluk was werd verdriet
What started as happiness turned into sadness.
Contributed by Hannah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TL J
RIP Anneke Gronloh.. You're always my mom's favourite singer, we grew up listening to your songs. Love from us in Kuching city, Sarawak(Malaysian Borneo). ❤️💮
P.E. TAN
Beautiful voice singing beautiful song bringing good memories!
Redactie Voetbalhumor
RIP Anneke Gronloh. Gelukkig blijven dit soort pareltjes altijd bewaard.
Denny Firminn
Geweldig 🤩
Marten Scheltens
Lieve mevrouw Grönloh bedankt voor alle mooie herinneringen. Rust zacht🙏
Ria Verhoeven
Herinneringen blijven ❤
Pieter Wirken
anneke Grunioh she have a nice voice and singing beautiful song s
Evelien Everts
Wat een herinneringen!
Hans Nijenmanting
Ik kende deze uitvoering niet. Beter dan de 'originele' versie!
Nico NB
R.I.P My Dutch Diva