Ik Neem Je In Mijn Armen
Bart Kaëll Lyrics

The lyrics of Bart Kaëll's "Ik Neem Je In Mijn Armen" (translated as "I Take You In My Arms") speak of a love that feels like a fairytale. The singer likens their lover to a princess and marvels at the fact that they have found each other. Despite the fact that the singer initially received lessons from their love interest (who is older than they are), they have fallen head over heels in love and believe that fairytales do come true. The two go on adventures together, and the singer imagines that their love interest's small home is a palace for the two of them. The chorus repeats the idea that the singer takes their love interest in their arms and dances with them, losing themselves in each other's eyes and giving each other kisses. Through all of this, the singer emphasizes how much they love their partner.

The lyrics of "Ik Neem Je In Mijn Armen" read like a classic fairytale: there's a princess, a knight, and plenty of romance. But what makes this song particularly interesting is that it was written and performed by Bart Kaëll, a Belgian singer who is openly gay. Given this context, the lyrics take on new meaning--perhaps the "sprookje" (fairytale) the singer is experiencing is finding love with someone unexpected or daring to love in a world that wasn't always accepting. Additionally, the song is written in Dutch, one of the official languages of Belgium. Finally, the song has enjoyed enduring popularity since its release in 1989; it is considered a classic of Flemish (Belgian Dutch) pop music.