Ben Cramer (born Ben Cramer, 17 February 1947, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) … Read Full Bio ↴Ben Cramer (born Ben Cramer, 17 February 1947, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) is a Dutch singer, known for his participation in the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest.

Cramer made his television debut in 1966 with his backing group the Spaklings, and was spotted by singer Annie de Reuver, who helped him obtain a record deal. In 1967, his first single, "Zai zai zai", became a hit, reaching #7 on the Dutch chart. The follow-up "Dans met mij" also peaked at #7, and he would have a string of successful records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His most fondly-remembered record is "De Clown" from 1971.

In 1970, Cramer took part in the Dutch Eurovision selection with the song "Julia", which came fourth. He returned in 1973, this time singing all four songs, from which "De oude muzikant" ("The Old Musician") was chosen as the Dutch entry for the 18th Eurovision Song Contest, held on 7 April in Luxembourg City. "De oude muzikant" was seen as a rather old-fashioned song, and finished the evening in 14th place of 17 entries.

Cramer returned to Eurovision in 1981 with two songs, "Marianne" and "Retour", in the Dutch selection, but both finished well down the field.

Cramer continued to enjoy periodic chart success through the 1970s; his last charting single was "Alles is anders" in 1980. The 1980s were relatively quiet , then in 1989 he starred as Juan Perón in the musical Evita, and went on to appear in many stage productions such as Chicago and The Phantom of the Opera. He has since appeared in TV programmes such as the drama series Westenwind and the Dutch Celebrity Big Brother, and continues his stage career.

In 2009, along with a number of other Dutch Eurovision veterans, Cramer was a special guest at that year's televised Eurovision selection.

Barbara
Ben Cramer Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

"Denk aan de toekomst", dat zegt bijna iedereen
't Is goed bedoeld maar gauw gezegd
Maar ik leef nu en voel me zonder jou alleen
Dat is wel dwaas maar toch niet slecht

Barbara, 't gaat alleen om jou
Barbara, verrukkelijke vrouw
Barbara, de zomerzon ben jij

Barbara, wanneer kom jij bij mij?

Zekerheid is alles wat ik wil
Zonder jou is heel de wereld kil
O, Barbara, het zuiden, dat ben jij
En dat blijft de mooiste streek voor mij

'k Weet voor een ander die problemen heeft wel raad
Maar hoe verklaar ik 't mezelf
Ik kom te vroeg misschien, maar jij komt nooit te laat
Ik tel tot tien maar ook tot elf

Barbara, 't gaat alleen om jou
Barbara, verrukkelijke vrouw
Barbara, de zomerzon ben jij
Barbara, wanneer kom jij bij mij?

Zekerheid is alles wat ik wil
Zonder jou is heel de wereld kil
O, Barbara, het zuiden, dat ben jij
En dat blijft de mooiste streek voor mij

Barbara, 't gaat alleen om jou
Barbara, verrukkelijke vrouw
Barbara, de zomerzon ben jij
Barbara, wanneer kom jij bij mij?

Zekerheid is alles wat ik wil
Zonder jou is heel de wereld kil
O, Barbara, het zuiden, dat ben jij
En dat blijft de mooiste streek voor mij

Barbara

Overall Meaning

The song "Barbara" by Ben Cramer is a love song about longing for someone who is not present. The first stanza talks about how everyone advises to think about the future, but the singer cannot help feeling lonely without their beloved Barbara. In the chorus, Barbara is likened to the summer sun and the most beautiful part of the world, specifically the south. The singer wants nothing more than the security of having Barbara in their life, and without her, the world is cold and empty.

The second stanza continues with the theme of longing and mentions how the singer can offer advice to others but cannot explain their own feelings. The counting from ten to eleven could be interpreted as the singer trying to maintain patience while waiting for Barbara, but even with additional time, she still hasn't arrived. Overall, this song is a powerful expression of yearning for love and the importance of having someone special in life.

Line by Line Meaning

'Denk aan de toekomst', dat zegt bijna iedereen
Many people advise me to think about the future.

't Is goed bedoeld maar gauw gezegd
It's well-intentioned but easier said than done.

Maar ik leef nu en voel me zonder jou alleen
However, in the present moment, I feel alone without you.

Dat is wel dwaas maar toch niet slecht
Although it may seem foolish, it's not necessarily bad.

Barbara, 't gaat alleen om jou
Barbara, everything is about you.

Barbara, verrukkelijke vrouw
Barbara, you are a delightful woman.

Barbara, de zomerzon ben jij
Barbara, you are the summer sun.

Barbara, wanneer kom jij bij mij?
Barbara, when will you come to me?

Zekerheid is alles wat ik wil
All I want is certainty.

Zonder jou is heel de wereld kil
Without you, the whole world is cold.

O, Barbara, het zuiden, dat ben jij
Oh Barbara, you are the south.