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.
De oude muzikant
Ben Cramer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Klinkt nog steeds dezelfde wijs
Van die oude muzikant
Je hoort 'm al aan de overkant
Eens was hij toch heel beroemd
Altijd werd zijn naam genoemd
Nu is hij heel oud en grijs
Door de straten, over pleinen
Klinkt dat ene lied
Die melodie zal nooit verdwijnen
Ook al ken je 'm niet
Eenzaam zijn nu al z'n dagen
Niemand die hem nog kent
Hij speelt op zijn accordeon
En denkt aan hoe 't eens begon
Het leven is nu grauw en grijs
In de straten van Parijs
Z'n vrienden kennen hem niet meer
Maar kijken nu nog op hem neer
Hij speelt voor geld nog op de straat
Van 's morgens vroeg tot 's avonds laat
Niemand die nog op hem wacht
Maar soms is 't of hij weer lacht
Hij was beroemd in heel 't land
Die oude grijze muzikant
Door de straten, over pleinen
Klinkt dat ene lied
Die melodie zal nooit verdwijnen
Ook al ken je 'm niet
Eenzaam zijn nu al z'n dagen
Niemand die hem nog kent
Hij speelt op zijn accordeon
En denkt aan hoe 't eens begon
Het leven is nu grauw en grijs
In de straten van Parijs
The lyrics to Ben Cramer's song De Oude Muzikant tell the story of an old musician in the streets of Paris. Despite his age and anonymity, he continues to play the same tune on his accordion that he's played for years. Once famous, he is now lonely and forgotten, with only memories of the past to keep him company. His friends have abandoned him, and he is forced to play for money on the streets from morning until night. Despite his circumstances, the musician still finds joy in his music and the memories it brings back.
The lyrics are a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of fame and fortune, and the importance of finding joy in simple pleasures. The old musician's dedication to his music serves as a metaphor for the importance of holding on to one's passions and identity, even in difficult times. The melody of his tune may be simple, but it is immortal – a symbol of the power of music to transcend time and connect us to the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Door de straten van Parijs
The old musician still walks the streets of Paris.
Klinkt nog steeds dezelfde wijs
He still plays the same tune.
Van die oude muzikant
The tune comes from that old musician.
Je hoort 'm al aan de overkant
You can hear him from across the street.
Eens was hij toch heel beroemd
He used to be very famous.
Altijd werd zijn naam genoemd
People always talked about him.
Nu is hij heel oud en grijs
Now he is very old and gray.
Ouder dan de stad Parijs
He is older than the city of Paris.
Door de straten, over pleinen
He goes through the streets and squares.
Klinkt dat ene lied
He plays that one song.
Die melodie zal nooit verdwijnen
That melody will never disappear.
Ook al ken je 'm niet
Even if you don't know it.
Eenzaam zijn nu al z'n dagen
Nowadays, he spends his days alone.
Niemand die hem nog kent
No one knows him anymore.
Hij speelt op zijn accordeon
He plays his accordion.
En denkt aan hoe 't eens begon
He remembers how it all began.
Het leven is nu grauw en grijs
Life is now dull and gray.
Z'n vrienden kennen hem niet meer
His friends no longer recognize him.
Maar kijken nu nog op hem neer
But they still look down on him.
Hij speelt voor geld nog op de straat
He still plays for money on the street.
Van 's morgens vroeg tot 's avonds laat
From early morning until late at night.
Niemand die nog op hem wacht
No one is waiting for him anymore.
Maar soms is 't of hij weer lacht
But sometimes it's as if he's smiling again.
Hij was beroemd in heel 't land
He used to be famous across the entire country.
Die oude grijze muzikant
That old gray musician.
Contributed by Alyssa N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@GertMeppelink
Mooi Ben.!!!!!
@Euroviking86
I love this unassuming song which, alone of all the acts in '73, had this really atmospheric lighting, which only helped to underline this song's eerie, beautiful vibe.
@jgjmulders
In die tijd was Nederland ijzersterk op het Songfestival.
Perfect gezongen en vooral de interactie met het accordeon is prachtig
En vergeet niet onze dirigenten en orkest arrangementen toen stonden we echt aan de top.
@piaylitalo3663
Simply so charming❤❤❤❤
@elaineayton1
Still a very handsome guy even years later also still love his voice , he is now a silver fox xx
@carilicious
i guess ben is an oude muzikant now
@georgesvaneetvelde3502
Wat een mooi Nederlands.
@jarikomi
great quality
@hernanguillen3635
Preciosa canción con un estribillo realmente inspirado y un simple acordeón como instrumento principal. La interpretación de Ben Cramer es muy buena y junto con la ambientación intimista su actuación resulta redonda. Realmente me convence y emociona a partes iguales. 10 puntos!
@femkeberendsen2404
In die jaar ben ik geboren 1973