De Groot's most famous songs include Avond, Welterusten mijnheer de President, Het Land van Maas en Waal and Jimmy.
Boudewijn de Groot was born in a Japanese concentration camp in 1944. His mother died here in 1945. The family returned to The Netherlands in 1946. He first reached the music charts in 1965 with his song Meisje Van 16.
In these early years, De Groot was a Dutch equivalent of Jacques Brel; his songs were, lushly orchestrated 'chansons'. In the late 1960s he adopted more of a singer-songwriter style and his album, Picknick (1967) is a psychedelic sixties gem, generally regarded as one of the best Dutch albums ever.
Boudewijn de Groot recorded twelve studio albums in total and also released many live albums and compilations. Lennaert Nijgh wrote the lyrics for the majority of De Groot's work. Even after Nijgh's death in 2002, De Groot continued to use unfinished Nijgh lyrics on several songs on 2007's Lage Landen.
In 2005, De Groot's Avond (originally written in 1973, released in 1996) suddenly topped Holland's immensely popular Top 2000 end-of-year song chart on Radio 2, much to the surprise of De Groot, who reckons it's "not even my best song, let alone the best song of all time".
Boudewijn de Groot toured Dutch theatres for years and years on end, but decided to stop doing so in 2014, the year of his 70th birthday. He feels well and is in great shape, but doesn't want to play his hit songs night after night. He announced that he would continue to record and release music, but would only do the occasional live performance. 2015 saw the release of Achter Glas, his 12th studio album.
September 2016 saw him embark on a theatre tour under the moniker Vreemde Kostgangers, a collaboration with his long time friends and fellow legendary Dutch songwriters, George Kooymans (of Golden Earring) and Henny Vrienten.
Eva
Boudewijn de Groot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Het glazen ei vol land en wolken
Ik zal de hemel gaan bewolken
Ik roep de varens uit het zand
Ik schud de apen uit m'n mouw
De spikkelpanters en de mieren
Het blauw konijn, de krabbeldieren
Ik weet nu dat ik alles kan
Ik ken de dieren aan hun vel
De vogels aan hun notenspel
En ik geef namen aan de man
De verf die ik morste vliegt plotseling in brand
't Palet valt vlammend uit m'n hand
De aarde zwaait open, ik zie haar lopen
In m'n eigen groene gras
Wil jij soms wit wezen, dat ik je niet ken
En dat ik niet almachtig ben
Je wilt me vergeten, mijn vruchten eten
En me bedriegen met je man
Hier in je lichaam van albast
Zie ik de roze vlammen branden
En wat je wilt valt in je handen
Je hebt m'n wereld aangetast
Daar sluipt de groengevlekte kat
En heeft de merel al te grazen
De leguaan gaat bellen blazen
Kruipt op vijf poten over het pad
De vleesboom rijst het water uit
En rinkelt met z'n glazen snaren
Er zit in de kristalpilaren
Een uil die schuine liedjes fluit
Hier sta ik voor zot in m'n kamerjapon
Ik dacht wel dat ik alles kon
En ben ik verdwenen, dan komt op zijn tenen
De engel met het grote mes
The song "Eva" by Boudewijn de Groot is a whimsical and dreamy piece about the power of imagination and creation. The lyrics describe the singer's ability to control the world around them, summoning animals and plants with ease, and even giving names to humanity. The singer's confidence swells as they declare "I know now that I can do anything", feeling as though they have a godlike power to shape their reality.
However, this power eventually becomes overwhelming, and the singer realizes that they are not truly in control. The refrain "here in your body of alabaster" implies that they are addressing someone else, perhaps a lover or friend, who has the power to weaken their control over the world. They are humbled by this realization, and the final line about an angel with a large knife suggests a fear of punishment for their hubris.
Overall, the song is a meditation on the power and limits of human imagination, and the importance of remaining grounded in reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Ik houd de wereld in mijn hand
I feel like I have control over the world
Het glazen ei vol land en wolken
The world feels like it's contained in a glass egg
Ik zal de hemel gaan bewolken
I have the ability to change the weather
Ik roep de varens uit het zand
I have the power to bring plants to life
Ik schud de apen uit m'n mouw
I can do amazing things effortlessly
De spikkelpanters en de mieren
I can bring exotic animals to life
Het blauw konijn, de krabbeldieren
I can create new creatures and beings
Ik strooi topaas, azuur en dauw
I can create beautiful and precious things
Ik weet nu dat ik alles kan
I am confident in my abilities
Ik ken de dieren aan hun vel
I understand animals by their appearance
De vogels aan hun notenspel
I can identify birds by their song
En ik geef namen aan de man
I can name things and people
De verf die ik morste vliegt plotseling in brand
My careless actions have consequences
't Palet valt vlammend uit m'n hand
I've lost control of my creativity
De aarde zwaait open, ik zie haar lopen
The earth seems to be alive and moving
In m'n eigen groene gras
I see my surroundings in a new light
Wil jij soms wit wezen, dat ik je niet ken
Are you trying to be someone you're not?
En dat ik niet almachtig ben
You're reminding me that I'm not all-powerful
Je wilt me vergeten, mijn vruchten eten
You're using me for your own gain
En me bedriegen met je man
You're cheating on me with someone else
Hier in je lichaam van albast
I see your body as a work of art
Zie ik de roze vlammen branden
I see your passion and desire
En wat je wilt valt in je handen
You seem to get what you want easily
Je hebt m'n wereld aangetast
You've disrupted my sense of control
Daar sluipt de groengevlekte kat
I see a sneaky cat approaching
En heeft de merel al te grazen
The cat has caught a bird
De leguaan gaat bellen blazen
A lizard is making strange noises
Kruipt op vijf poten over het pad
The lizard seems to be moving in a strange way
De vleesboom rijst het water uit
I see a bizarre plant rising up from the water
En rinkelt met z'n glazen snaren
The plant makes a strange sound
Er zit in de kristalpilaren
The plant seems to be alive and sentient
Een uil die schuine liedjes fluit
I hear an owl singing dirty songs
Hier sta ik voor zot in m'n kamerjapon
I feel foolish and crazy while wearing my robe
Ik dacht wel dat ik alles kon
I overestimated my abilities
En ben ik verdwenen, dan komt op zijn tenen
When I'm gone, someone else will take my place
De engel met het grote mes
The next person will be just as powerful, but possibly more dangerous
Contributed by Colton M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.