Smit was discovered by Dutch middle of the road band BZN, who used his vocals in a duet called Mama. He has released several albums in Dutch and German since.
Jan dedicated the song Ik zing dit lied voor jou alleen (means: I Sing this song just for you) to his grandmother. In 1997, Smit toured South Africa with popular Afrikaans singer Nádine. In 2000, Smit won the Grand Prix der Volksmusik singing Ich zeig dir die Berge with Oswald Sattler for South Tyrol. In 2001 Smit won the Exportprijs for his success in Germany, France and Italy. In Germany he became one of the best selling Dutch artists ever, with German-language albums specifically aimed at the German market.
After three big hits in the late 90's, Jan's popularity began to wane gradually. His albums Jan Smit 2000 #32 (2000), Zing en Lach (Sing and Laugh) #33 (2001), Zonder Jou (Without You) #40 and Op Eigen Benen (On My Own Feet) #45 sold fewer copies than his first two albums from his child star era.
However, Jan was still very popular in Germany, where he spent most of his time touring. 2005 marked his comeback in his home country, when regional television host Willie Oosterhuis picked up a Jan Smit song recorded in 2003, 'Als de nacht verdwijnt' ('When the night is over'). Willie heavily plugged the song on his show, resulting in a medium sized hit.
During the same period Dutch broadcaster TROS wanted to produce a real life soap about Jan, with the focus on his life as a teenage star in Germany and The Netherlands, and on his private life in the picturesque seaside village of Volendam. The reality soap became a TV hit and an accompanying album, 'Vrienden voor het leven' ('Homies for life') brought Jan back at the top of the charts for the first time in a few years. It was written for his cousin Niek Smit(s), who lives in Maastricht.
In 2006 Smit had several big selling hit singles, such as 'Laura' (about a friend who died of cancer), 'Als de morgen is gekomen' ('When the morning has come') and 'Cupido' (Cupid). Jan usually includes special tracks on his CD singles, such as live recordings, previously unreleased tracks and CD-ROM-content, which makes his singles more interesting for his hardcore fanbase. In 2007 he topped the single charts again with "Op Weg Naar Geluk" (On The Road To Happiness) and with "Dan Volg Je Haar Benen" ('And then you check out her legs'), and the album charts also with the album "Op Weg Naar Geluk" (the album sold 160.000 copies in its first four days after being released, more than double platinum).
In 2006 he also recorded "Kerst voor Iedereen" (Christmas for Everyone) which was a Christmas-duet with Dutch tv-host Bridget Maasland as a part of Dutch tv-show Katja vs Bridget. He later on recorded this song with his younger sister Monique Smit, who recently also started a singing career
In 2007 he planned to tour the Netherlands again with the "Jan Smit Komt Naar Je Toe"-tour (Jan Smit Comes To You) but due to problems with his vocal cords this tour had to be postponed. For at least 6 months Jan Smit has to rest his voice.
'Dan volg je haar benen' was Jan's fifth Number One single in The Netherlands, making him one of the most successful soloists in Dutch chart history. Only George Michael and Dutch singer Marco Borsato had more Number Ones.
Je Bent Het Helemaal
Jan Smit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waar je ook ter wereld komt, je vindt ze elke dag
Het is maar mooi dat je naar alles kijken mag
Ich liebe dich, je t'aime, ti amo, "˜k hou van jou in elke taal
In ieder land vertel ik steeds weer mijn verhaal, waarom ik in je blauwe ogen ben verdwaald
Van Nederlands tot Italiaans, in 't Frans of Duijts, hetzelfde lied
Het klinkt voor jou als jij dat ook zo voor je ziet en mij vanavond vergezelt in deze stad
Liefde blijft een duister fenomeen, soms heel mooi maar vaak ook zo gemeen
Toch wist ik allang genoeg, na 't zien van jouw gezicht
Meteen de eerste keer ben ik gezicht
Ich liebe dich, je t'aime, ti amo, "˜k hou van jou in elke taal
In ieder land vertel ik steeds weer mijn verhaal, waarom ik in je blauwe ogen ben verdwaald
Van Nederlands tot Italiaans, in 't Frans of Duijts, hetzelfde lied
Het klinkt voor jou als jij dat ook zo voor je ziet en mij vanavond vergezelt in deze stad
hoe kan het dat ik ooit een ander had
Ik neem je hand, je houdt me vast, betovert me totaal
Van nu af aan hoor jij bij mij, je bent het helemaal
Ich liebe dich, je t'aime, ti amo, "˜k hou van jou in elke taal
In ieder land vertel ik steeds weer mijn verhaal, waarom ik in je blauwe ogen ben verdwaald
Van Nederlands tot Italiaans, in 't Frans of Duijts, hetzelfde lied
Het klinkt voor jou als jij dat ook zo voor je ziet en mij vanavond vergezelt in deze stad
Hoe kan het dat ik ooit een ander had.
The lyrics to Jan Smit's "Je Bent Het Helemaal" depicts the singer's love and admiration for someone special. In the first verse, he describes how this special someone can be found everywhere, with a potential age range from 18 to 40. He goes on to express gratitude for being able to admire this person and their physical features.
The chorus of the song is in multiple languages, with the phrase "Ich liebe dich, je t'aime, ti amo, 'k hou van jou" representing "I love you" in German, French, Italian, and Dutch. The singer sings about expressing his feelings for this person in different countries and different languages, always letting them know why he fell for them in the first place - their blue eyes.
He acknowledges that love can be both beautiful and cruel, but he knew from the first time he saw them that they were meant to be together. The final verse describes the singer taking this special someone's hand and them being completely enamored with each other. He proclaims that this person is all he needs and that he can't understand how he ever had eyes for anyone else.
Overall, the lyrics are an ode to love and the overpowering feeling of being completely smitten with someone.
Line by Line Meaning
Overal zijn zij ergens te zien, potentieel van 40 tot 18
They can be seen everywhere, from 40 to 18 years old
Waar je ook ter wereld komt, je vindt ze elke dag
No matter where you go in the world, you find them every day
Het is maar mooi dat je naar alles kijken mag
It's a good thing that you're allowed to look at everything
Ich liebe dich, je t'aime, ti amo, 'k hou van jou in elke taal
I love you in every language: Ich liebe dich (German), je t'aime (French), ti amo (Italian), 'k hou van jou (Dutch)
In ieder land vertel ik steeds weer mijn verhaal, waarom ik in je blauwe ogen ben verdwaald
In every country, I tell my story of why I got lost in your blue eyes
Van Nederlands tot Italiaans, in 't Frans of Duijts, hetzelfde lied
From Dutch to Italian, in French or German, it's the same song
Het klinkt voor jou als jij dat ook zo voor je ziet en mij vanavond vergezelt in deze stad
It sounds the same to you if you see it that way and accompany me in this city tonight
hoe kan het dat ik ook een ander had
How could I have had someone else
Liefde blijft een duister fenomeen, soms heel mooi maar vaak ook zo gemeen
Love remains a mysterious phenomenon, sometimes very beautiful but often so cruel
Toch wist ik allang genoeg, na 't zien van jouw gezicht
However, I knew enough a long time ago, after seeing your face
Meteen de eerste keer ben ik gezicht
Immediately the first time, I was hooked
Ik neem je hand, je houdt me vast, betovert me totaal
I take your hand, you hold me tight, enchant me completely
Van nu af aan hoor jij bij mij, je bent het helemaal
From now on, you belong to me, you are everything
Hoe kan het dat ik ooit een ander had.
How could I have had someone else.
Contributed by Eva E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Benjamin Van Schandevijl
Mooie gezongen mijn favoriete Nederlandstalige zanger 🙂😀
Aura Durkstra
😘❤
Monica S
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Michelle Brands
Mix - Jan Smit - Je Bent Het Helemaal