Johannes Hendricus Maria "Jan" Smit (born December 31, 1985) is a Dutch pop… Read Full Bio ↴Johannes Hendricus Maria "Jan" Smit (born December 31, 1985) is a Dutch pop music and schlager singer. He scored his first number one position in the Dutch charts with Ik zing dit lied voor jou alleen (I sing this song only for you) in 1997. Being 12 years of age back then, he was known as Jantje Smit.

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.

Kleine Vlinder
Jan Smit Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Kleine vlinder by Jantje Smit
Lentewind, een spelend kind
Een zon die blaakt, de natuur ontwaakt
Een zonnestraal, de dag in zicht
Dan ziet een vlinder z'n eerste levenslicht

Vlieg naar de zon kleine vlinder
Naar de vrijheid, kleine vlinder

Dans op de wind, kleine vlinder
Dans maar vrolijk heel jou vlinderleven lang
Als ik vliegen kon, vloog ik graag met je mee
Naar Hawaï of de Middellandse zee

Vlieg naar de zon kleine vlinder
Vlieg maar vrolijk heel jou vlinderleven lang

Het groene gras, een leuk terras
Of een Chrysant, of een tropisch strand
Overal waar je vreugde vindt
Daar til jij vrolijk gedragen door de wind

Vlieg naar de zon kleine vlinder
Naar de vrijheid, kleine vlinder
Dans op de wind kleine vlinder
Dans maar vrolijk heel jou vlinderleven lang
Als ik vliegen kon, vloog ik graag met je mee
Naar Hawaï of de Middellandse zee

Vlieg naar de zon kleine vlinder
Vlieg maar vrolijk heel jou vlinderleven lang

Vlieg naar de zon kleine vlinder

Vlieg maar vrolijk heel jou vlinderleven lang
Vlieg maar vrolijk heel jou vlinderleven lang

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jan Smit's Kleine Vlinder paint a picture of springtime and new beginnings. The sun is shining, the wind is blowing, and nature is coming back to life. It is in this environment that a butterfly emerges, taking its first flight and exploring the world around it. The singer encourages the butterfly to embrace its newfound freedom, fly towards the sun, and dance on the wind. He expresses his wish to be able to fly with the butterfly, to experience the joy and wonder of the world it sees.

The butterfly serves as a symbol of hope and possibility, representing the idea that even in the face of adversity, new beginnings are possible. The butterfly must navigate the dangers of the world around it, but through its courage, it is able to thrive and live a long, happy life. The message of the song is one of optimism and appreciation for the beauty of the world, even in the face of uncertainty and hardship.

Line by Line Meaning

Lentewind, een spelend kind
Spring breeze, a playful child

Een zon die blaakt, de natuur ontwaakt
Sun blazing, nature waking up

Een zonnestraal, de dag in zicht
Sunbeam, day in sight

Dan ziet een vlinder z'n eerste levenslicht
Then a butterfly sees its first human-created light

Vlieg naar de zon kleine vlinder
Fly towards the sun, little butterfly

Naar de vrijheid, kleine vlinder
Towards freedom, little butterfly

Dans op de wind, kleine vlinder
Dance on the wind, little butterfly

Dans maar vrolijk heel jou vlinderleven lang
Dance happily throughout your butterfly life

Als ik vliegen kon, vloog ik graag met je mee
If I could fly, I would gladly fly with you

Naar Hawaï of de Middellandse zee
To Hawaii or the Mediterranean sea

Het groene gras, een leuk terras
The green grass, a nice terrace