In July 1979, De Bever was discovered as a singer at the age of fourteen by Pierre Kartner during a performance at the Nijmegen Four Days Marches. The song If I marry later, which Kartner wrote for him, reached the tip parade in March 1980. Three more singles and an LP followed. After this, De Bever decided to stop his singing career for the time being and to focus on football.
In 2006 De Bever returned from anonymity as a singer, by recording the duet You came with Anny Schilder. He scored 32 Single Top 100 hits.
In January 2011, De Bever scored a unique and special double hit listing in the Single Top 100 with the single I'm kidding about what people say and the B-side Kleine liaar, both of which individually earned a listing in the Single Top 100.
In 2014, De Bever was one of twenty-four candidates who participated in the third season of the Dutch version of the TV game show Fort Boyard. De Bever is a regular guest at the Mega Pirate Festival, where he has been performing since November 2014. Since 2013, he has also regularly appeared in the football talk show Voetbal Inside on RTL 7.
The album That is the love, which he recorded with Marianne Weber in 2015, went over the counter more than 10,000 times. He also made a football hit with Jan Smit.
In 2016 he scored a hit with the song You won't get that smile off my face, with which De Bever grew into a cult hero in Dutch amateur football culture. The record became a frequently played number in football canteens and dressing rooms. On September 20, 2016, De Bever received a Buma NL Award for his hit and a Gold Award for sales of more than twenty thousand copies. He also received a platinum record for selling eighty thousand copies. The song has been listened to more than twenty million times on YouTube. A year later, the song became an anthem for the football players of the Dutch women's national football team during the European Women's Championship 2017 in their own country. Due to the great success of the Orange Lionesses, De Bever came into the national spotlight, which resulted in many media appearances by the singer. De Bever also had a special football text written on the original song. He performed the song live at the celebration of the Leeuwinnen in Utrecht.
In November 2016, De Bever covered Pierre Kartner's single There in that little café on the harbor. In the video clip, a leading role is reserved for its discoverer.
In 2020 Veronica Inside received the Golden Radio Ring. Presenter Wilfred Genee had campaigned hard to win the prize. For example, he recorded the song You will not get that ring from me as a gift together with De Bever. That song has already been viewed about 150,000 times on YouTube.
In December 2020, De Bever released the song Christmas is always celebrated at the request of Energiedirect.nl. Also released in a PSV version.
Proost op het leven
John de Bever Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vorige week gaf mijn baas mijn ontslag
En dat was even wennen
Maar ik zal echt niet ontkennen
Dat ik al lang bij hem weg wilde rennen
Maar een dag later,hij was niet zo'n prater
Vroeg hij me om toch terug te komen
Dat ik pas terug kom de volgende zomer
Ai, ai, ai, ai, proost op het leven
Ik neem er eentje, ik heb het verdiend
Ik heb al teveel gegeven
Ai, ai, ai, ai, hou van het leven
Ik zie toch altijd de zonnige kant
Ook al zit het me wel eens tegen
Gisteren had ik zorgen omdat m'n vrouw me wou gaan verlaten
Wilde niet meer met me praten
Enkel me nu alleen nog maar haten
Ik heb haar toen onmiddellijk met heel veel vreugde m'n zegen gegeven
Nou dat viel toch even tegen
Want dat kreng is gewoon thuisgebleven
Ai, ai, ai, ai, proost op het leven
Ik neem er eentje, ik heb het verdiend
Ik heb al teveel gegeven
Ai, ai, ai, ai, hou van het leven
Ik zie toch altijd de zonnige kant
Ook al zit het me wel eens tegen
Ai, ai, ai, ai
Ai, ai, ai, ai
Ai, ai, ai, ai
Proost op het leven
Ai, ai, ai, ai, proost op het leven
Ik neem er eentje, ik heb het verdiend
Ik heb al teveel gegeven
Ai, ai, ai, ai, hou van het leven
Ik zie toch altijd de zonnige kant
Ook al zit het me wel eens tege
Ik zie toch altijd de zonnige kant
Ook al zit het me wel eens tegen
The song "Proost Op Het Leven" by John de Bever is about celebrating life and finding joy even when things don't go as planned. The singer talks about getting fired from his job and being initially upset, but ultimately realizing that it was the push he needed to leave a job he had wanted to leave for a while. He also talks about his wife wanting to leave him and initially feeling happy about it, but ultimately being disappointed when she decides to stay.
The lyrics are an encouragement to always look on the bright side of life and celebrate it, even when things are tough. The phrase "proost op het leven" means "cheers to life" in Dutch, and it's repeated throughout the song as a way to emphasize this message.
The song has an upbeat tempo and catchy melody, which gives it a feel-good vibe even though the lyrics touch on some serious topics. Overall, "Proost Op Het Leven" is an uplifting song about finding joy in everyday life and not letting setbacks bring you down.
Line by Line Meaning
Vorige week gaf mijn baas mijn ontslag
I was fired by my boss last week
En dat was even wennen
It was a bit of a shock
Maar ik zal echt niet ontkennen
I won't deny
Dat ik al lang bij hem weg wilde rennen
I wanted to leave him for a while
Maar een dag later,hij was niet zo'n prater
But the next day, he wasn't very talkative
Vroeg hij me om toch terug te komen
He asked me to come back
Maar ik heb m'n beslissing genomen
But I had already made up my mind
Dat ik pas terug kom de volgende zomer
That I won't come back until next summer
Gisteren had ik zorgen omdat m'n vrouw me wou gaan verlaten
Yesterday, I was worried because my wife wanted to leave me
Wilde niet meer met me praten
She didn't want to talk to me anymore
Enkel me nu alleen nog maar haten
Only hate me now
Ik heb haar toen onmiddellijk met heel veel vreugde m'n zegen gegeven
So, I immediately gave her my blessing with great joy
Nou dat viel toch even tegen
Well, that didn't go as planned
Want dat kreng is gewoon thuisgebleven
Because that witch stayed at home anyway
Ai, ai, ai, ai, proost op het leven
Cheers to life!
Ik neem er eentje, ik heb het verdiend
I'll have one, I deserve it
Ik heb al teveel gegeven
I've already given too much
Ai, ai, ai, ai, hou van het leven
Love life!
Ik zie toch altijd de zonnige kant
I always see the bright side
Ook al zit het me wel eens tegen
Even when things don't go my way
Contributed by Lucas H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Johan-ez5wo
Heerlijk nummertje John! meer!!
@giuseppegulino
STUPENDO VIDEO COMPLIMENTI PER LA BELLA CANZONE MESSICANA che io amo molto questa musica un mio caro saluto giuseppe
@CobyBartelen
Proost op het leven🍷🍷
@MrJanmuijs
Geweldig Liedje.
@user-lm2mo3kj9n
Ook een mooi nummer
@irenevanheck5495
Ik luister nu heel vaak en blijft een leuke meezinger echt leuk
@atwente708
Heerlijk vrolijk nummer John
@kristofvannieuwenborgh4448
Mooie😉🤩😍🥰❤video en mooi😉🤩😍🥰❤liedje
@antoineteapswoude4052
weer een geweldig nummer topper gr uit den bosch
@riksteoosterhuis9589
🥰