De Leeuw gained national fame in the late eighties and early nineties with television shows for the public broadcasting company VARA. Though satire was only a part of these shows and much of its humour was essentially harmless he came into publicity with satire about Dutch show business personalities who were often ridiculed.
Besides, many obscure musical acts were featured in his shows, many of which managed to gain national fame after they had been in De Leeuw's programme (e.g. Twarres and AIDS suffering singer Rene Klijn). VARA has since continued his shows apart from a few interruptions, often with considerable success.
In the early nineties, Paul de Leeuw also had some shows celebrating the new year. In the 1993-1994 show he ridiculed the new commercial television channel RTL 5 by announcing another new channel, "RTL 6" (RTL six, beter dan niks (at least better than nothing)). This led to a trial by the RTL company, who demanded that De Leeuw withdraw his joke.
He and his partner, Stephan Nuger, have adopted two children: son Kas (adopted in October 2001) and son Tobey (adopted in December 2002).
Paul de Leeuw has had many hit singles in The Netherlands. He is most famous for: Vlieg met me mee (#2), Ik wil niet dat je liegt / Waarheen, waarvoor (#1), and 'k Heb je lief (#3). Since the beginning of his television and singing career he released albums and singles, always becoming a big success.
In 2006, he recorded the song "Mijn Houten Hart" (My Wooden Heart) with Raffaela, which was later released as a single and peaked at #18 in the Dutch Singles Top 100, becoming one of his smallest hits.
Eurovision Song Contest 2006 incident
De Leeuw is, despite being famous for a long time in the Netherlands, best-known internationally for presenting the results of the Dutch televote in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. De Leeuw was supposed to present the televote by simply thanking the presenters, performers and fans, before giving the result but instead the openly gay De Leeuw gave his mobile number to the male presenter Sakis Rouvas live on-air, and made other comments which somewhat lengthened the Dutch results.
De Leeuw also made a reference to gay culture when he remarked that Rouvas and his female co-presenter Maria Menounos reminded him of Will & Grace. As the results were live and required for the contest to continue, De Leeuw could not be cut off until he finished giving the voting results.
De Leeuw's actions resulted in negative comments from the commentators, with the BBC's Terry Wogan calling the act "pathetic" and asking "Who selected this eejit?" during the United Kingdom coverage of the contest. Other commentators, like the Portuguese Eladio Climaco, didn't translate properly the gay remarks and said he was saying that they really look like Greeks. Parts of the dialogue were also shown on the German comedy show TV total.
The dialogue between De Leeuw and Rouvas
Rouvas: Hello Netherlands! Paul...
De Leeuw: Hello Greece, kalisperma everybody! [note that sperma means sperm in many languages, at least both in Dutch and Greek]
Rouvas: Kalispera Paul. [kalispera means 'Good evening', which was supposed to be said]
De Leeuw: You look like Will... [stops, likely due to the cheering of the crowd behind him] You look like Will & Grace, you two. So here are the votes, the Dutch votes. Let's come. [In an extremely high tempo] One, Ukreene (sic), two, Russia, Germany, three, Ireland, four, Greece, five, Lithuania, six, Finland, seven points! [resumes normal tempo]] Now the eight points. Are you ready Chaci, tzatziki, cichaci?
Rouvas: Yes, haha.
De Leeuw: Are you ready? Eight points... I like your blouse... The eight points are for Bosnia-Hoshegovina (sic). Yeah.
Rouvas: Bosnie-Herzegovine, huit points.
De Leeuw: Yes, I say. And the ten points, Zhacki, Zhicka, Chucka, are from (sic) Armenia!
Rouvas: Armenie, dix points.
De Leeuw: Ok, and Chacki, do you have my mobile number now or after twelve points?
Rouvas: Give it to me now. I bet it's 69 69 69. [In Greece, mobile numbers always begin with 69, but the rest of the 69's are a sexual innuendo, since Rouvas did not seem to like Paul's lines.]
De Leeuw: Ok, 00... [interrupted by Rouvas' remark] no no no no no... I'm not the French guy! [Probably refers that Rouvas was once interviewed for a French magazine, in which the interviewer assumed that Rouvas was gay and directed his questions accordingly.] Its 00 31 6 24 74 44 32 10 dial 1. Twelve points goes to, I'm very proud to say, Turkey! Twelve points.
Rouvas: Turquie, douze points.
De Belofte
Paul de Leeuw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
en geef me nu heel je lichaam maar
je hebt me lang op de proef gesteld
maar ik kan niet meer wachten
weet wat ik voor je voel
alsof je niet ziet wat ik bedoel
ik word gek van je mooie smoel
ik wil de hete nachten
ik trek het niet als je koel en kil
weer naar me lacht of je zeggen wil
dat je nog niet kan kiezen
maak de belofte waar
die je me deed toen je was met haar
maar laatst met mij kwam je twee keer klaar
je zei; ik moest op je wachten
geef me een echte kans
niet in de kroeg, hier is altijd sjans
ik wil een yes voor de paringsdans
die we vannacht gaan dansen
maak de belofte waar
je ogen zeiden me al een jaar
ik wil je hier en ik wil je daar
er moest iets gaan gebeuren
hier in het ochtendlicht
ben ik zo blij dat je naast me ligt
het lijkt erop dat je bent gezwicht
en dat je nu gaat kiezen
la la la la la
maak de belofte waar
ook aan jezelf
kies niet weer voor haar
ze zet een rem op hoe jij wilt zijn
en zoals jij wilt leven
kijk nu de toekomst aan
ben hier voor jouw
ik laat je niet meer gaan
wie zegt dat sprookjes niet echt bestaan
je hebt het net bewezen
la la la la la
In Paul de Leeuw's song De Belofte, the singer is pleading with their love interest to follow through on their promise to be together. The singer has been waiting for a long time, and can't take it anymore. They are frustrated that their love interest doesn't seem to understand their feelings and desire for a committed relationship. The singer wants to share a passionate night with their love interest and wants them to stop being indecisive and finally choose them over the other person they were previously with. The singer identifies how the other person is holding their love interest back from being who they desire and suggests that they take a chance and choose love.
Overall, the lyrics of the song convey a sense of urgency and desperation, a desire to finally have the relationship that the singer has been waiting for. They beg their love interest to keep their promise and take a chance on them, expressing their love fervently. The song's melody matches the frantic feeling of the lyrics, with a fast tempo and multiple instruments creating a sense of excitement and nervousness.
Line by Line Meaning
maak de belofte waar
Keep your promise and follow through with what you said you would do
en geef me nu heel je lichaam maar
Give yourself fully to me, with no hesitation or holding back
je hebt me lang op de proef gesteld
You have tested my patience and put me through a lot
maar ik kan niet meer wachten
But I can't wait any longer
weet wat ik voor je voel
Understand the depth of my feelings for you
alsof je niet ziet wat ik bedoel
As if you don't see or understand what I'm trying to say
ik word gek van je mooie smoel
I am going crazy over your handsome face
ik wil de hete nachten
I want passionate nights with you
zeg nu eens wat je wil
Tell me what you want
ik trek het niet als je koel en kil
I can't handle it if you're distant and cold
weer naar me lacht of je zeggen wil
Laughing at me again or telling me that you still can't decide
dat je nog niet kan kiezen
That you still cannot make a choice
die je me deed toen je was met haar
The promise you made to me when you were with her
maar laatst met mij kwam je twee keer klaar
But the last time we were together, you orgasmed twice
je zei; ik moest op je wachten
You said, 'You had to wait for me'
geef me een echte kans
Give me a real chance
niet in de kroeg, hier is altijd sjans
Not in the bar, where there's always someone else vying for your attention
ik wil een yes voor de paringsdans
I want a 'yes' for our mating dance tonight
die we vannacht gaan dansen
That we will dance tonight
je ogen zeiden me al een jaar
Your eyes have been telling me for a year now
ik wil je hier en ik wil je daar
I want you here and I want you there
er moest iets gaan gebeuren
Something had to happen between us
hier in het ochtendlicht
Here in the morning light
ben ik zo blij dat je naast me ligt
I am so happy that you are laying next to me
het lijkt erop dat je bent gezwicht
It seems that you have given in
en dat je nu gaat kiezen
And that you will now make a choice
maak de belofte waar
Keep your promise
ook aan jezelf
To yourself as well
kies niet weer voor haar
Don't choose her again
ze zet een rem op hoe jij wilt zijn
She holds you back from being who you want to be
en zoals jij wilt leven
And living your life the way you want to
kijk nu de toekomst aan
Look towards the future now
ben hier voor jouw
I am here for you
ik laat je niet meer gaan
I won't let you go again
wie zegt dat sprookjes niet echt bestaan
Who says fairy tales aren't real?
je hebt het net bewezen
You just proved it to me
Contributed by Samuel Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.