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 Troubadour
Paul de Leeuw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hij zong voor groot en klein publiek
Hij maakte blij melancholiek
De troubadour
Voor riches in de hoge zaal
Zong hij een stoere, sterke taal
Een lang en bloederig verhaal
De troubadour
Hoorde zijn lied vol avontuur
Hoorde bij het nachtelijk vuur
De troubadour
De troubadour
En in de herberg van de stad
Zong hij een drinklied op het nat
Voor wie nog staan kon en wie zat
De troubadour
De troubadour
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalalalalalay
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalalalalalay
Hij zong in een klooster stil, zijn lied
Van een mirakel dat gescheidt
Ook als geen mens het wonder zit
De troubadour
Van vrouwen in fluweel of grijs
Zong hij de harten van de wijs
Zijn liefdeslies ging mee op reis
De troubadour
Hij zong voor boeren op het land
Een kerelslied van eigen hand
Hij was van elke rang en stand
De troubadour
De troubadour
Zo zong hij heel zijn leven lang
Zijn eigen lied, zijn eigen zang
Toch gaat de dood gewoon zijn gang
De troubadour de troubadour
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalalalalalay
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalalalalalay
Toen werd het stil, het lied was uit
Enkel wat modder tot besluit
Maar wie getroost werd door zijn lied
Vergeet hem niet...
Want hij zat zo boordevol muziek
Hij zong voor groot en klein publiek
Hij maakte blij, melancholied
De troubadour
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalalalalalay
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalalalalalay
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalalalalalay
The lyrics of Paul de Leeuw's song "De Troubadour" tell the story of a musician who was filled with music and sang for everyone, from the rich in the high hall to the workers in the barn, from women in velvet to farmers in the field. He sang both happy and melancholic songs, and his music touched the hearts of many. The troubadour was a versatile musician who could sing about different subjects, from the adventures of knights to love stories to miracles. However, even though he sang throughout his life, death eventually came and signaled the end of his music.
The troubadour's music brought comfort and joy to those who listened to it, and though he may be gone, he is not forgotten. The song celebrates the troubadour's music and the way it touched the lives of others, highlighting the importance of music as a source of emotional support and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Hij zat zo bordevol muziek
He was filled to the brim with music
Hij zong voor groot en klein publiek
He sang for both large and small audiences
Hij maakte blij melancholiek
He made happy those who were melancholic
De troubadour
The troubadour
Voor riches in de hoge zaal
For the rich in the high hall
Zong hij een stoere, sterke taal
He sang a bold, strong language
Een lang en bloederig verhaal
A long and bloody story
De troubadour
The troubadour
Maak ook het werkvolk uit de schuur
He also sang for the workers from the shed
Hoorde zijn lied vol avontuur
They heard his song full of adventure
Hoorde bij het nachtelijk vuur
They heard it by the nightly fire
De troubadour
The troubadour
En in de herberg van de stad
And in the city's inn
Zong hij een drinklied op het nat
He sang a drinking song on the drink
Voor wie nog staan kon en wie zat
For those who could still stand and those who were seated
De troubadour
The troubadour
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalalalalalay
Laylalalalalalalay
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalalalalalay
Laylalalalalalalay
Hij zong in een klooster stil, zijn lied
He sang his song in a silent monastery
Van een mirakel dat gescheidt
About a miracle that happened
Ook als geen mens het wonder zit
Even when no one else saw the miracle
De troubadour
The troubadour
Van vrouwen in fluweel of grijs
Of women in velvet or grey
Zong hij de harten van de wijs
He sang the hearts of the wise
Zijn liefdeslies ging mee op reis
His love songs went with him on his travels
De troubadour
The troubadour
Hij zong voor boeren op het land
He sang for the farmers in the fields
Een kerelslied van eigen hand
A song of men of his own making
Hij was van elke rang en stand
He was of all ranks and classes
De troubadour
The troubadour
Zo zong hij heel zijn leven lang
Thus, he sang his entire life long
Zijn eigen lied, zijn eigen zang
His own song, his own singing
Toch gaat de dood gewoon zijn gang
Yet death goes on as usual
De troubadour de troubadour
The troubadour, the troubadour
Toen werd het stil, het lied was uit
Then it became silent, the song was over
Enkel wat modder tot besluit
Only mud as a conclusion
Maar wie getroost werd door zijn lied
But those who were comforted by his song
Vergeet hem niet...
Do not forget him...
Want hij zat zo boordevol muziek
For he was filled to the brim with music
Hij zong voor groot en klein publiek
He sang for both large and small audiences
Hij maakte blij, melancholied
He made happy, melancholic
De troubadour
The troubadour
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalalalalalay
Laylalalalalalalay
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalalalalalay
Laylalalalalalalay
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalaylalalaylalalaylala
Laylalalalalalalay
Laylalalalalalalay
Contributed by Carson B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.