Paul de Leeuw (born March 26, 1962 in Rotterdam) is a Dutch television come… Read Full Bio ↴Paul de Leeuw (born March 26, 1962 in Rotterdam) is a Dutch television comedian, singer and actor.

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.

Ik Heb Je Lief
Paul de Leeuw Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

'k weet niet of je zit te wachten
op een vriendelijk woord van mij
als ik jou oproep in gedachte
maakt me dat veel beetjes blij
voel het als ik jou zie zitten
als ik je alleen maar ruik
't zit in honderdduizend vlinders
die zoet zweven in m'n buik

'k heb je lief, m'n hele leven
't is veel meer dan "houden van"
't is alsof je in m'n bloed zit
ik zonder jou niet leven kan

jouw mooie ogen doen me smelten
't zet me zo in vuur en vlam
ik voel het enkel bij jouw aanblik
ik krijg het ook van Rotterdam

'k heb je lief
'k heb je lief
'k heb je lief
wat moet ik zonder jou
't zijn vier hele kleine woordjes
en al maakt je dat een beetje bang
'k heb je lief
vier jaargetijden lang

voel het heel vaak als jij opstaat
of na een zomerse bui
ik word al week bij de gedachte
jij die loopt in m'n lievelingstrui
't is mijn hand die jij plots vastpakt
als ik domweg naast je fiets
't komt ook, dat is nou het gekke,
zelfs door helemaal niets

'k heb je lief
'k heb je lief
'k heb je lief
wat moet ik zonder jou
't zijn vier hele kleine woordjes
en al maakt je dat een beetje bang
'k heb je lief
14 bloemencorso's lang

ik proef het tijdens ons zoenen
of als je plotseling lacht
ik zie het in vallende sterren
na heftig vrijen in de nacht
't is die tinteling, dat briesje
maakt jou helemaal voor mij
ik denk als ik jou zo zie lopen
God, d'r gaat een engeltje voorbij

'k heb je lief
'k heb je lief
'k heb je lief
wat moet ik zonder jou
't zijn vier hele kleine woordjes
en al maakt je dat een beetje bang
'k heb je lief
1001 nachten lang

één van mijn mooiste dromen
is oud te worden met z'n twee
dat die maar uit mag komen
ik heb je lief tot na de AOW

'k heb je lief
wat moet ik zonder jou
't zijn vier hele kleine woordjes
en al maakt je dat een beetje bang
'k heb je lief
104 kerstbomen lang

'k heb je lief

'k heb je lief
m'n hele leven lang

Overall Meaning

The song "Ik heb je lief" by Paul de Leeuw is a beautiful love song that expresses the depth of love and affection the singer has towards his beloved. The lyrics are all about the little moments and details that make the singer feel happy and in love. The first verse talks about how the thought of the beloved makes the singer happy, and even the little things like a particular smell or sight can make him feel a hundred thousand butterflies in his stomach. The chorus repeats the phrase "Ik heb je lief" (I love you), which means much more to the singer than just "houden van" (like or adore), and that he cannot live without the beloved.

The second verse talks about how the singer is drawn to his lover's beautiful eyes, and even places like Rotterdam make him feel the same way as he does when he's with his beloved. In the third verse, the singer talks about how he feels when holding hands, kissing or just seeing his lover smile, and how she is his angel. The bridge talks about the singer's dream of growing old with his beloved, expressing his love for her even in the AOW (old-age pension), which is a governmental benefit in the Netherlands.

Line by Line Meaning

k weet niet of je zit te wachten op een vriendelijk woord van mij
I'm not sure if you're waiting for a kind word from me

als ik jou oproep in gedachte maakt me dat veel beetjes blij
When I think of you, it makes me a little bit happy

voel het als ik jou zie zitten, als ik je alleen maar ruik
I feel it when I see you sitting there, even when I simply smell you

't zit in honderdduizend vlinders die zoet zweven in m'n buik
It's in a hundred thousand butterflies that sweetly float in my stomach

'k heb je lief, m'n hele leven, 't is veel meer dan "houden van"
I love you, my whole life, it's much more than just "liking"

't is alsof je in m'n bloed zit, ik zonder jou niet leven kan
It's like you're in my blood, I can't live without you

jouw mooie ogen doen me smelten, 't zet me zo in vuur en vlam
Your beautiful eyes make me melt, it ignites me

ik voel het enkel bij jouw aanblik, ik krijg het ook van Rotterdam
I only feel it when I see you, but I also get it from Rotterdam

'k heb je lief wat moet ik zonder jou, 't zijn vier hele kleine woordjes, en al maakt je dat een beetje bang
I love you, what would I do without you? They're just four little words, and although it scares you a bit

voel het heel vaak als jij opstaat of na een zomerse bui, ik word al week bij de gedachte, jij die loopt in m'n lievelingstrui
I feel it often when you wake up or after a summer rain, I become weak at the thought of you in my favorite sweater

't is mijn hand die jij plots vastpakt, als ik domweg naast je fiets
It's my hand that you suddenly grab when I'm simply beside your bike

't komt ook, dat is nou het gekke, zelfs door helemaal niets
It also happens, that's the weird thing, even without anything

ik proef het tijdens ons zoenen, of als je plotseling lacht
I taste it during our kisses, or when you suddenly laugh

ik zie het in vallende sterren, na heftig vrijen in de nacht
I see it in shooting stars, after intense lovemaking in the night

't is die tinteling, dat briesje, maakt jou helemaal voor mij
It's that shiver, that breeze, that makes you completely mine

ik denk als ik jou zo zie lopen, God, d'r gaat een engeltje voorbij
I think when I see you walking like that, God, an angel passes by

één van mijn mooiste dromen, is oud te worden met z'n twee
One of my most beautiful dreams is to grow old together

dat die maar uit mag komen, ik heb je lief tot na de AOW
I hope that comes true, I love you until after our retirement

'k heb je lief, m'n hele leven lang
I love you, my whole life long

Contributed by Emma B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS