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.
Urks Klompendansje
Paul de Leeuw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
En is een Urker visvrouw
Ze sopt de zalm en beft garnaal
En meurt ook nog naar kabeljauw
Klompje hier, klompje daar
Klompje klompje hupvalderiere
Klompje hier, klompje daar
Zij heet Alie, zeg maar Aal
En is een Urker vismeid
Wie wil hare mossel zien
Bij haar kun jij je paling kwijt
Klompje hier, klompje daar
(Sneller)
Klompje klompje hupvalderiere
(Let nou toch eens op de dirigent)
Klompje hier, klompje daar
Klompje klompje hopsasa
(Stelletje stomme bejaarden)
Haar dochter ja die heet dus Nel
Ze heeft een hazelipje
Dat heeft Nel van geen vreemdeling
Kijk maar in Alie's slipje
Klompje hier, klompje daar
Klompje klompje hupvalderiere
Klompje hier, klompje daar
Klompje klompje hopsasa
Het huis
Klompje hier
Nee ik moet nu
Klompje daar
Er moet eerst een couplet tussen
Klompje klompje hopfalderiere
Jongens, heeee
Klompje hier, Klompje daar
Bejaarden dimmen
Klompje klompje hopsasa
Jezus
Klompje hier
Jongens, ik ga cocaine snuiven hoor
Klompje daar
Klompje klompje hupfalderiere
Hee hallo, bejaarden er is korting bij de VARA-kantienie
Klompje hier klompje daar
Hallo
Klompje klompje hopsasa
Klompje hier, klompje daar
Klompje klompje hupfalderiere
Hallo, terminaloos terminaloos
Klompje hier, klompje daar
Klompje klompje hopsasa
Ehhhh Hallo
Klompje hier, klompje daar
Doe de pacemaker eens af
Klompje klompje hupfalderiere
Hallo heeft er iemand zin in een broodje ouwe Hollandse garnalen
Klompje hier, klompje daar
Klompje klompje hopsasa
The lyrics of the song Urks Klompendansje by Paul de Leeuw introduces us to the character of Alie, an Urker fishwife. Despite being an unremarkable and ordinary woman, the song uses amusing and slightly crude descriptions of Alie's activities, such as soaking salmon, shelling shrimp, and smelling like cod, to depict her as someone who is very Urker, and thus a source of pride for the local community. The song also features a repetitive chorus, inviting the audience to join in with the comical dance steps of the Urker klompendansje.
The song is a satirical take on the Urker community, known for their conservative and religious beliefs. The song highlights their tight-knit community, habits, peculiarities and language, providing insight into the culture of the small island town of Urk. Despite the song's racy lyrics, Urks Klompendansje has become a beloved classic and is played at many Urkers events and festivals.
Line by Line Meaning
Zij heet Alie, zeg maar Aal
Introducing Alie, also known as Aal
En is een Urker visvrouw
She is a fishwife from Urk
Ze sopt de zalm en beft garnaal
She washes the salmon and cleans the shrimp
En meurt ook nog naar kabeljauw
And she smells like cod too
Klompje hier, klompje daar
Sound of wooden clogs stepping
Klompje klompje hupvalderiere
More stepping sound
Klompje hier, klompje daar
Sound of clogs stepping again
Klompje klompje hopsasa
More clogs stepping sound with excitement
Wie wil hare mossel zien
Who wants to see her mussel
Bij haar kun jij je paling kwijt
You can put your eel in her
Haar dochter ja die heet dus Nel
Her daughter's name is Nel
Ze heeft een hazelipje
She has a cleft lip
Dat heeft Nel van geen vreemdeling
Nel's cleft lip is from no stranger
Kijk maar in Alie's slipje
Just look in Alie's panties
Het huis
The house
Nee ik moet nu
No, I have to go now
Er moet eerst een couplet tussen
There needs to be a verse in between
Jongens, heeee
Hey boys
Stelletje stomme bejaarden
Group of stupid elderly people
Jezus
Jesus
Jongens, ik ga cocaine snuiven hoor
Hey guys, I'm gonna snort cocaine
Hee hallo, bejaarden er is korting bij de VARA-kantienie
Hey hello, elderly people, there is a discount at the VARA canteen
Hallo
Hello
Hallo, terminaloos terminaloos
Hello, computerless
Ehhhh Hallo
Umm hello
Doe de pacemaker eens af
Take off your pacemaker
Hallo heeft er iemand zin in een broodje ouwe Hollandse garnalen
Hello, does anyone want an old Dutch shrimp sandwich
Contributed by Sophia T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Antoine Dekker
Dit blijft een mooi nummer
Peer X
Geweldig ! Jeugdherinnering.
Lars Doorten
Humor is op z'n plaats.
MrFixer83
Whahahaha, ik ga stuk XD
lordpalf de flapdrol
Hahaha
Patrick van de Schoor
To Tha Lights in.
Patrick van de Schoor
Maar duuuuurt
Patrick van de Schoor
Nou het daar Dennis sterveling iets van heugen.
Patrick van de Schoor
Vals Levensmoe Mamend die iedere dag
Patrick van de Schoor
2 a 3 jaar busje oude lak hij zal niet als therapeut maar gelijk nee eerst rijdend hem je eigen e krijg van gelijk gespoten gelijk ongeluk het wat klopt laatste stap..... Dan zal ik alleen nog bij hem denken, zelfde oranje