Kartner had his big break as Vader Abraham in 1971 with the hit 'Vader Abraham had zeven zonen'. He scored one Dutch hit after the other throughout the 1970s. His best known tune by far is 'Het Smurfenlied' (1977), a happy sing-song with world famous cartoon figures The Smurfs. The song was recorded in numerous languages and was a smash hit in many countries, the several translations selling some 25 million copies worldwide.
His perhaps most famous song was released in late 1975: 'In 't kleine café aan de haven', about a small old pub by the harbor. The song was covered by international greats such as Mireille Matthieu, Demis Roussos and Engelbert Humperdinck and is known worldwide under the title 'The Red Rose Café'.
In total, Vader Abraham had 41 hits in the Dutch Top 40 and no less than 69 in his home country's second favorite chart, the Nationale Hitparade. The man who was Vader Abraham, Pierre Kartner, also penned two Dutch Eurovision Song Contest entries: 'De oude muzikant' (performed by Ben Cramer in 1973) and 'Ik ben verliefd (Sha-la-lie)' (performed by Sieneke in 2010).
A less known, but somewhat controversial part of his catalogue were his political songs. Kartner was a conservative, prone to expressing populist opinions in song. Most controversial was 'Wat doen we met die Arabieren hier?' ('What do we do with the Arabs here?'), which was released in 1975, but the singles were quickly removed from the shops, leaving Kartner's record label embarrassed.
Pierre Kartner remained active as a songwriter and performer until the age of 85. He died peacefully at home on 8 November 2022, aged 87.
Ik breng geen bloemen voor je mee
Vader Abraham Lyrics
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Ik breng geen bloemen voor je mee
Maar wel de rekening van ′t cafe
Telkens, als ik weg wou gaan
Zag ik weer zo'n glaasje staan
Ik breng geen bloemen voor je mee
Maar wel de rekening van ′t cafe
De fles bleef ik toch altijd trouw
Hij wou z'n vrouw verrassen en kocht een mooi boeket
Vol rozen, maar hij kwam nog langs een cafe
Maar na een uurtje drinken, had ′ie niet meer opgelet
Z′n geld was op, en weet je wat 'ie zei
"Zeg, kastelein, in ruil voor bloemen, geef je mij nog wat"
Hij ging daarna naar huis, en toen zei ′ie: Lieve schat
Refrain
Een bruidje stond al uren te wachten voor de kerk
De bruidegom, die zat weer in de kroeg
Zij wist nog niet dat hij daar zat, maar 't was z′n daag'lijks werk
Want, van ′t drinken kreeg hij nooit genoeg
Maar eindelijk, daar was 'ie dan, zij blij dat zij hem zag
En hij zei zonder bruidsboeket, maar met een gulle lach
Refrain
Refrain
The song "Ik breng geen bloemen voor je mee" by Vader Abraham is about a man who would often go to the pub and spend all his money on alcohol, instead of buying flowers for his wife. The chorus of the song translates to "I don't bring you flowers, but I do bring you the bill from the pub. Every time I was about to leave, I'd see another glass standing there. I don't bring you flowers, but I do bring you the bill from the pub. I remained faithful to the bottle and also to my wife." The verses tell two different stories about a man who couldn't resist the lure of the pub and ended up letting down his loved ones.
In the first verse, the man wanted to surprise his wife with a beautiful bouquet of roses, but ended up spending all his money at the pub instead. In the second verse, a bride was waiting for her groom to arrive at the church, but he was at the pub drinking instead. When he finally arrived, he didn't have a bouquet of flowers for her, but instead just a smile on his face.
The song highlights the dangers of alcohol addiction and how it can negatively impact relationships. It also stresses the importance of being faithful and loyal to loved ones instead of giving in to temptation.
Line by Line Meaning
Ik breng geen bloemen voor je mee
I didn't bring flowers for you
Maar wel de rekening van ′t cafe
But I did bring the bill from the bar
Telkens, als ik weg wou gaan
Every time I wanted to leave
Zag ik weer zo'n glaasje staan
I saw another glass sitting there
De fles bleef ik toch altijd trouw
I remained faithful to the bottle
En ook m'n vrouw
And to my wife
Een bruidje stond al uren te wachten voor de kerk
A bride had been waiting for hours at the church
De bruidegom, die zat weer in de kroeg
But the groom was sitting in the pub
Maar eindelijk, daar was 'ie dan
But finally, he arrived
Zij blij dat zij hem zag
She was happy to see him
En hij zei zonder bruidsboeket, maar met een gulle lach
And he said, without a bridal bouquet, but with a generous smile
Hij wou z'n vrouw verrassen en kocht een mooi boeket
He wanted to surprise his wife and bought a beautiful bouquet
Vol rozen, maar hij kwam nog langs een cafe
Full of roses, but he still stopped at a bar
Maar na een uurtje drinken, had ′ie niet meer opgelet
But after an hour of drinking, he didn't pay attention
Z′n geld was op, en weet je wat 'ie zei
He ran out of money, and do you know what he said?
Zeg, kastelein, in ruil voor bloemen, geef je mij nog wat
Hey, bartender, can I have some more in exchange for these flowers?
Contributed by Audrey O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.