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.
Nathalie
Vader Abraham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nathalie, Nathalie
Nathalie, Nathalie
De maan, die hangt verdrietig als een gele luchtballon aan de donk're lucht
Een vogel kijkt verwonderd om zich heen en slaat dan op de vlucht
Er brandt nog licht aan jouw raam
Ik kijk omhoog en roep jouw naam
Ik zou al heel gelukkig zijn als jij maar een minuutje met me praat
Refrain
Waar is 't fout gegaan, toen jij me plotseling verliet, mijn Nathalie
Ons huis is leeg, ik voel me eenzaam nu ik jou weer even voor me zie
Kom t'rug, jij hoort toch bij mij
Of is onze liefde voorgoed voorbij
Ik sta verlaten op 't natte asfalt van de stille straat
Ik zou al heel gelukkig zijn als jij maar een minuutje met me praat
Refrain
Refrain
Nathalie!
The lyrics to Vader Abraham's song Nathalie tell the story of a man who is heartbroken and lonely after his lover, Nathalie, left him. The first verse sets the somber tone, with the moon hanging low and a bird taking off in surprise. The man is standing alone in the street, calling out Nathalie's name in the hopes that she will come back to him. He longs for even a short conversation with her, and the chorus repeats her name as a mantra.
In the second verse, the man reflects on where things went wrong between him and Nathalie. He feels empty without her and begs her to come back to him. He still believes that they are meant to be together. The chorus repeats again, emphasizing the man's longing for Nathalie.
Line by Line Meaning
De maan, die hangt verdrietig als een gele luchtballon aan de donk're lucht
The moon hangs sadly in the dark sky, much like a yellow balloon, surrounded by gloom
Een vogel kijkt verwonderd om zich heen en slaat dan op de vlucht
A bird looks around in awe, but then suddenly flies away
Er brandt nog licht aan jouw raam
There's still a light on in your window
Ik kijk omhoog en roep jouw naam
I look up and call your name
Ik sta verlaten op 't natte asfalt van de stille straat
I stand alone on the wet pavement of the quiet street
Ik zou al heel gelukkig zijn als jij maar een minuutje met me praat
I would be so happy if you could just talk to me for a minute
Waar is 't fout gegaan, toen jij me plotseling verliet, mijn Nathalie
Where did we go wrong, when you suddenly left me, my Nathalie
Ons huis is leeg, ik voel me eenzaam nu ik jou weer even voor me zie
Our house is empty, I feel lonely now that I see you again
Kom t'rug, jij hoort toch bij mij
Come back, you belong with me
Of is onze liefde voorgoed voorbij
Or is our love forever gone
Nathalie, Nathalie
Nathalie, Nathalie
Writer(s): Pierre Kartner
Contributed by Alyssa J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.