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.
Ome Koos
Vader Abraham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dat doet 'ie 't liefst in 't cafe
Hij kent ook alle soorten bieren
Want limonade telt niet mee
Hij wil altijd de laatste klant zijn
Zo loopt 'ie door de koude nacht
En eenmaal thuis weer aangekomen
Dan zingt 'ie voor z'n vrouw heel zacht
refrain:
'k Zie nog steeds die grote glazen (bambambambam)
Vol met lekker schuimend bier (bambambambam)
Ik ga nu maar lekker dromen (bambambambam)
Van 't cafeetje vol plezier (bambambambam)
Tot de vogeltjes weer fluiten (bambambambam)
Steeds dezelfde melodie
En ik hoop dat die paar uren
Niet zo lang meer zullen duren
Voordat ik m'n vrienden zie
Eenmaal in 't cafe weer aangekomen
Dan vraagt 'ie aan de kastelijn
"Heb jij ook van die fijne dromen
Van drinken en lang dronken zijn"
Dan zingt 'ie mee met alle platen
En roept 'ie "we gaan nog niet naar huis"
En iedereen laat hem maar praten
Hij denkt niet aan z'n vrouwtje thuis
(Bambambambam)
refrain
En ik hoop dat die paar uren
Niet zo lang meer zullen duren
Voordat ik m'n vrienden zie
(Bambambambam)
The lyrics of Vader Abraham's song "Ome Koos" tell the story of an older man who loves to celebrate and drink beer in his favorite café. Ome Koos is a regular at the bar and stays until the very end, not wanting to miss out on any fun. He is well-versed in the different types of beer and doesn't consider lemonade a suitable substitute. Despite the cold winter nights, Ome Koos doesn't mind the walk home as he enjoys singing softly to his wife once he returns.
The refrain of the song represents Ome Koos's fond memories of the fun times he had at the bar. He recalls the big glasses filled with foaming beer, and he dreams of returning to the café with his friends soon. He hopes that the hours leading up to that moment will pass quickly and looks forward to singing along to the same melodic choruses and bonding with his friends over a few cold beers.
Overall, "Ome Koos" is a sentimental song about nostalgia and the joy of good company, especially in one's golden years. It portrays the importance of cherishing happy memories and looking forward to creating more memorable experiences with friends.
Line by Line Meaning
Ome Koos heeft altijd wat te vieren
Uncle Koos always has something to celebrate
Dat doet 'ie 't liefst in 't cafe
He prefers to do it in the cafe
Hij kent ook alle soorten bieren
He also knows all kinds of beers
Want limonade telt niet mee
Because lemonade doesn't count
Hij wil altijd de laatste klant zijn
He always wants to be the last customer
Zo loopt 'ie door de koude nacht
So he walks through the cold night
En eenmaal thuis weer aangekomen
And once he's back home again
Dan zingt 'ie voor z'n vrouw heel zacht
Then he sings softly to his wife
(Bambambambam)
'k Zie nog steeds die grote glazen
I still see those big glasses
Vol met lekker schuimend bier
Filled with delicious foaming beer
Ik ga nu maar lekker dromen
I'm going to dream happily now
Van 't cafeetje vol plezier
Of the little cafe full of fun
Tot de vogeltjes weer fluiten
Until the birds start singing again
Steeds dezelfde melodie
Always the same melody
En ik hoop dat die paar uren
And I hope those few hours
Niet zo lang meer zullen duren
Won't last so long anymore
Voordat ik m'n vrienden zie
Before I see my friends
Eenmaal in 't cafe weer aangekomen
Once back in the cafe
Dan vraagt 'ie aan de kastelijn
He asks the bartender
"Heb jij ook van die fijne dromen
"Do you also have those nice dreams
Van drinken en lang dronken zijn"
Of drinking and being drunk for a long time?"
Dan zingt 'ie mee met alle platen
Then he sings along with all the records
En roept 'ie "we gaan nog niet naar huis"
And he shouts "we're not going home yet"
En iedereen laat hem maar praten
And everyone lets him talk
Hij denkt niet aan z'n vrouwtje thuis
He doesn't think about his little wife at home
(Bambambambam)
En ik hoop dat die paar uren
And I hope those few hours
Niet zo lang meer zullen duren
Won't last so long anymore
Voordat ik m'n vrienden zie
Before I see my friends
(Bambambambam)
Contributed by Elliot L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
wout Velde
Naar dit nummer was ik dus al heel lang op zoek, dank je wel
Antoine
Gedraaid op de uitvaart van mijn vader 12 jaar geleden. Zong hij vaak toen ik klein was. Vandaag weer geluisterd hij zou 85 Vandaag geworden zijn. Rust zacht pa
Peter Kuut
Geweldig dank voor het posten pure nostalgie .