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.
Samen jong samen oud
Vader Abraham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Samen jong, samen oud, een leven lang
Ook al zijn er veel rimpels gekomen
Samen jong, samen oud, een leven lang
Je blijft van elkaar toch steeds dromen
Samen jong, samen oud, een leven lang
Je gaf 't ja-woord toch eens aan elkaar
Samen jong, samen oud, een leven lang
We waren nog jong en vonden elkaar
Jij gaf mij een ring, we werden een paar
't Lijkt heel lang geleden, 't was groot geluk
Wat wij toen al smeedden, 't ging nooit meer stuk
refrain
Zo werden wij oud, de tijd ging voorbij
't Heeft nooit berouwd, jij hoorde bij mij
Wij hebben vaak leed gekend, en ook veel verdriet
Maar veel mooie jaren vergeten wij niet
refrain
Samen jong, samen oud, een leven lang
The lyrics of Vader Abraham's song Samen jong samen oud are about the enduring love between two people who have been together all their lives. The refrain of the song talks about how even as they grow old and get wrinkles, they continue to dream of each other and stay together. They gave their word to each other on their wedding day and they have remained together since then, through all the ups and downs of life. The song talks about how, even though they have faced difficulties and sadness, they look back on their many happy years together, and cherish the memories they have made.
The first verse of the song talks about how the couple met when they were young, and how they fell in love and got married. The lyrics paint a picture of a relationship that was built on strong foundations, and that has lasted a lifetime. The second verse talks about how the couple has grown old together, and how they have faced many challenges and difficulties, but have stuck together through it all. The verse also acknowledges that there have been many happy times in their life, and that they have many fond memories to look back on.
Overall, the song is a celebration of the enduring power of love, and the importance of staying committed to your partner through all the ups and downs of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Samen jong, samen oud, een leven lang
Together young, together old, for a lifetime
Ook al zijn er veel rimpels gekomen
Even though many wrinkles have come
Je blijft van elkaar toch steeds dromen
You still continue to dream of each other
Je gaf 't ja-woord toch eens aan elkaar
You once said 'I do' to each other
Tot de laatste dag, samen een paar
Until the last day, together a pair
We waren nog jong en vonden elkaar
We were still young and found each other
Jij gaf mij een ring, we werden een paar
You gave me a ring, we became a couple
't Lijkt heel lang geleden, 't was groot geluk
It seems long ago, it was great happiness
Wat wij toen al smeedden, 't ging nooit meer stuk
What we then forged, never fell apart
Zo werden wij oud, de tijd ging voorbij
Thus we grew old, time passed by
't Heeft nooit berouwd, jij hoorde bij mij
Never regretted, you belonged with me
Wij hebben vaak leed gekend, en ook veel verdriet
We often suffered, and also had a lot of sadness
Maar veel mooie jaren vergeten wij niet
But we do not forget many beautiful years
Contributed by Claire W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.