I love this song. And the 'slaap zacht' (sleep tight) is very sweet the first time. But every time he sings that line, the feel he puts into it gets more and more vicious. It also shows in the music itself. The more progress in the song, the more sarcastic it becomes. I LOVE the song.
I recall my mother turning up the volume when this song was on the radio the morning after the USA, along with England, started the war on Iraq. The best part were an angry neighbour banging on the walls with the thoughts their cause was justified! The song is timeless.
If I remember correctly this song was not really appreciated by the people in power and by the older generation. The younger generation loved it. We were not supposed to criticize the american president. One of the reasons being that the Americans had liberated us. Actually for a large part Canadian soldiers had liberated us. The Americans did their part somewhere else. The Swedish people have kept us basically alive during the hunger winter of 1944 - 1945 by dropping bread and other food. I grew up in the 60ths and a lot has changed. It were interesting times. Churches lost their power, shirts within politics, many demonstrations, feminism was back as was pacifism. Beat music was there, long hair also for men, women were wearing pants, flower-power, birthcontrol available also when not married, drugs, better access to higher education. Not everything was positive but much was about liberation from old norms and sometimes that went too far. Wild times. When I started in highschool, there wers clothing rules like pants only allowed if it was cold outside and you had a long bikeride. No parties with boys etc. After 6 years, when I left high school everything had changed.
I remember the song well. I was 11 yrs old in 1966. It was a big hit here in the Netherlands, and indeed a protest against the Vietnam war, led by Johnson.
I'm really from that sixties period, but one year after that song I was conscripted in the Dutch Army, so the song is a true oldie like me. I probably was not a brave soldier, because after the WW2 stopped in the Netherlands on 1945-05-05, I waited one full week to be born, to make sure WW2 was really finished :) In 1968 I was stationed in Germany. My biggest military achievement was, that I continued to sleep, while the two middle 105mm canons fired, they had to wake me up, when the whole battery had to join the fire.
from the Netherlands thanks for the video HXC . so you see HXC again how direct a Dutchman is. even to a president you see and that already in 1966 haha
I absolutely love how this song is timeless, because while it is about the Vietnam war, the same things still happen in conflicts around the world today. There is another version of this song about the Afghanistan war on my channel, which is directed at then Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende. The question what the politicians think about when innocent people are losing their lives in conflicts has also been asked in many other songs. A few good ones are Black Sabbath - War Pigs and Metallica - Disposable Heroes
I remember the songs from Boudewijn de Groot, i was 8 years old in 1966, he was more of a troubadour, long time ago that i listened to this song, at least 10 or 15 years ago but it is still current in our time. Thanks highly, see you, bye
I can’t say I remember this song from when it was released (I was one year old) but it hit me when I was a bit older and understanded the circumstances it was about. And it’s still so true ….
I love Boudewijn de Groot, I hope you react to a few more of his songs. His song Testament (will), and verdronken vlinder (drowned butterfly) are also very beautiful imo.
I was a young girl (i am 70 ) !! When this song came out! There where a lot of people arrested wen they demonstrated for a week prison against that war!! Later it was more accepted we Dutch are not easy to get silenst!
the anger is his music during the last verse, but meanwhile staying polite whilst absolutely roasting him...different time, they were so well spoken back then.
Great song written by my neighbor Lennaert Nijgh. Boudewijn de Groot is (like his last name suggests) one of the greats of dutch music, and I love almost every single song he made. (Especially when it was written by the brilliant Nijgh)
@@racingweirdo Yes, I know. He died in 2002. I lived just behind his 'De Jonge Jacob', a small fishing vessel. I still love his song 'het spaarne' which is the river that runs through Haarlem. Great memories.
@@vinniedus Actually, Lennaert Nijgh wrote most of his lyrics. Except picknick, which was written by Boudewijn, but he mentioned Lennaert twice in that song .😎
Ah Boudewijn de Groot. I'm a big fan of his. I played the guitar in my student years and loved playing and singing his songs. There are so many great ones. For me he is on par with Jacques Brel (know him? He was Belgium and sang in both French and Flemish). I went to a concert 20 years ago which he did with his son playing new song and some old classics.
De Groot was the superior composer. He wrote Rob de Nijs' best songs and thus saved his career (Malle Babbe, Jan Klaassen, Zuster Ursula) and also Hans de Booij's Annabel.
@@marknieuweboer8099 Funny, I didn't know but whenever I get in the mood for Boudewijn de Groot those songs usually aren't far away :') pretty much the only songs I know (really well) from Hans de Booijj and Rob de Nijs
4:46 Black Sabbath - War Pigs explains also alot.. the European view of the Vietnam war..The Album Paranoid of Black Sabbath is a concept album where it stages every phase a disillusioned Vietnam Vetran goes through when coming home.. paria's in their own country.. resorting to herion..no good treatment for PTSD.. this album is the album that killed the hippy culture of love and peace..there wasn't any.. it showcased the hurtfull truth of sociaty back then..
Yes, this is Dutch pride. Textwriter Lennaert Nijgh wrote many, many beautiful songs. If you like this kind of stuff you should also try Jaap Fischer (later he changed his name to Joop Visser). He even (far) more direct in his lyrics. When I find some time, i'll try to transelate some of his songs.
Ik ken deze zanger persoonlijk, hij kwam altijd de grasmaaier lenen bij mijn oom en tante. ZOEK zeker de song " Travestie " van deze zanger! De stem van dat meisje is mijn nichtje! Groetjes aan "Old Gunner "! Dank voor jouw inzet overal!!❤
It's so direct because it's Dutch. In the Netherlands they are direct and speak their mind. Or at least they used to before everything became so PC and people are scared of being canceled
I was 8 years old and remember this well. This is a song that you could sing even nowadays unfortunately. These stupid and useless wars can only be invented from behind a desk and in some theory, 'cause if they would be normal thinking and emotional people they wouldn't even think about starting a war. At least that's what I think
The song is about the Vietnam War and the responsibilities of US President Lyndon B. Johnson. BOUDEWIJN had a message to deliver. Hence this song, about the Vietnam War in 1966. The message is clear!! PEACE ✌🕊
Little comment; its not weak pacifists gut PALE (bleke) as in they were smoking pot (like the singer did) It was the generation of hippies that sparked a worldwide ban on 'drugs' weed and promotion of alcohol and sigarettes. Makes you more violent and tense, instead of wondering and relax. I love this video, VERY nice concept. Greetings from the birthplace of Boudewijn. (the most popular king of ours, also called Boudewijn) Belgium.
I'm not a soldier myself, but, if you ask me, if I had to answer the question of "What goes through your head when you think back about that day?", I would most likely respond with "I did what I had to do, even though I'm not proud of what had to be done, if we had known it were innocent civilians, we wouldn't have attacked", but, I can't answer this question myself, it's just what I would say if I were a Soldier, I don't know what a real soldier would think, but, someone who DID work in the military had PTSD, and he still has problems with it from time to time, and, it's fine, we don't pressure him to continue unless he wants to...
You have to understand, this was an enormous and terrible thing in The Netherlands (not so much the song as the idea). It was 1966, 21 years after world war 2. It was barely two decades since the Americans liberated us from Nazi occupation (we Dutch people are great ones for forgetting about the British, Canadians, Poles, French, Moroccans and others who fought here as well). And all of a sudden there was this idea washing around the country that there was a war in Vietnam and the Americans were in actual fact the bad guys. For many people who lived through the occupation you might as well have suggested carving up the Moon to solve world hunger because it's made of cheese after all. Whereas a lot of young people were protesting against the war, social injustice, demanding social changes, all that stuff. This song (amongst others) gave a voice to the Dutch version of the societal and generational rift that was going on all over the West.
Powerful song, so relevant still, and the translation is spot on . Love your reaction to it, consider as many said to check out Testament, a more soulful balance digging into his youth.
and war is the killing of people you do not know and whom you do not hate, at the behest of people who know and hate each other, but do not kill each other.
As A Dutch civilian I can't imagine that it's important and for some Americans a honor to be a soldier. Oké ... in the Netherlands we have also people who like to be a soldier. But it's not so important status as in the US. Or am I wrong?
That would be a dumb law because then you get situations where we just let genocidal maniacs run their course and we don't do anything about it. Imagine if that law had been in place during the second world war, Churchill certainly wouldn't have declared war.
The key question is: why could songs like these made by then, but after 1985 this is IMPOSSIBLE. And in ALL countries. How many songs do you know against covid-measures ? zero. How many songs to stand by the farmers? zero.
Maybe because it's not really customary anymore to make songs about stuff you don't like and because way less people actually care about the farmers or are anti covid. You people are a loud minority, while at the time of this song almost everyone was against the Vietnam War.
can you please make a video commenting on the song testament of this singer this is a really nice song and i know you will like the lyrics i really love your channel i subscribed and have the bell on so i don't miss any video really like how you talk about the netherlands in your videos respect to you and the time you work on this channel greetings from tilburg in brabant hope that you can visit my city once
Hi Dennis, Misschien is het beter als je een andere keer schrijft om dit in het engels te doen. Hij spreekt geen Nederlands. Hier zijn ze details Highly Combustible PO Box 7568 Fremont, CA 94537 USA
You should react to System of a Down's "BYOB" (Bring your own bombs) which was about the invasion of Iraq, which President George W Bush presented as a great big party. The song opens with the statement "WHY DO THEY ALWAYS SEND THE POOR?"
The are both great. Yes Lennaert wrote lots of lyrics for him. They also wrote together and Boudewijn wrote on his own. Besides Lennaert also wrote for the likes of Liesbeth List, Rob de Nijs en Ramses Shaffy (and for way more artists). And they were/are also great.
Because I am not one of those people who sits there and bobs his head and calls it a reaction. We are here to dissect and talk about the video. The link is always in the description if people wish to watch it without the talking.
I love this song. And the 'slaap zacht' (sleep tight) is very sweet the first time. But every time he sings that line, the feel he puts into it gets more and more vicious. It also shows in the music itself. The more progress in the song, the more sarcastic it becomes. I LOVE the song.
I recall my mother turning up the volume when this song was on the radio the morning after the USA, along with England, started the war on Iraq. The best part were an angry neighbour banging on the walls with the thoughts their cause was justified!
The song is timeless.
Or the thoughts the disturbance was unjustified.
@@StefanVeenstra True as well.
LOL, the Dutch never do cryptic, we've always been direct 😂. War is about money fro the rich and elites, for nothing else
Indeed, we (the dutch), we don’t do cryptic. That is not our style.......
Agreed, the amount of times I get called out on that, is almost funny. Weirdly most people from the US seem to find it very refreshing.
If I remember correctly this song was not really appreciated by the people in power and by the older generation. The younger generation loved it. We were not supposed to criticize the american president. One of the reasons being that the Americans had liberated us. Actually for a large part Canadian soldiers had liberated us. The Americans did their part somewhere else. The Swedish people have kept us basically alive during the hunger winter of 1944 - 1945 by dropping bread and other food.
I grew up in the 60ths and a lot has changed. It were interesting times. Churches lost their power, shirts within politics, many demonstrations, feminism was back as was pacifism. Beat music was there, long hair also for men, women were wearing pants, flower-power, birthcontrol available also when not married, drugs, better access to higher education. Not everything was positive but much was about liberation from old norms and sometimes that went too far. Wild times. When I started in highschool, there wers clothing rules like pants only allowed if it was cold outside and you had a long bikeride. No parties with boys etc. After 6 years, when I left high school everything had changed.
Want to say only one thing.... In the Dutch mountains from the Nits
@@Seahorn_ we dont have mountains
I remember the song well. I was 11 yrs old in 1966. It was a big hit here in the Netherlands, and indeed a protest against the Vietnam war, led by Johnson.
by now you know us Dutchies: we are very direct, always 😉
thank you for listening and appreciating.
I'm really from that sixties period, but one year after that song I was conscripted in the Dutch Army, so the song is a true oldie like me. I probably was not a brave soldier, because after the WW2 stopped in the Netherlands on 1945-05-05, I waited one full week to be born, to make sure WW2 was really finished :)
In 1968 I was stationed in Germany. My biggest military achievement was, that I continued to sleep, while the two middle 105mm canons fired, they had to wake me up, when the whole battery had to join the fire.
I slept through a big explosion at the Shell refinery in Pernis when I was three. It woke up the whole neighbourhood except for me. 😂
from the Netherlands thanks for the video HXC .
so you see HXC again how direct a Dutchman is. even to a president you see and that already in 1966 haha
Perfect. So true. So direct.
I absolutely love how this song is timeless, because while it is about the Vietnam war, the same things still happen in conflicts around the world today. There is another version of this song about the Afghanistan war on my channel, which is directed at then Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende.
The question what the politicians think about when innocent people are losing their lives in conflicts has also been asked in many other songs. A few good ones are Black Sabbath - War Pigs and Metallica - Disposable Heroes
I remember the songs from Boudewijn de Groot, i was 8 years old in 1966, he was more of a troubadour, long time ago that i listened to this song, at least 10 or 15 years ago but it is still current in our time. Thanks highly, see you, bye
I can’t say I remember this song from when it was released (I was one year old) but it hit me when I was a bit older and understanded the circumstances it was about. And it’s still so true ….
I love Boudewijn de Groot, I hope you react to a few more of his songs. His song Testament (will), and verdronken vlinder (drowned butterfly) are also very beautiful imo.
Vondeling van Ameland is very beautiful too
I was a young girl (i am 70 ) !! When this song came out! There where a lot of people arrested wen they demonstrated for a week prison against that war!! Later it was more accepted we Dutch are not easy to get silenst!
Was 13 at the time; could sing along with Boudewijn, word by word.
the anger is his music during the last verse, but meanwhile staying polite whilst absolutely roasting him...different time, they were so well spoken back then.
Great song written by my neighbor Lennaert Nijgh. Boudewijn de Groot is (like his last name suggests) one of the greats of dutch music, and I love almost every single song he made. (Especially when it was written by the brilliant Nijgh)
Former neighbor, i hope for you. He passed away more than 20 years ago
@@racingweirdo Yes, I know. He died in 2002. I lived just behind his 'De Jonge Jacob', a small fishing vessel. I still love his song 'het spaarne' which is the river that runs through Haarlem. Great memories.
I grew up in the 60’s in the Netherlands…I LOVED Boudewijn
The lyrics Boudewijn made are amazing personal favorite is called Avond.Every year it’s in the top 10 off the top 2000 ❤
I don't think he made the lyrics.
@@vinniedus
Actually, Lennaert Nijgh wrote most of his lyrics.
Except picknick, which was written by Boudewijn, but he mentioned Lennaert twice in that song .😎
Ah Boudewijn de Groot. I'm a big fan of his. I played the guitar in my student years and loved playing and singing his songs. There are so many great ones. For me he is on par with Jacques Brel (know him? He was Belgium and sang in both French and Flemish). I went to a concert 20 years ago which he did with his son playing new song and some old classics.
De Groot was the superior composer. He wrote Rob de Nijs' best songs and thus saved his career (Malle Babbe, Jan Klaassen, Zuster Ursula) and also Hans de Booij's Annabel.
@@marknieuweboer8099 Funny, I didn't know but whenever I get in the mood for Boudewijn de Groot those songs usually aren't far away :') pretty much the only songs I know (really well) from Hans de Booijj and Rob de Nijs
Our Bob Dylan from the Netherlands 🇳🇱
Except Bob Dylan is kind of an asshole.
4:46 Black Sabbath - War Pigs explains also alot.. the European view of the Vietnam war..The Album Paranoid of Black Sabbath is a concept album where it stages every phase a disillusioned Vietnam Vetran goes through when coming home.. paria's in their own country.. resorting to herion..no good treatment for PTSD.. this album is the album that killed the hippy culture of love and peace..there wasn't any.. it showcased the hurtfull truth of sociaty back then..
The way you are thinking about this song, was just the reason of this song.
Love him. You should look up more of him.
Yes, this is Dutch pride. Textwriter Lennaert Nijgh wrote many, many beautiful songs. If you like this kind of stuff you should also try Jaap Fischer (later he changed his name to Joop Visser). He even (far) more direct in his lyrics. When I find some time, i'll try to transelate some of his songs.
Lennaert Nijgh, Meister tovernaar met spraak💪🙏♥️
Ik ken deze zanger persoonlijk, hij kwam altijd de grasmaaier lenen bij mijn oom en tante.
ZOEK zeker de song " Travestie " van deze zanger!
De stem van dat meisje is mijn nichtje!
Groetjes aan "Old Gunner "!
Dank voor jouw inzet overal!!❤
It's so direct because it's Dutch. In the Netherlands they are direct and speak their mind. Or at least they used to before everything became so PC and people are scared of being canceled
I grew up with this song
I was 8 years old and remember this well. This is a song that you could sing even nowadays unfortunately.
These stupid and useless wars can only be invented from behind a desk and in some theory, 'cause if they would be normal thinking and emotional people they wouldn't even think about starting a war.
At least that's what I think
Beautiful song and lyrics. And yes, direct=Dutch :-)
He lives in my town. I remember seeing him with his wife and children at the swimming pool.
The song is about the Vietnam War and the responsibilities of US President Lyndon B. Johnson.
BOUDEWIJN had a message to deliver.
Hence this song, about the Vietnam War in 1966.
The message is clear!!
PEACE ✌🕊
A famous meme back then was “Fighting for peace is like fucking for virginity”. There is a lot of truth in that.
I remember retweeting that meme in the '60s
you didnt expect this direct of a comment :D , you are talking about dutch people here :D
It's always been easyer to take the moral highground while smoking a joint and making music than actually run the world.
1:42 He is Dutch.. what would you expect? Dutch directness to an American President..
Pure truth and unfortunately still relevant after all these years.
YES while the wars last ..
Boudewijn nailed it
Little comment; its not weak pacifists gut PALE (bleke) as in they were smoking pot (like the singer did) It was the generation of hippies that sparked a worldwide ban on 'drugs' weed and promotion of alcohol and sigarettes. Makes you more violent and tense, instead of wondering and relax. I love this video, VERY nice concept. Greetings from the birthplace of Boudewijn. (the most popular king of ours, also called Boudewijn) Belgium.
I'm not a soldier myself, but, if you ask me, if I had to answer the question of "What goes through your head when you think back about that day?", I would most likely respond with "I did what I had to do, even though I'm not proud of what had to be done, if we had known it were innocent civilians, we wouldn't have attacked", but, I can't answer this question myself, it's just what I would say if I were a Soldier, I don't know what a real soldier would think, but, someone who DID work in the military had PTSD, and he still has problems with it from time to time, and, it's fine, we don't pressure him to continue unless he wants to...
Nu jear, Boudewijn de Groot was.olso a protest song . Thanks higly ❣️
We have to rewrite this song about mister Putin and his "great" soviet empire.
The Dutch are quite blunt and direct.
You have to understand, this was an enormous and terrible thing in The Netherlands (not so much the song as the idea). It was 1966, 21 years after world war 2. It was barely two decades since the Americans liberated us from Nazi occupation (we Dutch people are great ones for forgetting about the British, Canadians, Poles, French, Moroccans and others who fought here as well). And all of a sudden there was this idea washing around the country that there was a war in Vietnam and the Americans were in actual fact the bad guys. For many people who lived through the occupation you might as well have suggested carving up the Moon to solve world hunger because it's made of cheese after all. Whereas a lot of young people were protesting against the war, social injustice, demanding social changes, all that stuff. This song (amongst others) gave a voice to the Dutch version of the societal and generational rift that was going on all over the West.
1:50 This is criptic, by Dutch standards.😅
He’s still singing
Love your vid! You should try: ' Meisje van 16' of ' verdronken vlinder'
Powerful song, so relevant still, and the translation is spot on . Love your reaction to it, consider as many said to check out Testament, a more soulful balance digging into his youth.
Thanks! I took some creative liberties but it wasn't necessary to stray too far from the literal translation!
and war is the killing of people you do not know and whom you do not hate, at the behest of people who know and hate each other, but do not kill each other.
Boudewijn is a great protest singer.
@4:30 o sure but all humans are descents of relentless survivors and thus killers
I'd love to see this one with Russian subtitles right now, no clue why 😉
Because you don't know first thing about what's happening over there, that or you are brainwashed by msm and believe their lies.
As A Dutch civilian I can't imagine that it's important and for some Americans a honor to be a soldier. Oké ... in the Netherlands we have also people who like to be a soldier. But it's not so important status as in the US. Or am I wrong?
He is a Protestsinger.
There never be winners in a war !
How about the weapons industry?
Its true,and its stil going on,stop the war
We need a new law: when politicians declare or support war, we send them first.
That would be a dumb law because then you get situations where we just let genocidal maniacs run their course and we don't do anything about it. Imagine if that law had been in place during the second world war, Churchill certainly wouldn't have declared war.
What they are thinking about 1) Power 2) Money thats it brother, i doubt they will think about the lives of others.......
I immediately think of the Pink song dear mister president. Dont you ?? Its a little bit the same content. 😢😘👍 greetings Jacco from Holland
The key question is: why could songs like these made by then, but after 1985 this is IMPOSSIBLE. And in ALL countries. How many songs do you know against covid-measures ? zero. How many songs to stand by the farmers? zero.
Maybe because it's not really customary anymore to make songs about stuff you don't like and because way less people actually care about the farmers or are anti covid. You people are a loud minority, while at the time of this song almost everyone was against the Vietnam War.
How history repeats itself and becomes relevant again ... Other president, same outcome ...
it,s written and sang in my native flemish, belgian dutch whatever tong
It isn't, but I see why it could sound like that.
Boudewijn is acualy family from my fathers side of the family
Yes lyrics by Lennaert Nijgh. He was an incredible writer. You can't call Boudewijn de Groot the Dutch Dylan, because Dylan wrote his own material.
End result is still Dylan level
Please react to Amsterdam Klezmer Band live at Sziget Festival 2012- Op Een Goppe or Chassid in Amsterdam
can you please make a video commenting on the song testament of this singer this is a really nice song and i know you will like the lyrics
i really love your channel i subscribed and have the bell on so i don't miss any video really like how you talk about the netherlands in your videos respect to you and the time you work on this channel greetings from tilburg in brabant hope that you can visit my city once
Also try the translation of “Allemaal Angst”
At my house at full volume.
The Dutch are direct, even in 1966
It's my birthday.
Happy birthday! :)
Happy birthday!
React to the “March of the Siberian Riflemen”
Cryptic? Have you met the Dutch?!
Deze zanger heeft een song met mijn nicht opgenomen.
Deze song heet: Travestie !!
Trouwens wat is jouw p.o. box ??
Hi Dennis, Misschien is het beter als je een andere keer schrijft om dit in het engels te doen. Hij spreekt geen Nederlands. Hier zijn ze details
Highly Combustible
PO Box 7568
Fremont, CA 94537
USA
They think’s about nothing,they don’t care
we dutch are pretty direct as you know
You should react to System of a Down's "BYOB" (Bring your own bombs) which was about the invasion of Iraq, which President George W Bush presented as a great big party.
The song opens with the statement "WHY DO THEY ALWAYS SEND THE POOR?"
You like the dutch language?
Ja natuurlijk
It sounds als fashioned to us now. ☺️
@@felixromero4211 haha
3:@4 0% as long as they get paid they dpnt care brother. its all about money and power
Please react to a Swedish singer Monica Mack Ung och sårbar
All money
Pls make a reaction on the auditon from nolan neal at got talent contest🙏
Let's go Brandon🤣
Boudewijn de groot is not the genius artist. All his succes came from lennart nijgh, a legendary songwriter.
The are both great. Yes Lennaert wrote lots of lyrics for him. They also wrote together and Boudewijn wrote on his own. Besides Lennaert also wrote for the likes of Liesbeth List, Rob de Nijs en Ramses Shaffy (and for way more artists). And they were/are also great.
Can you please react to "You're not from here" by Lara Fabian?
There are only two reasons for which war is waged, money and religion.
you forgot women...
you sort of forget our directness?
even then
kennedy
They dont care
Why so much talk during the performance ??
Uh because it's a reaction video?! You can always listen to the original. The link is in the description, easy peasy!
@@suzettebakelaar Let him give the reaction after the performance please.
@@zonnig46 Not up to you and me. It’s his channel… and he will tell you that.
Because I am not one of those people who sits there and bobs his head and calls it a reaction. We are here to dissect and talk about the video. The link is always in the description if people wish to watch it without the talking.
Proud to be dutch and direct its the best way its not arrogant dont turn around things Just tell people what u think and smoke weed everyday!!!