Artist: Adèle Bloemendaal
Author: Boudewijn de Groot/Lennaert Nijgh
Label: Philips
Year: 1970
On LP Holland Festival Music Hall and in the first person. As a single it was banned by both NCRV and KRO. Lennaert Nijgh was inspired by the eponymous painting by Frans Hals (1580-1666) from Haarlem, just like the lyricist. It represents a female inmate of the same madhouse where his own son Pieter was treated. Her real name was Barbara Claes and she's now part of the Berliner Gemäldegalerij collection. The portrait of a mad looking old tart with a mustache, a beer stein and an owl on her shoulder does not match with the subject of the song. It is more likely Hals's Zigeunermeisje (1629) was the real inspiration, turning her black hair blond to rhyme with rond.
Covers:
Rob de Nijs [on LP In De Uren Van De Middag; top 10 NL in '75 with slightly cleaned-up lyrics]
Rex Gildo [as Marie Babbekorn]
Boudewijn de Groot [author, live]
Danny Lukassen [as Ajax Is Kampioen and one year later as Holland Is Kampioen]
Minder Haar Dan Hersens [as Malle Gabber]
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)