Potverdekke! (It's great to be a Belgian)
Potverdekke! (It's great to be a Belgian) is a 1998 novelty song, recorded by British singer John Makin, better known under his artist name, Mister John. It was his only hit song in his long career, making him a classic example of an one-hit wonder. The word "Potverdekke" is a curse word, typically associated with the region around Brussels. The word means "goddamned",[1] but in older times people replaced the word "god" with "pot" (which means a pot) to avoid blasphemous curses.
History
The song is a joyful celebration of Belgium. It was created by Makin and some of his Belgian friends as a throwaway joke, but to their surprise became a huge hit in Belgium, spending more than 26 weeks in the national hitparade.[2] This was especially amazing, seeing that the hit charted while the Dutroux scandal was in full effect and many Belgians at the time weren't in the mood for national pride.[3] Mr. John was even invited to perform it during the National Holiday on July 21, 1998 before king Albert II of Belgium.[4]
The song also references the (then current) British mad cow disease in the line: "Now, the English egg and bacon is not so bad/ especially since all their cows went mad./ But if they never tasted mussels on the Grand Place down in Brussels/ it's no wonder they're feeling very sad." [5]
Belgian icons listed in the song
All throughout the song Mister John names several iconic Belgian people, fictional characters, inventions, locations and brands. Among these are:
- mayonnaise and friet (a reference to Belgian fries and moules-frites)
- Duvel (a Belgian beer brand)
- the saxophone (invented by Belgian born Adolphe Sax)
- Tintin and Captain Haddock (characters from the internationally famous Belgian comics series The Adventures of Tintin.)
- Hercule Poirot (a Belgian detective, invented by British author Agatha Christie, whose stories were set in Belgium.)
- mussels (a reference to moules-frites)
- The Grand Place of Brussels.
- Kriek (a Belgian beer brand)
- The Schelde and the Meuse (a river which streams through Belgium)
- Leffe, Chimay, Lambiek (Belgian beer brands)
See also
References
- ↑ http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/BELGIUM-ROOTS/2012-01/1327793991
- ↑ http://togethermag.eu/john-makin/
- ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/8870875/John-Makin.html
- ↑ http://togethermag.eu/john-makin/
- ↑ http://muzikum.eu/nl/123-11045-131598/mr-john/potverdekke-its-great-to-be-a-belgian-songtekst.html