1957 - Belgium
Recorded by: Bobbejaan Schoepen
Music by: Harry Frékin
Lyrics by: Eric Franssen
Conductor: Willy Berking
Language: Dutch
Placing: 8th (5 points)
Bobbejaan Schoepen (a pseudonym of Modest Schoepen; 16 May 1925 - 17 May 2010) was a Flemish pioneer in Belgian pop music, vaudeville, and European country music. Schoepen was a versatile entertainer, entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, guitarist, comedian, actor, and professional whistler, as well as the founder and former director of the amusement park Bobbejaanland. His musical career flourished from 1948 until the first half of the 1970s. He sold more than five million copies from his repertoire of 482 songs, which extended from Twang, cabaret, instrumental film music, chansons, country, to folk and vocal music. Born in Boom, Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium, he worked his way up from a working-class environment to become one of the 200 richest people in Belgium.
Schoepen married Dutch former opera singer and photographer's model Josephina (Josée) Jongen on 18 May 1961. They have five children.
Straatdeuntje ("Street Tune") was the Belgian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1957, performed in Dutch by Bobbejaan Schoepen.
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The song was performed first on the night (preceding Luxembourg's Danièle Dupré with "Amours mortes (tant de peine)"). At the close of voting, it had received 5 points, placing 8th in a field of 10.
The song is a moderately upbeat number, with Schoepen singing about a tune wandering up and down a street and being heard (and presumably performed) by all who hear it. The performance is memorable as well, as it featured a whistling solo. Schoepen is also rumoured not to have known which song he was to perform at the Contest until he arrived, only rehearsing his entry once before performance.
It was succeeded as Belgian representative at the 1958 contest by Fud Leclerc performing "Ma petite chatte".
Lyrics:
Straatdeuntje
Langs de straten danst er een deuntje
En ik blijf even staan
Waar komt toch dat aardige deuntje
Wel zo ineens vandaan?
Het speelt in de bomen
Dartelt in de wind
Het is niet te tomen
't Wordt al gauw m'n vriend
Langs de straten zweeft er een deuntje
't Is of een zonnestraal
Doordringt met dat aardige deuntje
Tot in het kleinst portaal
Tralalala tralala tralalala...
Tralalala tralala tralalala...
Langs de straten danst er een deuntje
Het klinkt voor groot en klein
Oh, wat kan zo'n eenvoudig deuntje
Al gauw onmisbaar zijn
Het klopt op de ruiten
Vraagt: "Laat mij erin"
Ik kan het zo fluiten
't Stemt me goed gezind
Langs de straten zweeft er een deuntje
Het volgt mij overal
En ik hoop dat dit aardig deuntje
Steeds mijn vriend blijven zal
Tralalala tralala tralalala...
Tralalala lalala tralalala...
ENGLISH:
Street tune
Along the streets, a tune is dancing
And for a moment I stand still
Where is that pretty tune
All of a sudden coming from?
It's playing in the trees
Frolicking in the wind
It can't be bridled
It's soon becoming my friend
Along the streets, a tune is floating
It's as if a sunbeam
Is penetrating with that pretty tune
Into the most little portal
Tralalala tralala tralalala...
Tralalala tralala tralalala...
Along the streets, a tune is dancing
It's heard by young and old
Oh, how such a simple tune
Can become indispensable so quickly
It knocks on the windows
Asks: "Let me in"
I can easily whistle it
It makes me good-humoured
Along the streets, a tune is floating
It follows me everywhere
And I hope that this pretty tune
Will always remain my friend
Tralalala tralala tralalala...
Tralalala lalala tralalala...