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 a 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.[2]
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." [4]
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 frites (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 private detective, invented by British author Agatha Christie, whose stories were based in the UK.)
- mussels (a reference to moules-frites)
- The Grand Place of Brussels.
- Kriek (a Belgian beer style)
- The Schelde and the Meuse (major rivers which run through Belgium)
- Leffe, Chimay (Belgian beer brands)
- Lambiek (a Belgian beer style, typically known in English as lambic)
See also
References
- "Flemish translation please". Belgium-Roots-L Archives. 28 January 2012. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- "John Makin". Togethermag.eu. 27 October 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- "John Makin". The Daily Telegraph. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- "Mr. John - Potverdekke, it's great to be a Belgian Songtekst". Muzikum.eu. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
External links
- "Potverdekke! It's great to be a Belgian". Muziekarchief.be.