Levenslied
Sign in to saveLevenslied (Dutch, literally "life song" or "song about life") is a sentimental Dutch-language subgenre of popular music. Levenslied lyrics can be sweet or bitter, light and sentimental, but also reflective and dark, about subjects such as love, misery and far-away, sunny, exotic holiday places. The darker, more sentimental songs are also known as "smartlap" ("sorrow bandage", or tearjerker).
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Levenslied (Dutch, literally "life song" or "song about life") is a sentimental Dutch-language subgenre of popular music. Levenslied lyrics can be sweet or bitter, light and sentimental, but also reflective and dark, about subjects such as love, misery and far-away, sunny, exotic holiday places. The darker, more sentimental songs are also known as "smartlap" ("sorrow bandage", or tearjerker).
The levenslied is related to the chanson and the schlager. While historically associated with working-class audiences by artists like Johnny Jordaan, the genre's social status shifted significantly through the legacy of André Hazes. Often described as the "Dutch blues," Hazes' work brought a raw, emotional authenticity to the genre that eventually resonated across all social classes.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Levenslied” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.