Gerard and Willy


Another strange link in music: I was about fifteen, I think, in Holland, in high school at the Werkplaats in Bilthoven, when Gerard Cox had a hit. “‘T Is Weer Voorbij, Die Mooie Zomer“. Roughly translated it’s “Summer’s Over.”

I lived in Eemnes and the last few weeks before summer vacation and the first few weeks after summer vacation I would cycle to Bilthoven instead of taking the bus and the train. My friend Floortje lived in Baarn–on the way–and on the way back in the afternoons we would take a break in a grassy field, talking and making daisy chains (really) and we would by ice cream cones at every convenience store we passed. That’s the association I have with Gerard Cox’s hit.

I had never heard of Willy Nelson, and I had no idea that Gerard Cox’s Dutch lyrics were set to the tune of “The Train New Orleans“. Or that I’d end up living in Austin, Willy’s home base, where we thank god when summer is finally voorbij!

5 responses to “Gerard and Willy

  1. Oh!!!!!! I know that song! I hear it occasionally at the café I go to. I’m the opposite, in that I knew “The Train New Orleans”, but didn’t know who sang the Dutch song set to the tune. Now I do! 😀

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  2. Ha! So they still play it. It’s a golden oldie by now. From around 1975, I believe.

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  3. Marit van der Meulen-Izarin

    1973 and beleive me we had a bad summer this year in Holland so we changed the lyrics

    weer voorbij die mooie zomer die begon ergens in mei
    into weer voorbij die mooie zomer hij begon en eindigde in mei

    Marit

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