Broadside ballads > 10. Als ik naar je blinde ogen kijk - Looking into your blind eyes
Listen to this song, performed by Mieke Stemerdink
A parent sings of the blindness of his or her child. Before, when the child could still see, life was good. But now despair has set in. Blind beggars passing by serve as an unpleasant premonition.
The song became known as performed by Willy Derby, who also wrote the music. The lyric was written by Charles Rogier (Willem Minderman). Various artists have recorded this song after Derby, ranging from De Straatzangers to De Zangeres Zonder Naam.
The first alternate lyrics were written to this melody right after the song's first appearance in 1930. Almost without exception, they are about injustice in society and in life.
'Als ik naar je blinde ogen kijk' is sung by Mieke Stemerdink, accompanied by Bouke Feleus on accordion and Louis Grijp on guitar.
