Marieke is a 1962 song by the Belgian singer Jacques Brel

Jacques Brel

Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson...

.

The song

In Marieke, Brel sings about a Flemish girl, Marieke, whom he once loved and lived "between the towers of Bruges

Bruges

Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....

 and Gent

Ghent

Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...

". He wants her to love him again in the "flat country of Flanders

Flanders

Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...

" (a reference to another song by him, "Le Plat Pays

Le Plat Pays

Le plat pays or in Dutch Mijn vlakke land is a song by the Belgian singer Jacques Brel, who performed the song in both languages....

".

It's also the only song where he sings both in his native French language and in Dutch, the other major language of his bilingual home country Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

. Brel recorded a version of the song entirely in Dutch

Dutch language

Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...

 as well.

Covers

"Marieke" has been covered numerous times, among others by Marie Bill, Hans de Booij, Donald Cant, Judy Collins

Judy Collins

Judith Marjorie "Judy" Collins is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records ; and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.-Musical career:Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington...

, Shawn Elliott

Shawn Elliott

Shawn Elliott is an actor. He is known for his role as Eduardo Fernandez, father of Alex and Gaby Fernandez on the TV show Ghostwriter. His most recent role was on the TV show Kidnapped.-External links:...

, Elly Stone

Elly Stone

Elly Stone is an American singer and actress best known for her interpretations of the music of Jacques Brel.Stone began her career in the 1950s, singing in a variety of off-beat venues ranging from a carnival to a burlesque show. In 1962, she was Barbra Streisand’s understudy for the Broadway...

, Mort Shuman

Mort Shuman

Mort Shuman was an American singer, pianist and songwriter, best known as co-writer of many 1960s rock and roll hits, including "Viva Las Vegas"...

, Alice Whitfield, Des de Moor

Des de Moor

Des de Moor is a writer, singer, musician and songwriter. His first performance in front of a paying audience was in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England in June 1976. He worked with local bands and performed in folk clubs in the Hertford area during the late 1970s and 1980s before moving to London in...

, Barb Jungr

Barb Jungr

Barb Jungr is an English singer-songwriter, composer and writer, of Czech and German parentage. She is perhaps best known as a chansonnière, or singer of chansons—in the sense of classic, lyric-driven French songs; in the broader sense of European songs in the cabaret style; and in the even...

, Liza Minnelli

Liza Minnelli

Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....

, Danièle Pascal, Laurika Rauch

Laurika Rauch

Laurika Rauch is a South African singer who sings in the Afrikaans as well as English language.She had a hit single in 1979 with Kinders van die Wind , written by the late Koos du Plessis...

, Lais

Lais

Lais may refer to one of the following:*Lais of Corinth, a courtesan*Lais of Hyccara, a courtesan*Laïs, a musical group*Plural for Lai, a poetic form*Breton lais*The Lais of Marie de France*Lais River in Arjeplog Municipality, Sweden....

, Karin Hougard, Klaus Hoffman, Herman van Veen

Herman van Veen

Hermannus Jantinus "Herman" van Veen is a Dutch stage performer, actor, musician and singer/songwriter and author. He is most famous as the creator of the Dutch-Japanese cartoon Alfred J...

, Evabritt Strandberg, etc.

Brel told singers who covered "Marieke" that he didn't mind that they changed the French lyrics, but preferred the Flemish lyrics to remain intact.