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 an one-hit wonder. The word "Potverdekke" is a curse word, typically associated with the region around Brussels. The word means "goddamned", but in older times people replaced the word "god" with "pot" (which means a pot) to avoid blasphemous curses.
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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. 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. Mr. John was even invited to perform it during the National Holiday on July 21, 1998 before king Albert II of Belgium.
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."
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: