Story Behind The Song

I was walking down the street in the uproar of the annual Queen's Day holiday in Amsterdam, when the whole city goes crazy, and suddenly I realized that under the influence of the whole Dutch nation in party mood, I was incubating a Dutch-style Euro dance tune to die for -- who would have thought it possible?

Song Description

Lively Euro dance-pop tune about the famous artist Rembrandt and his wife Saskia -- in honour of the 400th anniv. of Rembrandt being celebrated this year. He painted her as Flora, the fertility goddess of the spring -- according to Wikipedia, she had no

Lyrics

Rembrandt
c. Richard Summerbell 2006

Picture Amsterdam in the days before the car, the days before the airplane and the marijuana bar,
Before the English wedding stag became the running theme, when Dutchmen in lace collars walked around like in a dream
Down in the Jewish quarter there?s a very busy place a prospering young painter and his wife of loving grace
He needs 13,000 guilders his finances are a mess, but Saskia his wife she wears a very pretty dress

powdered cowpiss on his hands, grits of lapis in his teeth (possible toned down not so historical version for covers: yellow powder on his hands, flecks of blue stuff in his teeth)
Rembrandt?s mixed his paints and now he does another wreath
the goddess brings some tea in and she sets it on a chair; she says Remy it?s midafternoon I need a little air
He says I?m doing flowers for an hour or maybe two Tomorrow we?ll get out the fancy dress and I?ll do you
You?re perfect for the goddess you?re the Flora of the spring if it wouldn?t let my paint go dry
I?d take you for a fling and we?d do that crazy thing like two pigeons beating wings then I?d take you in my arms and she
says

Rembrandt, Rembrandt,
makin babies is my favourite indoor game and with a swell like you its certainly no shame
but Rembrandt, Rembrandt,
the 9 months every time well it?s a price I gladly pay but do you mind if I say maybe not today
if tomorrow I?m divine, maybe that?s the time to play.

Saskia?s a sweet shower, she?s a sassy star, shadowed sensuous, she shows up where his brushstrokes are
she shakes him, sure, she shivers him she?s such a summer storm
she says the sexy secret stuff that stirs him stiff and warm. Rembrandt?s getting famous those commissions pay the bills
Saskia?s got ostrich feather hats and fancy frills
He says I?ll paint some soldier boys and you can buy new clothes? she says ?I?d like that Remy dear
but then I may suppose that you?ll get me out of those, it?s the problem with all clothes that they don?t conceal the rose and she says

Rembrandt, Rembrandt, makin babies is my favourite indoor game
and with a genius its certainly no shame
the 9 months every time well it?s a price I gladly pay but do you mind if I say maybe not today
if tomorrow I?m a goddess, maybe that?s the time to play.

He says I know what?s on your mind let?s try our luck again this time we?ll have a son
I think we?ll call him Titus he?ll be half divine (half you), he?ll be the one
and she says Remy it?s a pain but I?ll go through that again cause I?m not one to complain about some fun with you,
all I need is your love and some help from up above and then when push comes down to shove I?ll have a son with you

and you can paint him too?

Rembrandt, Rembrandt, big Dutchboy,
makin babies is my favourite indoor game and with a master of the golden age its certainly no shame
the 9 months every time well it?s a price I gladly pay so take your aprons off my love and have your lusty way
today the goddess calls you, and that?s the time to play.

Rembrandt, Rembrandt, the goddess calls you?
come out and play, come out and study those fleshtones
come out and paint me with those soft strokes

Notes: Rembrant Harmenszoon van Rijn painted his wife Saskia as Flora, the fertility goddess of the spring. He and Saskia had had a hard life when it came to babies: their first son Rumbartus lived only two months, while their daughter Cornelia died at 3 weeks. Only the third child, Titus, survived. Saskia died in 1642 soon after Titus's birth. Other comments: the best yellow paint pigment of Rembrandt?s time was Indian yellow, made of dried urine of cows that had been fed mango leaves. The best blue was made from the gemstone lapis lazuli, finely ground ? it was very expensive.


Vocals Richard, All instrumentation Carlos Vamos, production C. Vamos and R. Summerbell.