De vuile zeeballade - Rubberen Robbie

'De vuile zeeballade' ('The ballad of the dirty sea') is a parody of the Dutch song 'De zuiderzeeballade' ('The ballad of the Zuiderzee'). The original song was an ode to the Zuiderzee, a lake in the Netherlands. The parody was all about environmental waste and people dumping oil and nuclear waste into the sea.

The real treat on this single, which didn't reach the Dutch charts, is the B-side. 'Broodje pindakaas' ('Peanut butter sandwich') is a parody of the Beatles' 'All you need is love'. The song starts with the immortal line 'I got fired last week / and that's a bit inconvenient', only to continue later on with 'the mice gnaw on my toes when I sleep / I'm so hungry'. The single was taken from Rubberen Robbie's self-titled debut album, which also didn't reach the Dutch albums chart. Still, it is a cult classic.

My collection: 7" single no. 106
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'De vuile zeeballade' / 'Broodje pindakaas'