Levenslied

{{Short description|Style of Dutch pop music}}

{{Infobox music genre

| name = Levenslied

| image = File:Opnamen in Flint in Amersfoort van programma over zanger Andre Hazes dat de TROS, Bestanddeelnr 931-9555.jpg

| caption = André Hazes Well known Levenslied singer.

| image_size =

| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|Pop|rock|Indorock}}

| cultural_origins = Early 1960s

| derivatives =

| subgenrelist =

| subgenres = {{hlist|Levenslied|Nederbeat|Palingpop}}

}}

Levenslied (Dutch, literally "life song" or "song about life") is a sentimental Dutch-language subgenre of popular music.{{cite book|last=Meyer|first=Gust de|title=Cultuur met een kleine c|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gEeD070ozMQC&pg=PA213|year=2004|publisher=ACCO|language=Dutch|isbn=9789033456626|page=213}} Levenslied lyrics can be sweet or bitter, light and sentimental, but also reflective and dark, about subjects such as love, misery and far-away, sunny, exotic holiday places. The darker, more sentimental songs are also known as "smartlap" ("sorrow bandage", or tearjerker). The levenslied is related to the chanson though for a lower-class audience, like the schlager.

A typical levenslied has catchy, simple rhythms and melodies and is built up in couplets and refrains. Traditional musical instruments in levenslied music are the accordion and the barrel organ. Modern levenslied artists also use synthesizers and guitars.

The songs are usually in Dutch but also English or Italian.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Three cities in the Netherlands, Breda,[https://www.detranen.nl Tranen van Van Cooth, Breda] Tilburg and Nijmegen, have annual Levenslied festivals.{{cite news|url=http://www.omroepbrabant.nl/?news/250022342/Django+Wagner,+Rene+Schuurmans+en+Corry+Konings+naar+Tilburgs+Festival+van+het+Levenslied.aspx|title=Django Wagner, Rene Schuurmans en Corry Konings naar Tilburgs Festival van het Levenslied|last=Pennings|first=Mattijs|date=1 June 2016|publisher=Omroep Brabant|language=Dutch|accessdate=18 July 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.gelderlander.nl/gemeenten/kunst-tijdens-dag-van-het-levenslied-1.5938038|title=Kunst tijdens Dag van het Levenslied|date=19 April 2016|work=De Gelderlander|language=Dutch|accessdate=18 July 2016|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817192141/http://www.gelderlander.nl/gemeenten/kunst-tijdens-dag-van-het-levenslied-1.5938038|archivedate=17 August 2016}}