"Ik zou je het liefste in een doosje willen doen" (Dutch pronunciation: [ɪk ˈsʌu jə ɦət ˈlifstə ʔɪn ən ˈdoːʃə ʋɪlə(n) ˌdun]; I'd like to put you in a box) is a 1959 Dutch song written by Annie M.G. Schmidt (lyrics) and Cor Lemaire (music) for the 1950s television show Pension Hommeles . The song describes a man who loves his partner so much that he would like to keep her in a little box. Sung by Donald Jones, it was a hit and helped propel Jones to stardom. [1] The song remains a standard in Dutch cabaret and musical comedy. [2]
The song is one of Annie M.G. Schmidt's most popular tunes, and provided the title for a theater show about Schmidt (who died in 1995) that celebrates her 100th anniversary and contain 26 of her most beloved songs. [3] [4] Ostensibly, the title is based on a phrase that Schmidt's mother used to say to her daughter. [5]