- published: 29 Apr 2014
- views: 216
"Auprès de ma blonde" (French for "Next to My Girlfriend") or "Le Prisonnier de Hollande" ("The Prisoner of Holland") is a popular chanson dating to the 17th century. It appeared during or soon after the Franco-Dutch War, during the reign of Louis XIV, when French sailors and soldiers were commonly imprisoned in the Netherlands.
The song's quick pace and lively melody made it well-suited to military marches, and it is still commonly played at parades. For the same reasons, it gained widespread popularity as a drinking song and nursery rhyme.