Annabel was released in June 1983 as a single by Hans de Booij and became his biggest hit. The music was written by Boudewijn de Groot, who also came up with the name Annabel and the line "die zie ik nooit meer terug"; the lyrics were completed by Herman Pieter de Boer. The song reached number 3 on both the Top 40 and the TROS Top 50, and number 4 on the Nationale Hitparade. Annabel is about a lost love and is regarded as a classic of Dutch-language pop.