Anouk has released twelve studio albums to date, the most recent one being Wen d'r maar aan, released on 12 October 2018. She represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, Sweden, with the song "Birds". Her song made it to the final – the first since 2004 for the Netherlands; and finished 9th with 114 points.
Musical style
Anouk's musical style has been described as a combination of Joan Osborne, Melissa Etheridge and Alanis Morissette. She is known for explosive rock songs like "Nobody's Wife" and "R U Kiddin' Me", but has also made small and fragile songs like "Lost" and "Michel". In addition to her pop/rock sound she also experiments with soul, funk and hip hop.
Personal life
Anouk was married to her manager Edwin Jansen until 1998. She married Remon Stotijn (aka The Anonymous Mis), frontman of the reggae/rap band Postmen, on 16 March 2004. Stotijn is the father of three of her children; son Benjahmin Kingsley (b. 18 April 2002), son Elijah Jeramiah (b. 5 December 2003) and daughter Phoenix Ray (b. 3 June 2005). In May 2008, Anouk and Remon announced a "harmonious" mutual separation. In 2010 Anouk gave birth to her fourth child, a son named Jesiah Dox. Her son Sion Jethro was born in June 2014. In June 2016, she gave birth to her sixth child, a baby girl, Jelizah Rose, with her current partner, mixed martial artist and former basketball player Dominique Schemmekes.
Don't Wipe Us Out
Anouk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No, don't go away
Where would I go? I truly don't know
Where would I gather strength?
Words ain't enough baby for me to say
How much it'd kill me, though
I wouldn't be able to breathe anymore
If I would see you go
Don't wipe us out, wipe us out
Don't wipe us out, wipe us out
Don't wipe us out, wipe us out, yeah
You better not wipe us out today
I've been a cheater, a man eater
You knew I was no good
What can I say? I'm ready for change
Let that be understood
I want you to tell me I'm still in your heart
More than the day before
There's gotta be something that I can do
That'll make you love me more
One of us ain't got no feelings
Don't wipe us out, wipe us out
Don't wipe us out, wipe us out
Don't wipe us out, wipe us out, yeah
You better not wipe us out today
Lost upon a dream, memories mean nothing
Another of that I have left today
Started up as friends, thinking this would never end
But you had to throw it all away
All away! Come on now!
Don't wipe us out, wipe us out
Don't wipe us out, wipe us out
Don't wipe us out, wipe us out, yeah
You better not wipe us out today
Gotta be something baby,
Gotta, gotta something I can do now
Don't you do that to us
"Don't Wipe Us Out" is a song by Dutch singer-songwriter Anouk, from her 2009 album "For Bitter or Worse". The song is about the fear of losing someone you love and the plead for that person to stay. The opening verse sets the tone for the song where Anouk begs her lover not to leave her, emphasizing that she would be lost without them. She confesses that words are not enough to convey her emotions and that her heart would break if they leave. The chorus "Don't wipe us out, wipe us out" is a warning not to end the relationship, because they have something special that must not be taken away. Anouk makes a candid admission of having made mistakes in love; she has been a cheater and taken advantage of her lovers, but now she is ready to change. She requests her lover to reassure her that she still has a place in their heart and promises to do better to earn their love.
The bridge of the song moves away from the theme of fear of loss and instead reflects on how the relationship started. Anouk sings of being friends with her lover before they started dating, and how she never thought it would end. However, she feels that her lover ruined it all by threatening to leave, almost as if erasing the good memories they once shared. The final chorus repeats the warning that they should not be wiped out and suggests that Anouk is willing to work things out if there is anything she can do to save the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh baby please, don't leave my heart
An emotional plea to her lover not to break her heart and leave her alone.
No, don't go away
A request for her lover to stay back and not leave her alone.
Where would I go? I truly don't know
An expression of confusion and uncertainty about where she would go and what she would do without her lover.
Where would I gather strength?
A rhetorical question on where she would find the strength to go on if her lover leaves her.
Words ain't enough baby for me to say
Words are not sufficient to express the magnitude of her feelings for her lover.
How much it'd kill me, though
The thought of her lover leaving her is unbearable and would cause her great emotional pain.
I wouldn't be able to breathe anymore
The loss of her lover would make it difficult for her to cope and carry on with her life.
If I would see you go
The impact of her lover leaving her would be devastating and would leave her heartbroken.
One of us ain't got no feelings
One of them is not emotionally invested in the relationship, which makes it difficult for them to connect on a deeper level.
Don't wipe us out, wipe us out
A plea to her lover not to end their relationship abruptly without any hope of reconciliation.
You better not wipe us out today
An emotional appeal to her lover to not break up with her and end their relationship abruptly.
I've been a cheater, a man eater
An admission of her past infidelity and selfishness in relationships.
You knew I was no good
Her lover was aware of her past infidelity and poor track record in relationships.
What can I say? I'm ready for change
She is willing to change and be a better partner in their relationship.
Let that be understood
She wants her lover to understand that she is willing to change and make things work between them.
I want you to tell me I'm still in your heart
She seeks reassurance from her lover that he still loves her and has not given up on their relationship.
More than the day before
She wants her lover to love her more with each passing day and not lose interest in their relationship.
There's gotta be something that I can do
She is willing to do something to prove her love and commitment to her relationship with her lover.
That'll make you love me more
She hopes that through her actions, she would be able to rekindle and strengthen the love between them.
Lost upon a dream, memories mean nothing
She feels that their once beautiful relationship has turned into a mere memory and a dream.
Another of that I have left today
She laments the loss of a beautiful relationship and hopes to salvage what is left of it.
Started up as friends, thinking this would never end
Their relationship started as friends, with the hope that it would never end, but it has now turned sour.
But you had to throw it all away
The failure of their relationship is attributed to her lover's decision to end it and throw away all that they had built together.
Gotta be something baby, Gotta, gotta something I can do now
She is determined to do something to save their relationship before it's too late.
Don't you do that to us
A plea to her lover to not break up with her and end their relationship because it would hurt them both.
Writer(s): Tore Johansson, Anouk Teeuwe, Martin Gjerstad
Contributed by Amelia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.