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.
It Wasn't Me
Anouk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you turn on your tv
When you see me singing through my tears
I've saved up all these years
Can you tell me what you see
When you read the magazines
Do you see yourself in me
When you read the magazines
Can you tell me what you hear
And I hope you feel the way we felt
When you put us all through hell
Can you tell me how you feel now
How do feel, how do you feel
Tell me how you sleep at night
Do you take those pills like me
Or do you toss and turn
And lay your head on the pillow and fall asleep
'Cause you just don't care,
How do you feel
And now I'm in your face
And you feel that empty space
Why did we, how did we come to fall from grace
Falling, falling
Didn't you just hear us calling out
No there's nothing left to say
'Cause you shouldn't have stayed away
No man leaves his flesh and blood
This way
And I hope you feel the way we felt
When you put us all through hell
Can you tell me how you feel now
How do feel, how do you feel
Tell me how you sleep at night
Do you take those pills like me
Or do you toss and turn
And lay your head on the pillow and fall asleep
'Cause you just don't care
How do you feel
It took a crowd for me to see
That it really wasn't me
The swaying crowd is the cleansing rain
It took the pain away
And I hope you'll find yourself alone
In a million dollar home
You will be stuck
With a heart like a rock
I hope you run out of luck fool
How do you feel now
Does it hurt, does it hurt
How do you feel now
I'm just wonderin' how it feels
The song “It Wasn’t Me” by Anouk is a powerful and emotionally charged track that addresses the subject of betrayal. The lyrics explore the feelings of the betrayed and ask the betrayer how they feel now that they’ve caused so much pain. The song begins by asking the listener what they feel when they see Anouk singing on TV, and whether they see themselves in her. The verse then moves on to the DJ playing this song, asking what they hear when they listen to the lyrics.
In the chorus, Anouk speaks directly to the betrayer, asking if they feel the way she did when they put her and her loved ones through hell. She then asks how they feel now and how they sleep at night, questioning whether they take pills to deal with the guilt they feel or if they just don’t care. The second verse continues to address the betrayer and their actions, saying that now they’re face to face, they’re feeling the emptiness that their betrayal caused. The lyrics ask how they could have come to fall from grace and how they could leave their flesh and blood in this way.
The song ends with Anouk offering hope to the betrayed, saying that it took a crowd for her to see that it wasn’t really about her. The swaying crowd acted as a cleansing rain, taking away the pain of betrayal. She ends by wishing bad luck on the betrayer and questioning how it feels to be in their position. Overall, the song is an emotional plea for the betrayer to understand the pain they caused and the lasting impact it has had on those they hurt.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you tell me how you feel
Anouk wants to know how the listeners feel when they watch her on TV.
When you turn on your tv
She wants to know what the listeners feel when they watch her on TV.
When you see me singing through my tears
Anouk is asking if the listeners see her pain and emotion when she sings.
I've saved up all these years
She has been collecting her emotions and pain for a long time, which she now expresses through her music.
Can you tell me what you see
Anouk is asking if the listeners see themselves in her image when they read magazines.
When you read the magazines
She is asking what image people associate her with when they read magazines.
Can you tell me what you hear
She wants to know what message the listeners take away from her music.
And I hope you feel the way we felt
Anouk hopes that the listeners understand the pain and emotions that she and her band went through.
When you put us all through hell
She is referring to the hardships that she and her bandmates went through in the music industry.
Can you tell me how you feel now
Anouk wants to know if the listeners understand the impact of their actions on her and her band.
Tell me how you sleep at night
She is asking how the listeners can continue to live with their actions.
Do you take those pills like me
Anouk is referring to the listeners' coping mechanisms for their guilt.
Or do you toss and turn
She is asking if they feel the weight of their guilt in their conscience.
'Cause you just don't care
Anouk is criticizing the listeners for not caring about her or her band's struggles.
And now I'm in your face
She confronts the listeners about the mistreatment she received.
And you feel that empty space
Anouk wants the listeners to feel the emptiness she felt when they excluded her.
Why did we, how did we come to fall from grace
She questions their behavior and why they treated her unfairly.
Falling, falling
She is reflecting on the failure and the hardships she faced in the music industry.
Didn't you just hear us calling out
Anouk feels ignored and disregarded by the listeners and the industry.
No there's nothing left to say
She feels the communication is futile now.
'Cause you shouldn't have stayed away
Anouk blames the listeners and the industry for what happened to her and her band.
No man leaves his flesh and blood
She is asking the listeners to remember that they are all human and need to be treated with respect.
This way
She is referring to the mistreatment and damage they caused.
It took a crowd for me to see
The support from her fans helped her realize her true worth and potential.
That it really wasn't me
Anouk wants to dissociate herself from the negative image that the industry created for her.
The swaying crowd is the cleansing rain
Audio from the crowd is like rain, which is washing away the pain and mistreatment that she faced.
It took the pain away
The love and support from her fans helped to lessen the pain for her.
And I hope you'll find yourself alone
She hopes that those who mistreated her will understand the weight of their actions and how it feels to be excluded.
In a million dollar home
She implies that money doesn't equate happiness and that even those who have everything can feel lonely.
You will be stuck
She believes the listeners will never be able to mend the damage that they caused.
With a heart like a rock
Anouk believes the listeners lack basic human compassion.
I hope you run out of luck fool
She blames the listeners for their actions and hopes that one day they will receive the same treatment.
Does it hurt, does it hurt
Anouk wants to know if the listeners understand the gravity of their actions.
I'm just wonderin' how it feels
Anouk is still questioning the listeners' ability to empathize with her struggles.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANOUK TEEUWE, BART VAN VEEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marisa Livramento
Adoro esta música!
Sel No
one of my all-time-favourites!
Lin Music
absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!!
Joost van de Graaf
dit is echt zoo'n mooi nummer love it<333
Joep Voorter
een van mn favoriete liedjes van mijn favoriete artiest, anouk rocks!! trots nederlands te zijn
Brian Kochera ABCDT
This is rare! I wish there was live concert footage. If I had a means to contact Bonnie Raitt, I would suggest that she and Anouk collaborate on a duet. It would be incredibly beautiful, sung by such superior singers.
This is rare! I wish there was live concert footage. If I had a means to contact Bonnie Raitt, I would suggest that she and Anouk collaborate on a duet. It would be incredibly beautiful, sung by such superior singers!
Dit is zeldzaam! Ik wou dat er beelden van live concerten waren. Als ik een manier had om contact op te nemen met Bonnie Raitt, zou ik willen voorstellen dat zij en Anouk samenwerken aan een duet. Het zou ongelooflijk mooi zijn, gezongen door zulke superieure zangers!
menitta
it took a crowd for me to see that it really wasn't me the swaying crowd is the cleansing rain it took the pain away
angie57720
net als zoveel mensen ...kan ik me helemaal vinden in de tekst ..deze plaat heeft veel woede in me opgehaald en heeft me dus ook heel veel geholpen met het verwerken van alles !
Brian Kochera ABCDT
Anouk could sing about something as boring as watching grass grow and it would be the most emotional riviting experience. I am sorry that an ocean separates me from the Netherlands. I would go to everyone of her concerts!
Chantal Terpstra
WAUW:O Ik ben zo fan van haar!!