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.
Searching
Anouk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I haven't got a clue
I'm living like a ghost
I can't seem to read the signs
I'm swimming in the sand
I'm searching
I hold on to your reasons
It's all good and bad advice
Cause you have to choose
One friend says to go ahead
The other one says don't
I'm searching
Whatever I try I can't find it
Wherever I roam it's all gone
No you can't find it
First you gotta lose it
Looking for an angle to change my point of view
Waiting for somebody
Someone to relate to
Hoping for forgiveness I'm living for love
I'm searching
Yearning for a teacher to show me what to do
I'm learning from failure
That's all that I can do
Working on solutions a fiction of truth
Keep on searching
Whatever I try I can't find it
Wherever I roam it's all gone
No you can't find it
First you gotta lose it
The lyrics to Anouk's song "Searching" speak to the human experience of feeling lost and confused. The singer is looking for answers to questions that have never been posed, feeling like a ghost searching for meaning. They reference a struggle to read the signs and the feeling of swimming in sand – all metaphors for the lack of clarity the singer is experiencing.
There's a sense of grasping for solutions and longing for a connection. They mention holding onto two conflicting pieces of advice, unsure which to follow. The chorus expresses the frustration of searching for something that seems to be out of reach, impossible to find no matter where they turn.
The bridge of the song speaks to the hope of finding resolution: the singer yearns for someone to relate to and is seeking a teacher to show them what to do. However, they acknowledge that failure may be the best teacher they have, and despite the fictional nature of solutions, the search will continue.
Overall, "Searching" captures the universal longing for meaning and direction, paired with the frustration of feeling like nothing can be found. Through the lyrics, Anouk offers the understanding that sometimes, the most we can do is keep searching, even if it means losing something along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm looking for answers to questions never posed
I am in search of unknown answers to questions that have never been asked.
I haven't got a clue
I do not have any idea about what to do.
I'm living like a ghost
I am living a life of invisibility or insignificance without any noteworthy actions.
I can't seem to read the signs
I am not able to interpret or understand the indications present around me.
I'm swimming in the sand
I am trying hard to make progress, but I cannot since I am moving in a resistant medium.
I'm searching
I am looking for something, but I am not sure what it is yet.
I hold on to your reasons
I try to keep faith in your assumptions or beliefs.
I'll hold on to my dreams
I will persist in my goals and aspirations regardless of the situation.
It's all good and bad advice
The suggestions I receive are contradictory and, therefore, unreliable.
Cause you have to choose
Since you cannot rely on the advice of others, you must make your own decisions.
One friend says to go ahead
One of my friends advocates for me to move forward in a particular direction.
The other one says don't
Another of my acquaintances discourages me from taking that path.
Whatever I try I can't find it
No matter what I do, I cannot seem to find what I am looking for.
Wherever I roam it's all gone
I search far and wide, but everything appears to be lost or inaccessible.
No you can't find it
The thing you are searching for, you cannot find it yet.
First you gotta lose it
You have to misplace it then find it.
Looking for an angle to change my point of view
I am seeking a new perspective or an unconventional method to alter my current mindset.
Waiting for somebody
I am hoping for a person to assist in boosting my morale or direction.
Someone to relate to
I am looking for a person who can understand or identify with my circumstances.
Hoping for forgiveness I'm living for love
I desire to be pardoned for my faults, and my primary objective is to love and be loved.
Yearning for a teacher to show me what to do
I am craving for someone to guide me and teach me the proper way to do things.
I'm learning from failure
My primary source of education is the mistakes that I make.
That's all that I can do
I can only continue learning from my errors and trying again.
Working on solutions a fiction of truth
I am concocting answers that may or may not be true.
Keep on searching
Despite setbacks, I will continue seeking what I am looking for.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: VAN VEEN, BART / TEEUWE, ANOUK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind