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.
The Black Side Of My Mind
Anouk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The black side of my soul is getting white
This time I'll try and dig a little deeper
So I can change the wrongs into what's right
Dark were the days when our life was gone
Those were the days when fear of death came along
Let us get rid of this
Those were the nights when dark told me what's right
I did it all for love
Why haven't I had enough?
Leave it alone because in time...
Walking away with nothing but
Pain in my heart for what we've lost
Try to stand tall with my head held high
The dark makes it hard for you to see
I gave it all for you and me
In time I will be ready to believe
Dark were the thoughts running through our minds
Those were the thoughts dragging me further down
What will you do for love?
When is it ever enough?
Leave it alone because in time...
The lyrics of "The Black Side Of My Mind" by Anouk talks about the internal battle between right and wrong, light and dark, that is constantly battled within the mind and soul. The black side of her mind and soul represent the negative thoughts and actions that she is trying to overcome. She realizes that she needs to dig a little deeper and change the wrongs into what is right in order to weaken the black side of her mind and soul.
The song talks about the difficult and dark times that she's been through, where she felt like she was losing her life and facing the fear of death. She also talks about the hard nights where dark thoughts were controlling her actions. The line "I did it all for love, why haven't I had enough?" refers to the fact that sometimes even love is not enough to make things right. She is trying to move forward from the pain of what had been lost and remain strong despite the darkness she's faced.
Line by Line Meaning
The black side of my mind is getting weaker
My negative thoughts and emotions are gradually diminishing.
The black side of my soul is getting white
My negative energy is changing into positivity.
This time I'll try and dig a little deeper
I will make an effort to explore and understand my inner self better.
So I can change the wrongs into what's right
I will make amends for my past mistakes and be on the right path moving forward.
Dark were the days when our life was gone
Our lives were empty and meaningless during difficult times.
Those were the days when fear of death came along
Death seemed like a possibility and the fear was overwhelming.
Let us get rid of this
Let's eliminate this fear and negativity from our lives.
Dark were the nights when I did not fight
I gave in to despair and did not put up a fight against it.
Those were the nights when dark told me what's right
Negative thoughts seemed like the only reality and blinded me to the right path.
I did it all for love
My actions were driven by love for someone or something.
Why haven't I had enough?
Why do I still feel unfulfilled despite giving my all?
Leave it alone because in time...
Let it be and give it time to heal and change.
Walking away with nothing but
Leaving behind everything and taking away nothing.
Pain in my heart for what we've lost
Feeling deep emotional pain for what has been lost.
Try to stand tall with my head held high
Attempting to be strong and confident despite the emotional turmoil.
The dark makes it hard for you to see
Negative emotions can cloud one's judgment and prevent clear vision.
I gave it all for you and me
I did everything I could for the benefit of us both.
In time I will be ready to believe
Eventually, I will be able to have faith and trust in the future.
Dark were the thoughts running through our minds
Our minds were filled with negative and destructive thoughts.
Those were the thoughts dragging me further down
These thoughts were pulling me deeper into sadness and negativity.
What will you do for love?
What actions are you willing to take for love?
When is it ever enough?
When does one reach a point where love has been fulfilled and satisfied?
Leave it alone because in time...
Again, let the situation be and give it time to heal and change.
Contributed by Madelyn A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.