In the early Seventies, the band switched to hard rock and had its first successes, including a brace of Top 40 hits. After original singer Veerman left and drummer Keizer took his place behind the microphone, the band made a musical U-turn and opted for commercial radio pop, adding female co-vocalist Annie Schilder and laying the foundation for their status as the most popular Dutch band ever (in terms of hit singles and albums). BZN has had over 50 hits in the Dutch hit parade to date.
BZN's claim to fame started with the song "Mon Amour" (1976), which held the #1 hit parade ranking for over 5 weeks. Outside of the Netherlands the band has had some success as well, amongst which several hits in South Africa (such as "Yeppa" in 1990) and minor successes with their French-language songs in Canada.
Through the years there have been many lineup changes, the most important of which have been the departure of Schilder in 1984 (replaced by Carola Smit) and in 1988 of the brothers Cees and Thomas Tol (keyboards), who until then had been responsible for most of the music and lyrics. The band remained nevertheless successful, making their last major change in strategy when they decided to write in Dutch instead of English as of 2003.
BZN are also responsible for the initial success of singer Jan Smit (singer), who was discovered by BZN at the age of 10 and went on to have pop and schlager successes in The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.
On February 15 2006, BZN announced they would do one final tour and then call it quits. This goodbye tour is scheduled to last until June 2007.
Chante
BZN Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Comme par enchantement avec un bateau blanc toujours
Avec ma bonne amie quand il me tardait de te voir
J'attendais ma fleur, dans le café au coin de boulevard
Du matin au soir je vis avec l'aura de ta beauté
Mais tu m'as quittée pour l'amour de ton métier
Du matin au soir je t'accompagne avec mes pensées
Chante: la mélodie de la mer
Et chante: c'est estival
Chante: le doux refrain de la mer
Ma foi, mon coeur, me disent: courage, marin
Ma foi, mon coeur, me disent: courage, marin
Je crains le pire quand dans la rue les gens ne sourient plus
C'est là une habitude étrange, je m'en suis aperçu
Du matin au soir je vis avec l'aura de ta beauté
Mais tu m'as quittée pour l'amour de ton métier
Du matin au soir je t'accompagne avec mes pensées
Mais jamais oh non jamais je t'ai perdu
Chante: la mélodie de la mer
Et chante: c'est estival
Chante: le doux refrain de la mer
Ma foi, mon coeur, me disent: courage, marin
Chante: la mélodie de la mer
Et chante: c'est estival
Chante: le doux refrain de la mer
Ma foi, mon coeur, me disent: courage, marin
Ma foi, mon coeur, me disent: courage, marin
The lyrics to BZN's song Chante speak about a melody that reminds the singer of love and a white ship always present. The singer waits for their loved one in a café on the boulevard, thinking about their beauty and never losing them. However, the loved one left for their career, causing the singer to still think about them constantly. The song encourages the singer to keep going and sing the melody of the sea, despite the sadness they feel.
The lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing for the past. The melody of the song is also melancholic and wistful, reflecting the emotions portrayed in the lyrics. The use of the metaphor of the white ship could represent hope for the future, but also the constant reminder of what was lost. The repetition of the chorus encourages the singer to keep singing, despite the sadness they feel.
Overall, the song expresses the pain of lost love and the struggle to move forward. Despite the sadness, the singer is encouraged to keep singing and find the courage to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Cette mélodie elle me faisait penser à un amour
This melody made me think of a love
Comme par enchantement avec un bateau blanc toujours
As if by magic, always with a white boat
Avec ma bonne amie quand il me tardait de te voir
With my good friend, when I longed to see you
J'attendais ma fleur, dans le café au coin de boulevard
I waited for my flower, at the café on the corner of the boulevard
Du matin au soir je vis avec l'aura de ta beauté
From morning to night, I live with the aura of your beauty
Mais tu m'as quittée pour l'amour de ton métier
But you left me for the love of your job
Du matin au soir je t'accompagne avec mes pensées
From morning to night, I accompany you with my thoughts
Mais jamais oh non jamais je t'ai perdu
But never oh no never have I lost you
Chante: la mélodie de la mer
Sing: the melody of the sea
Et chante: c'est estival
And sing: it's summery
Chante: le doux refrain de la mer
Sing: the sweet refrain of the sea
Ma foi, mon coeur, me disent: courage, marin
My faith, my heart, tell me: courage, sailor
Je crains le pire quand dans la rue les gens ne sourient plus
I fear the worst when people no longer smile in the street
C'est là une habitude étrange, je m'en suis aperçu
It's a strange habit, I've noticed
Chante: la mélodie de la mer
Sing: the melody of the sea
Et chante: c'est estival
And sing: it's summery
Chante: le doux refrain de la mer
Sing: the sweet refrain of the sea
Ma foi, mon coeur, me disent: courage, marin
My faith, my heart, tell me: courage, sailor
Chante: la mélodie de la mer
Sing: the melody of the sea
Et chante: c'est estival
And sing: it's summery
Chante: le doux refrain de la mer
Sing: the sweet refrain of the sea
Ma foi, mon coeur, me disent: courage, marin
My faith, my heart, tell me: courage, sailor
Contributed by Camden S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.