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.
Harbour Light
BZN Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Th. Tol/J. Tuijp/C. Tol)
When day is dawning
I love to be here
When the fishing-boats sail home again
Though the wages are low
Still they come and they go
This is my home-town
The place I was born
I would fight for with all of my heart
It would be such a shame
If it stopped being the same
I wonder if hope's not in vain
I see the harbour light
It means home to me
You are my paradise
So close to the sea
God's own creation of nature and men
Your inspiration made me what I am
Wherever I am
Wherever I go
I see fishing-boats bound for the sea
Though the wages are low
Let them come, let them go
Let them sail on for many years
I see the harbour light
It means home to me
You are my paradise
So close to the sea
God's own creation of nature and men
Your inspiration made me what I am
I see the harbour light
It means home to me
You are my paradise
So close to the sea
God's own creation of nature and men
Your inspiration made me what I am
The lyrics to BZN's "Harbour Light" are a celebration of the songwriter's hometown and its connection to the sea. The singer expresses their affection for their home, which they describe as "God's own creation of nature and men," and states that they "love to be here" when the fishing boats return to port. The singer acknowledges that the wages of the fishermen are low, but still admires their determination to continue coming and going to sea.
The song expresses gratitude to the harbor's light which serves as a beacon to the sailors and as the symbol of the place where the singer belongs. The singer's attachment to this place is such that they would fight for it, and they express the hope that it will continue to be the same in the face of change. The song suggests that the sea is a source of inspiration and a defining characteristic of the singer's personality.
Overall, "Harbour Light" is an ode to a hometown where the sea and the community's connection to it are central to the place's identity. The song celebrates the persistence and resilience of the community in the face of hardship and change, and the harbor's light serves as a reminder of the connection between the singer and the place they call home.
Line by Line Meaning
Harbour light
The shining light at the harbor
When day is dawning
Early in the morning
I love to be here
The singer enjoys being at the harbor
When the fishing-boats sail home again
When the boats return from fishing
Though the wages are low
Even though the payment is not high
Still they come and they go
The fishermen continue to work despite the low wages
I wonder, for how many years
The singer questions how long this cycle of work will continue
This is my home-town
The harbor is the singer's home
The place I was born
The singer was born in this town
I would fight for with all of my heart
The singer is deeply connected to this place and would defend it passionately
It would be such a shame
It would be very unfortunate
If it stopped being the same
If the harbor changed and lost its character
I wonder if hope's not in vain
The singer wonders if their hope for the harbor's preservation is not pointless
I see the harbour light
The singer identifies the harbor's light
It means home to me
The harbor represents home for the singer
You are my paradise
The harbor is a place of great joy for the singer
So close to the sea
Because it is near the ocean
God's own creation of nature and men
The harbor is a beautiful, natural combination of man-made structures and the environment
Your inspiration made me what I am
The singer attributes their identity and success to the inspiration received from the harbor
Wherever I am
Regardless of the singer's location
Wherever I go
No matter where the singer travels
I see fishing-boats bound for the sea
The singer observes boats heading out to sea for fishing
Let them come, let them go
The boats should continue to come and go as usual
Let them sail on for many years
The singer hopes for the continuation of the fishing industry for years to come
Contributed by Mia R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.