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.
Les gens de tous les jours
BZN Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quand ma fillette n'aime pas de la musique que nous jouons
Pourquoi elle n'y entend rien
Peut-être je ne savais pas mal faire
Vous êtes une reine de beauté
Je ne l'ai pas remarqué
Pour les gens de tous les jours
Sans parler des excentriques
Quand vous êtes de la partie
Je lui souhaite la bienvenue
Monsieur le musicien vient de me raconter l'histoire
Les sens c'est très sensible
Je n'y pense pas je ne crois pas monsieur
C'est vrai, c'est une folie
La confiance d'aujourd'hui
Nous faisons de la musique
Pour les gens de tous les jours
Sans parler des excentriques
Quand vous êtes de la partie
Nous faisons de la musique
Pour les gens de tous les jours
Sans parler des excentriques
Quand vous êtes de la partie
(Th. Tol/J. Keizer)
The lyrics to BZN's song "Les gens de tous les jours" speak about making music for everyday people with no regard for eccentric individuals. The singer reflects on his daughter's lack of interest in their music and wonders if perhaps he isn't playing it well enough. He notes that the woman he is speaking to is beautiful, but he hadn't noticed before, indicating a possible lack of interest in superficial things. When the musician arrives, the singer welcomes him and listens to his story, while reflecting on how the senses are important but not always reliable.
The overall message of the song seems to be about creating music for the masses, rather than trying to appeal to niche markets or elite audiences. The singer values the everyday people who listen to their music, and seems to prioritize authenticity and relatability over flashiness or complexity. The mention of the musician's story and the acknowledgement of the importance of the senses suggest a deeper appreciation for human experience and emotion.
Overall, "Les gens de tous les jours" is a poignant and reflective song about the value of creating art for the common people. Its themes of authenticity and simplicity still resonate with audiences today, decades after the song's original release.
Line by Line Meaning
C'est une désobligeance
I consider it impolite
Quand ma fillette n'aime pas de la musique que nous jouons
When my little girl doesn't like the music we play
Pourquoi elle n'y entend rien
Maybe I'm not doing it well enough for her to understand
Peut-être je ne savais pas mal faire
Perhaps I was doing it wrong
Vous êtes une reine de beauté
You are a queen of beauty
Je ne l'ai pas remarqué
I didn't notice it before
Nous faisons de la musique
We make music
Pour les gens de tous les jours
For ordinary people
Sans parler des excentriques
Not to mention the eccentric ones
Quand vous êtes de la partie
When you're a part of it
Je lui souhaite la bienvenue
I welcome you
Monsieur le musicien vient de me raconter l'histoire
The musician just told me the story
Les sens c'est très sensible
Senses are very sensitive
Je n'y pense pas je ne crois pas monsieur
I don't think about it, I don't believe it, sir
C'est vrai, c'est une folie
It's true, it's crazy
La confiance d'aujourd'hui
Today's confidence
Contributed by Nathan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.