BZN started out as a pop-rock band in their native Volendam in 1966, playin… Read Full Bio ↴BZN started out as a pop-rock band in their native Volendam in 1966, playing early-Bee Gees-like harmony pop. The initial line-up consisted of Jan Veerman (vocals), Cees Tol (guitar), Evert Woestenburg (guitar) Jan Tuyp (bass guitar) and Gerrit Woestenburg (drums).

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.

Life Is Not A Bed Of Roses
BZN Lyrics

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Life is not a bed of roses
(J. Veerman/J. Keizer/J. Tuijp)

I never thought that it could happen to me
I never took a rise out of her
I always tagged a moral to a story
But then I met you and I lost control

It goes against the grain with me
To sell a person down the river
But it's true that's the price of loving you

Sometimes life is not a bed of roses
I see it in your eyes
They're not concealing lies
Stay the night
So we can talk it over
Let's make secret loves no secret anymore

It's sad to see you torn between two lovers
I want you near so stand up for me
No, I won't waste another word upon it
Although I cannot take it lying down

Never is a long long way
And my love for you grows stronger everyday
Make up your mind and come what may

Sometimes life is not a bed of roses
I see it in your eyes
They're not concealing lies
Stay the night
So we can talk it over
Let's make secret loves no secret anymore

Sometimes life is not a bed of roses
I see it in your eyes
They're not concealing lies
Stay the night

So we can talk it over
Let's make secret loves no secret anymore

Overall Meaning

The song "Life Is Not A Bed Of Roses" by BZN speaks about the difficult realities of relationships and how they can sometimes be complicated and full of hardships. The lyrics express the singer’s surprise that love has given him experiences he never thought could happen to him, and acknowledges the fact that sometimes he can lose control of his emotions. The song then goes on to describe how sometimes life is not easy, and there are situations that can tear people apart - this is evident in the lyrics “It’s sad to see you torn between two lovers.”

The singer encourages his partner to be honest with him and lay everything out in the open. He acknowledges the fact that loving someone comes with a cost - and this cost is sometimes sacrificing one’s own desires or other relationships. Nevertheless, he pleads with his partner to make a choice and come what may.

The song highlights the struggles involved in romantic relationships - how difficult it can be to navigate, and the sacrifices and tough choices that often have to be made. Despite this, the singer urges his partner to be honest and speak openly, so that they can make the most of the relationship they share.

Line by Line Meaning

Life is not a bed of roses
Life is not always easy and pleasant, it can be full of difficulties and challenges.

I never thought that it could happen to me
I never expected to fall in love with someone like you.

I never took a rise out of her
I never tried to impress her or get her attention.

I always tagged a moral to a story
I always tried to teach a lesson or provide a message with my stories.

But then I met you and I lost control
But when I met you, I fell in love and lost my ability to control my emotions.

It goes against the grain with me
It is difficult for me to do something that I believe is wrong or unfair.

To sell a person down the river
To betray or harm a person who trusts you.

But it's true that's the price of loving you
But unfortunately, sometimes loving you means doing things that I don't want to do or that are difficult for me.

Sometimes life is not a bed of roses
Sometimes life can be difficult and challenging, just like how our relationship is right now.

I see it in your eyes
I can tell by looking at you that you are struggling too.

They're not concealing lies
You are being honest with me about your feelings.

Stay the night
Spend the night with me.

So we can talk it over
So we can discuss our problems and try to find a solution together.

Let's make secret loves no secret anymore
Let's stop hiding our love for each other and be open about it.

It's sad to see you torn between two lovers
It's difficult for me to watch you struggle with your feelings for me and someone else.

I want you near so stand up for me
I want you to choose me over the other person and be with me.

No, I won't waste another word upon it
I don't want to argue or fight about it anymore.

Although I cannot take it lying down
However, I can't just accept the situation and let it continue.

Never is a long long way
Forever is a very long time.

And my love for you grows stronger everyday
Despite our problems, my love for you continues to grow and deepen every day.