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.
Marching On
BZN Lyrics
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With rusty guns and dirty clothes
The last support, a bugle calls
Once proud, but soon they'll have to fall
Heroic words and standards high
A last embrace, the tears they cried
It moves their minds but not for long
Marching along with heads up high
A sight that couldn't last forever
Oh no, oh no, oh no
A prayer sent up to heaven
But tears will fall, prayers can't win it all
The firing line will soon appear
Once proud, but now they all have fear
To see the other face to face
There's no more pity, no more grace
They marched along with heads up high
A sight that couldn't last forever
Oh no, oh no, oh no
A prayer sent up to heaven
But tears will fall, prayers can't win it all
Move along, marching on, heads up to the sky
All together, victory's in sight
Moving on, marching on, soldiers in the night
Let's enjoy a glorious delight
Move along, marching on, heads up to the sky
All together, victory's in sight
Moving on, marching on, soldiers in the night
Let's enjoy a glorious delight
The lyrics of BZN's "Marching On" describe a group of soldiers who are walking down lonely roads with rusty guns and dirty clothes. They are a once proud group that had their standards high, but now they have to fall. The last support is a bugle call as they try to hold their tears back when they embrace each other for one last time. The soldier's minds are moved by the heroic words, but not for long as they know that heroes must be brave and strong. They march along with their heads held high, knowing that this sight cannot last forever. They pray to heaven, but they know that tears will still fall, and their prayers can't win it all. They soon come to the firing line, and they are no longer pitying and gracious towards the enemy as they once were. They must face their opponents face to face, and they are afraid of what might happen next.
The song highlights the difficult reality of war and how it can change people. The soldiers who were once proud and stood tall are now afraid and unsure of what lies ahead. The lyrics suggest that despite their efforts, victory is not guaranteed, and there will still be tears and sadness along the way. The song ends with a call for the soldiers to move along and march on, enjoying a glorious delight.
Overall, BZN's "Marching On" is a poignant reminder of the toll that war takes on both soldiers and civilians. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the harsh realities of war, and the melody underscores the gravity of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
They walked along the lonely roads
They journeyed along empty paths
With rusty guns and dirty clothes
Their weapons were old and they were clad in filthy attire
The last support, a bugle calls
The only support comes from a single bugle call
Once proud, but soon they'll have to fall
Although they were once proud, they will eventually experience defeat
Heroic words and standards high
Their language was full of heroism and they strived for excellence
A last embrace, the tears they cried
They hugged each other and wept, knowing they may never see each other again
It moves their minds but not for long
Their emotions were stirred for a brief moment, but it didn't last
'Cause heroes must be brave and strong
Heroes are required to display courage and strength
Marching along with heads up high
They walked confidently with their heads held high
A sight that couldn't last forever
Their fearless appearance was temporary
Oh no, oh no, oh no
A cry of worry or warning
A prayer sent up to heaven
They sent a plea to the heavens for assistance
But tears will fall, prayers can't win it all
They will shed tears and prayer isn't enough to secure victory
The firing line will soon appear
The chance to engage in combat is approaching rapidly
Once proud, but now they all have fear
In the past they had been brave, but now they felt afraid
To see the other face to face
To come face-to-face with their adversary
There's no more pity, no more grace
There is no longer any mercy or forgiveness
Move along, marching on, heads up to the sky
They urged themselves to continue forward with confident strides, looking up to the sky for guidance
All together, victory's in sight
They believed that by working as one, victory was achievable
Moving on, marching on, soldiers in the night
Despite the darkening environment, they marched forward
Let's enjoy a glorious delight
May we celebrate a triumphant and joyful conclusion
Contributed by Elena A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@johannesvangogh4923
wat waren ze toch goed