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.
Pearlydumm
BZN Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Softly shining on the hills
And we all see the dawn
When it's rising out of the night
Paradise
Oh, I feel you must be near
Shine your light over me
There's a bridge to heaven
Waving in the dawn
Across a pearly river
Where once my life began
And though it's not forever
You're my baby blue
Siren voices calling
They call for me and you
Come sail with me tonight to Pearlydumm, dumm, dumm
It's only there where seagulls fly
And if you sail with me to Pearlydumm, dumm, dumm
Then you can hear the seagulls cry
Chandeliers
Beautify a silken tree
And we all see the dawn
When it's rising out of the night
There's a bridge to heaven
Waving in the dawn
Across a pearly river
Where once my life began
And though it's not forever
You're my baby blue
Siren voices calling
They call for me and you
Come sail with me tonight to Pearlydumm, dumm, dumm
It's only there where seagulls fly
And if you sail with me to Pearlydumm, dumm, dumm
Then you can hear the seagulls cry
Come sail with me tonight to Pearlydumm, dumm, dumm
It's only there where seagulls fly
And if you sail with me to Pearlydumm, dumm, dumm
Then you can hear the seagulls cry
The lyrics to BZN's song "Pearlydumm" evoke thoughts of a scenic and idyllic paradise-like place. The song begins with the morning light shining softly on the hills, and we see the dawn when it rises out of the night. The singer feels that paradise must be near and yearns for its light to shine over them, now that they are out of reach. The chorus talks about a bridge to heaven waving in the dawn and a pearly river where their life once began. Although it's not forever, the person the singer is addressing is their "baby blue" and they hear siren voices calling for them to sail together to Pearlydumm where seagulls cry. The second verse continues the serene imagery with chandeliers that beautify a silken tree, and once again the chorus repeats with its same yearning tones for this paradise.
Overall, the song is a beautiful tribute to a dream-like place that has a spiritual allure. The bridge to heaven and pearly river are two poetic elements that position this place as a surreal heaven on earth, where the seagulls' cry becomes a mystical sound that beckons the person to come and experience the world differently. The final chorus brings a sense of urgency to the message, and the invitation to sail with the singer encourages anyone listening to take a chance on this fantastic journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Morning light
The gentle and comforting light of the early morning
Softly shining on the hills
Illuminating the landscape's natural beauty with a delicate and serene touch
And we all see the dawn
The moment when the sun rises and daylight returns to the world, observed collectively by everyone
When it's rising out of the night
The sun's ascent marking the end of darkness and the beginning of a new day
Paradise
An idealized, heavenly place of complete contentment and happiness
Oh, I feel you must be near
A sense of closeness and connection to paradise
Shine your light over me
Bless me with a glimpse of your beauty and perfection
Only now that I am out of reach
Regret for not having appreciated paradise earlier in life and now feeling unable to grasp it fully
There's a bridge to heaven
A symbolic structure that connects the earthly world to the divine realm
Waving in the dawn
The bridge is visible and inspires hope and longing for a better existence
Across a pearly river
The river represents the boundary between this world and the next, adorned with precious pearls
Where once my life began
This place reminds the artist of their origin and how much they have evolved and changed since then
And though it's not forever
The knowledge that this life is temporary and subject to change
You're my baby blue
A term of endearment, possibly for a loved one or a cherished memory
Siren voices calling
The allure of temptation and danger, beckoning the singer to leave their safe haven and explore the unknown
They call for me and you
The temptation is felt by both the artist and their companion
Come sail with me tonight to Pearlydumm, dumm, dumm
Invitation to embark on a journey to the heaven-like place of Pearlydumm
It's only there where seagulls fly
Pearlydumm is a unique and magical place where even the birds behave in a special way
And if you sail with me to Pearlydumm, dumm, dumm
The promise of sharing the experience of Pearlydumm with someone you care about
Then you can hear the seagulls cry
A reminder that small and beautiful details can bring happiness and wonder to a journey
Chandeliers
A symbol of luxury and elegance, possibly adorning a grand hall or palace
Beautify a silken tree
The contrast between the cold, impersonal luxury of the chandeliers and the soft, organic beauty of nature
Contributed by Hailey N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@wiljovanderveen
Blijft een geweldig nummer
@Hypocampus57
Einfach nur schön, schön, schön
@xxcobxxtoffelk1620
wonderful
@mirandapeeters9135
Het zijn nog steeds mijn idolen met hun prachtige liedjes
@etienneclauwaert8895
Stemmen die samenhoren, maar hoor liefst die van anny.
Prachtig lied.
@peetje28021970
Leuke herinneringen aan m'n opa en oma waar we met de hele familie bij elkaar kwamen.
@Siggi2009Charly
🍀🍁🍀Sehr Gut 🍀🍁🍀
@roynurmohamed2508
Really nice
@angelginel
Got hear after hearing the Spanish version. Both great
@manuelbauer6624
so much songs - but the best for me is "Pearlydum",wherever it is - for me it is near to Abba. I love it