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.
Sheila
BZN Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Th. Tol/C. Tol/J. Tuijp/J. Veerman/A. Schilder/J. Keizer/P. Natte)
Having homes and having everything
A Christmastree where all the children sing
You are dining and you taste the wine
Peach flambé, it all looks very fine
Sheila's washing down the riverside
She has got no dolls that she can hold
She feels hungry and she's six years old
Don't cry Sheila
Tears rolling from your eyes
Still being blind after all those years
We forgot you, but once we'll dry your tears
Don't cry Sheila
Tears rolling from your eyes
Still being blind after all those years
We forgot you, but once we'll dry your tears
Having homes where we can watch TV
Having cars and boats to sail the sea
Sheila never will have grace or style
She's just hungry and she lost her smile
Don't cry Sheila
Tears rolling from your eyes
Still being blind after all those years
We forgot you, but once we'll dry your tears
Still being blind after all those years
We forgot you, but once we'll dry your tears Appears on:
Dutch albums
We wish you a merry Christmas
The lyrics to BZN's song Sheila are a poignant commentary on the contrast between the lifestyles of the wealthy and the impoverished. The first verse describes the opulence afforded by wealth, with homes, Christmas trees, fine dining, and peach flambé all mentioned. However, the focus of the song quickly turns to Sheila, a young girl with no toys to play with and not enough food to eat. The lyrics state that at the moment when the wealthy are enjoying their luxurious surroundings, Sheila is washing down by the riverside, highlighting the disparity in circumstances.
The chorus acts as a message of hope and a call to action, with the lyrics "Don't cry Sheila / Tears rolling from your eyes / Still being blind after all those years / We forgot you, but once we'll dry your tears" conveying a sense of responsibility to help those in need. The second verse emphasizes the stark difference between those who have everything and those who have nothing, with mentions of cars, boats, and style. However, the focus then shifts back to Sheila, who will never experience such luxuries, but is more concerned with having enough to eat and regaining her lost smile.
Overall, the lyrics to Sheila effectively convey a message about the importance of empathy and taking action to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Through the contrast between the luxurious lifestyles of the wealthy and the struggles of the impoverished young girl, the song serves as a powerful reminder of our social responsibilities.
Line by Line Meaning
Having homes and having everything
Living in luxury with all material possessions
A Christmastree where all the children sing
Celebrating Christmas with joy and happiness
You are dining and you taste the wine
Enjoying a lavish meal with fine wine
Peach flambé, it all looks very fine
Indulging in an elaborate dessert
At the moment that you switch the light
At the same moment, something contrasting is happening elsewhere
Sheila's washing down the riverside
Sheila, a little girl, is washing clothes down by the river
She has got no dolls that she can hold
Sheila doesn't have toys to play with
She feels hungry and she's six years old
Sheila is malnourished and only six years old
Don't cry Sheila
Trying to console Sheila
Tears rolling from your eyes
Sheila is crying
Still being blind after all those years
The people who have everything are still unaware of Sheila's struggles
We forgot you, but once we'll dry your tears
We may have forgotten about her, but we will help her someday
Having homes where we can watch TV
Living comfortably where we can relax and watch television
Having cars and boats to sail the sea
Having luxury vehicles for transportation and entertainment
Sheila never will have grace or style
Sheila will never be able to enjoy the luxuries of life like others do
She's just hungry and she lost her smile
Sheila's hunger has taken away her happiness
Contributed by Kennedy H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.