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.
Silent Night Holy Night
BZN Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All is calm
All is bright
Crowned young virgin
Mother and child
Holy infant so tender and bright
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent Night, Holy Night
Shepherds pray
At first sight
Glory's dream
From heaven afar
Heavenly Host sing halleluja
Christ the saviour is born
Christ the saviour is born
Silent Night, Holy Night
All is calm
All is bright
Crowned young virgin
Mother and child
Holy infant so tender and bright
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
The lyrics of BZN's "Silent Night, Holy Night" are a classic representation of the birth of Jesus Christ. The song describes the peaceful and serene environment in which Jesus was born, with serene adjectives such as "calm" and "bright" being used to describe the setting. The song then goes on to describe the presence of Mary, the young virgin mother, and the Holy infant child, whom the shepherds come to visit upon hearing of his arrival. They are described as "tender and bright," which serves to underscore the preciousness of the moment. These images, along with the mention of the "Heavenly Host" singing "halleluja," exalt the spiritual nature of the story being told.
The repetition of "Sleep in heavenly peace," throughout the song creates a sense of rest and peace, a reflection of the joy that many Christians feel during the Christmas season. The song doesn't shy away from the fact that the birth of Jesus was a significant event, with the phrase "Christ the saviour is born" being repeated twice in the second verse, amplifying the importance of the moment. The decision to have the shepherds pray at the first sight of Jesus is a reference to the idea that Jesus' coming was prophesied and long-awaited, and therefore deserves reverence.
Line by Line Meaning
Silent Night, Holy Night
A peaceful and sacred night with quiet surroundings
All is calm
Everything is tranquil and serene
All is bright
The night is illuminated and radiant
Crowned young virgin
A young woman who has been chosen and anointed for a special role
Mother and child
A mother holding her newborn infant
Holy infant so tender and bright
The child is pure, innocent, and full of light
Sleep in heavenly peace
Rest in a state of divine harmony and tranquility
Shepherds pray
Humble individuals who have come to offer their reverence and worship
At first sight
Immediately upon seeing the blessed event
Glory's dream
A vision of divine magnificence
From heaven afar
An awe-inspiring sight from a distant realm
Heavenly Host sing halleluja
Multiple angels joyfully praising and worshiping
Christ the saviour is born
The Messiah has come to bring salvation to humanity
Contributed by Elena R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.