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.
The Pearl Of Surabaya
BZN Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Veerman/Keizer/Tuijp)
Where a golden sun is rising
From the dew, on blue blue waters.
So mystifying, the beauty of tropic islands.
Between mystery and secrets,
Silent passion, misty colours,
The pearl of Surabaya.
You whispered sweet words,
Gave me a bunch of 'bunga melatti',
And while the moon was gently smiling,
Oh babe, I fell in love with you.
That moonlit night in Surabaya,
Mmmm mmm mmmmm I lost my heart.
That moonlit night in Surabaya,
I fell, oh, I fell in love
Where the paddy fields are blooming,
In the sunlit green, green valleys,
I found my true love,
The pearl of Surabaya.
You whispered sweet words,
Gave me a bunch of 'bunga melatti',
And while the moon was gently smiling,
Oh babe, I fell in love with you.
That moonlit night in Surabaya,
Mmmm mmm mmmmm I lost my heart.
That moonlit night in Surabaya,
I fell, oh, I fell in love
That moonlit night in Surabaya,
I fell, oh, I fell
In love Appears on:
Dutch albums
Pearls
The song "The Pearl Of Surabaya" by BZN talks about a person who finds true love in the Indonesian city of Surabaya. The first stanza paints a picture of a tropical paradise where the sun rises on blue waters and the beauty of the islands is mystifying, with secrets and mystery abound. The singer finds their true love, which they describe as "the pearl of Surabaya", amidst this enchanting environment, filled with silent passion and misty colors.
The second stanza is a description of how their love story began. The person they fell in love with whispered sweet words and gifted them with a bunch of "bunga melatti", a flower commonly used in Indonesian weddings, while the moon smiled gently at them. The song implies that this moment was a turning point for the singer, who lost their heart that moonlit night in Surabaya, falling deeply in love.
Overall, "The Pearl Of Surabaya" is a romantic song that captures the magic of falling in love in a tropical paradise. The lyrics evoke a sense of wonder and enchantment that is reinforced by the tropical sounds and beats of the background music.
Line by Line Meaning
Where a golden sun is rising
The song starts by describing the beauty of the place, where the sun shines brightly and gives rise to a new day.
From the dew, on blue blue waters.
The beauty of the sunrise is enhanced by the dew on the blue waters, which creates a mesmerizing view.
So mystifying, the beauty of tropic islands.
The place is so enchanting that it seems like a mystery, especially due to the natural beauty that the tropic creates.
Between mystery and secrets,
The place is surrounded by intrigue and secrecy, which adds to its charm.
Silent passion, misty colours,
The place has an atmosphere of calm passion and mystery which is evident in the misty colours that surround it.
I found my true love,
The singer is saying that they found their true love in Surabaya, which adds to the beauty and magic of the place for them.
The pearl of Surabaya.
The singer is referring to the city of Surabaya as a pearl, which is indicative of its value, rarity, and beauty.
You whispered sweet words,
Here, the singer addresses their loved one by referring to the moment when they first met and how they whispered sweet words to them.
Gave me a bunch of 'bunga melatti',
The person then gave the singer a traditional Indonesian flower called 'bunga melatti,' which is known for its sweet fragrance and is often used in ceremonies and rituals.
And while the moon was gently smiling,
The singer is describing the romantic moment when they fell in love with their partner under the moonlight.
Oh babe, I fell in love with you.
The singer is expressing their love to their partner, revealing that they fell in love with them during their first encounter in Surabaya.
That moonlit night in Surabaya,
The singer is reminiscing about the time when they first met their partner and fell in love, which took place on a moonlit night in Surabaya.
Mmmm mmm mmmmm I lost my heart.
The singer is emphasizing the intensity of their emotions at that moment, that they completely lost their heart and were smitten with their partner.
Where the paddy fields are blooming,
The singer is describing the beauty of the place where the paddy fields are in full bloom during the sunny days, which adds to the charming environment.
In the sunlit green, green valleys,
The green valleys of Surabaya are depicted as a place of great beauty, especially during the daytime when the sun shines brightly.
I found my true love,
The singer reiterates that they found their true love in Surabaya, which is why the place holds so much meaning to them.
The pearl of Surabaya.
The song ends with the same line, referencing the city of Surabaya as a pearl that holds great value and significance to the singer.
Contributed by Declan E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ursulawilhelm3974
Ich finde euch großartige. Eure Musik macht mich sehr glücklich und lässt mich träumen. Vielen Dank ❤😢
@frederik2201
Surabaya near the paradise presented and performed by BZN. Thanks for sharing
@dorotaczyz6835
Kocham ten Zespół.mogę Go słuchać i słuchać.
@bogdanstachowiak2787
Piękna melodia,wspanialy duet(zespól)-takie zespoly u nas nie istnieją,a szkoda !.
@steciekawska
Dziekuje za piekny Song-Super!!! Slucham codziennie
@alexf3203
Einfach herrlich diese Musik mit den wunderschönen Stimmen!!
@makazoo111
Surabaya, rozmarzyłam się melodia i piosenka szczególnie dla zakochanych,cudowna. Dziękuję jesteście wspaniali ,duet zgrany.
@zenobiamodzelewska2795
Nastrojowo ,melodyjnie i przepiękne wykonanie - pozdrawiam !
@teresaszp
Przepiekna piosenka.
@augustkostecki4885
Wspaniałe wykonanie, kapitalny klip - pozdrawiam