BZN started out as a pop-rock band in their native Volendam in 1966, playin… Read Full Bio ↴BZN started out as a pop-rock band in their native Volendam in 1966, playing early-Bee Gees-like harmony pop. The initial line-up consisted of Jan Veerman (vocals), Cees Tol (guitar), Evert Woestenburg (guitar) Jan Tuyp (bass guitar) and Gerrit Woestenburg (drums).

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.

Troubadour
BZN Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hij heeft ons alles wat-ie had gegeven
z'n muzikaliteit, z'n warme lach
z'n humor en 't besef, dat je moet leven,
zo lang je leven mag

Van al z'n pijn heeft niemand iets geweten
'n harlekijn laat nooit een traan
die speelt z'n spel maar door, maar dan ineens

valt het doek spontaan

refrain:
Als troubadour, versleet-ie heel z'n leven
als troubadour, betaalt-ie nu de prijs
want zijn publiek en 't applaus zijn nu verdwenen
hij staat alleen, aan 't einde van z'n reis

Wat hij ons nalaat zijn geen aardse dingen
geen vruchten van zijn succes
maar wel een dagboek vol, herinneringen,
als wijze levensles

refrain

Aan z'n tournee is plots 'n eind gekomen
die stilte, het is raar

als ik m'n ogen sluit, speelt-ie voor mij
nog eens op z'n gitaar

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to BZN's song Troubadour tell the story of a troubadour who has given everything he had to his music and his audience. He shared his musicality, warm smile, sense of humor, and the belief that life is worth living. Despite experiencing pain in his life, he chose to be a harlequin and hid his tears. He continued to portray joy in his performances, but then suddenly, the curtain fell.

As a troubadour, he spent his entire life performing and entertaining audiences. However, now that he is at the end of his journey, he has lost his audience and the applause that once accompanied his performances. He stands alone, paying the price of his occupation. Nevertheless, what he leaves behind is not material possessions or fruits of his success but a diary filled with memories of his journey as a wise life lesson for others.

The song reflects the bittersweet reality of a life lived as a troubadour, the sacrifices made, and the joys and challenges faced along the way. It is a reminder that life's experiences are not always tangible and may not be economically profitable, but they are priceless.

Line by Line Meaning

Hij heeft ons alles wat-ie had gegeven
He gave us everything he had

z'n muzikaliteit, z'n warme lach
His musical ability, his warm smile

z'n humor en 't besef, dat je moet leven,
His humor and the realization that you must live

zo lang je leven mag
As long as you can

Van al z'n pijn heeft niemand iets geweten
Nobody knew about all his pain

'n harlekijn laat nooit een traan
A harlequin never sheds a tear

die speelt z'n spel maar door, maar dan ineens
He plays his game, but suddenly

valt het doek spontaan
The curtain falls spontaneously

refrain:
Chorus:

Als troubadour, versleet-ie heel z'n leven
As a troubadour, he wore out his whole life

als troubadour, betaalt-ie nu de prijs
As a troubadour, he now pays the price