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.
Wheels of Fire
BZN Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She ain't got no place to go
Undaunted but always on the run.
She's the girl behind the lines
She ain't dressed up to the nines
She's wondering what have they done.
It's a broken heart
That never mends again.
Wheels on fire, keep on rollin'
Take her home into your paradise,
Wheels on fire, no more crying
Fly away on wings of time
In purple lace with diamonds in her hair
Oh, she's so beautiful, it's all beyond compare.
She feels hungry and bizarre,
Hates the burning face of war,
She won't have it any more.
But deep inside there's a woman's heart that cries
It's a broken heart
That never mends again.
Wheels on fire, keep on rollin'
Take her home into your paradise,
Wheels on fire, no more crying
Fly away on wings of time
In purple lace with diamonds in her hair
Oh, she's so beautiful, it's all beyond compare.
The song, "Wheels of Fire" by BZN, is a tribute to the women who suffer during wartime. The lyrics depict a woman who has grown up in a war-torn society, constantly on the run and without a place to call home. She is a fighter, undaunted by the circumstances she finds herself in, but she is also deeply affected by the trauma of war. The lyrics suggest that despite her tough exterior, she is still a woman with a vulnerable heart that cries out with pain.
Line by Line Meaning
She grew up where guns get low,
She grew up in an area where guns and ammunitions are scarce and difficult to obtain.
She ain't got no place to go
She is homeless and has nowhere to go.
Undaunted but always on the run.
Despite being homeless, she remains courageous and constantly moving forward to find a better life.
She's the girl behind the lines
She is the girl who is caught in the middle of a battle between two opposing forces.
She ain't dressed up to the nines
She does not wear fancy or expensive clothing.
She's wondering what have they done.
She wonders what the people involved in the conflict she's caught in have done to deserve such a fate.
But deep inside there's a woman's heart that cries
Despite being brave, she has a broken heart that cries for love and comfort.
It's a broken heart
Her heart is shattered due to the circumstances she's currently in.
That never mends again.
Her heart is so broken that it can never be whole again.
Wheels on fire, keep on rollin'
The wheels on fire represent the hope and joy she feels in her heart while moving forward despite her situation.
Take her home into your paradise,
She longs for a safe and peaceful home where she can live free from war and danger.
Wheels on fire, no more crying
The wheels on fire give her hope that there will be no more tears and sadness in the future.
Fly away on wings of time
She dreams of a better future where she can fly away from the dangers and problems of her current life.
In purple lace with diamonds in her hair
She imagines herself in beautiful clothing with diamonds as a symbol of her dream for a better, more luxurious life.
Oh, she's so beautiful, it's all beyond compare.
Despite her difficult circumstances, she remains beautiful and hopeful for a better future.
She feels hungry and bizarre,
She feels hungry and odd, as her life circumstances are abnormal and tough.
Hates the burning face of war,
She abhors the violent and destructive nature of war.
She won't have it any more.
She refuses to live in an environment of violence and war any longer.
Contributed by Taylor B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Viktor Volkov
Прекрасная группа. Ее можно слушать часами и не надоест.
Therina James
What an awesome band. Still listening to their music - it never age. Love this band and their music
Judy Peyper
Carola has the beautiful voice! Jan & Carola as a duo, just perfect! BZN is the best ever! Love their beautiful songs, lyrics & music!! ❤️❤️
Lanting Farming
this is such a beautiful song. cant get enough of it. always get visions while listening to this. Definitly one of the best BZN-Songs ever!!!
Fritz Dege
Will love this group and music till I die. ❤️
Graça Querido
Que voz maravilhosa Santo Deus.
hubert baelen
Comme c'est dommage que BZN n'existe plus, c’était un merveilleux groupe avec des superbes mélodies.
Zoltán Tatai
My best beloved pop group from Holland. Carole's voice is really incredible! Thanks for the video!
Brianna08051919
Fascinating. This is completely different from what I expected by this title.
A song fit to leave goosebumps - and have I said today that I just love these voices?
Michael Friedman
Lovely song and wonderful musical performance !