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.
Where The Nightingales Sing
BZN Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh-hoo-hoo hoo hoo
Ooh hoo hoo hoo-hoo hoo hoo hoo
My countryside
You gave me everything you had
The sweet perfume of roses
And the smell of baking bread
The black-tailed swallow on the wing
And the villageschool so old
Your summerdays were blazing hot
And your winters icy cold
Where the nightingales sing
Seagulls fly on the wing
Where we spent our youth so long ago
Where we played in the park
And we kissed in the dark
I will always stay here where I belong
Where the nightingales sing
Seagulls fly on the wing
I will always be here even when I'm gone
How I recall, our childhood passed away
Messin' around the backyard
Hide and seek we used to play
My pockets full of jellybeans
That felt like bars of gold
Your summerdays were blazing hot
And your winters icy cold
Where the nightingales sing
Seagulls fly on the wing
Where we spent our youth so long ago (Long ago)
Where we played in the park
And we kissed in the dark
I will always stay here where I belong
Where the nightingales sing
Seagulls fly on the wing
I will always be here even when I'm gone
Where the nightingales sing
Seagulls fly on the wing
Where we spent our youth so long ago (Ahaha)
Where we played in the park
Where we kissed in the dark
I will always stay here where I belong
Where the nightingales sing
Seagulls fly on the wing
The song “Where The Nightingales Sing” by BZN is a tribute to the singer’s countryside and the happy memories he had growing up there. The lyrics are nostalgic, evocative and full of emotion. The first few lines of the song set the tone for the rest – it's a tribute to the countryside that has given the singer everything he has – the sweet scent of roses, the aroma of freshly baked bread and the black-tailed swallow on the wing.
The singer then reminisces about how his childhood was spent, playing hide and seek in the backyard, hanging out in the park and the joy of finding jellybeans in his pockets. He remembers the blazing hot summers followed by icy cold winters, a reflection of the rhythm of country living. The refrain of this song, which repeats throughout, talks about the nightingales singing and seagulls flying, a beautiful reminder of the simplicity and beauty of the countryside.
Overall, this song is about remembering where you come from, and how the places and experiences from your youth shape who you are as a person. It's about finding solace in the familiar, and realizing that no matter how far you may roam, there is always a place to call home.
Line by Line Meaning
My countryside
The rural setting of my childhood
You gave me everything you had
The land and its natural resources provided all I needed
The sweet perfume of roses
The fragrance of flowers that grew everywhere
And the smell of baking bread
The aroma of freshly-made food in the kitchen
The black-tailed swallow on the wing
The beauty of the indigenous bird species
And the villageschool so old
The historic educational institution where I learned and grew up
Your summerdays were blazing hot
The intense heat of summertime in the countryside
And your winters icy cold
The biting cold of winter in the countryside
Where the nightingales sing
The place where nightingales make their melodious sounds
Seagulls fly on the wing
Seagulls soaring through the sky
Where we spent our youth so long ago
The place of our childhood reminiscences
Where we played in the park
The park where we enjoyed playing in our childhood
And we kissed in the dark
The hidden spots where we shared our intimacy in the nighttime
I will always stay here where I belong
My soul is connected to this place and I will never leave it
I will always be here even when I'm gone
My memories and spirit will remain here even after I pass away
How I recall, our childhood passed away
Looking back, I reminisce about the loss of our youth and innocence
Messin' around the backyard
Having fun by playing in the outdoor area behind the house
Hide and seek we used to play
The childhood game we enjoyed playing with friends
My pockets full of jellybeans
The excitement of having sweets in my pocket
That felt like bars of gold
The premium value I placed on such little treasures
Where we spent our youth so long ago (Long ago)
The place of our bygone days that have passed far away
Where the nightingales sing
The place where nightingales make their melodious sounds
Where we played in the park
The park where we enjoyed playing in our childhood
Where we kissed in the dark
The hidden spots where we shared our intimacy in the nighttime
I will always stay here where I belong
My soul is connected to this place and I will never leave it
Where the nightingales sing
The place where nightingales make their melodious sounds
Seagulls fly on the wing
Seagulls soaring through the sky
Contributed by Micah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
austrorus
BZN, they will always be with us, even if the band is no more. good music and memories never die.
serbanmike
Wonderful song, outstanding rendition! One feels home with BZN , thanks for sharing.
ania maj
Piękna melodia
Teresa Sapała
co za piękności same nogi chodzą
jullianne joø
I love BZN lovely music...
Spider21056
Does it matter? It's THEIR music, it's their work and is beautiful...
Dagmar Herrmann
Die Musik ist so schön. Schade, das es die Band nicht mehr gibt.
JoseLeon RS
Musica de verdad
Quien escucha esta belleza en pleno 2019
Jennings Barnett
Dutchmuziekfan: BZN my all time favorite European Band. Just wish they had made it to the USA, especially to the state of Kentucky.Have many of their CD's and DVD's.. Thank you for posting.
albert sensini
I love you BZN!