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.
You're My Shelter
BZN Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Th. Tol/J. Tuijp/C. Tol)
Well every time I'm walking down
The sunset boulevard
Then I'm thinkin' of
The times I had with you
And I drink myself a beer
I'm gonna dream away
I wish that you were here
I remember how you walked me home
Along that dark and winding road
Though it seems to me a long time ago
You're my shelter in the dead of the night
You comfort me when I lose my mind
Yes you are the subject of my rhymes
You stand by me when I feel down
While I'm riding on the highway
On my way back home to you
That same old route turns out
To be an endless road
And the traffic lights that slow me down
The time that I will lose
It doesn't bother me
I'm on my way to you
I remember how you walked me home
Along that dark and winding road
Though it seems to me a long long time ago
You're my shelter in the dead of the night
You comfort me when I lose my mind
Yes you are the subject of my rhymes
You stand by me when I feel down
I remember how you walked me home
Along that dark and winding road
Though it seems to me a long long time ago
You're my shelter in the dead of the night
You comfort me when I lose my mind
Yes you are the subject of my rhymes
You stand by me when I feel down
BZN's song "You're My Shelter" is a love song that expresses the singer's feelings towards his significant other. The lyrics speak of the times the singer spent with his lover and how they comfort him in times of distress. The song starts with the singer walking down the sunset boulevard and thinking of the moments he spent with his lover. He then goes to a café to drink a beer and drifts away into a dream wishing that his lover was with him.
The chorus speaks of his lover being his shelter in the dead of the night, comforting him when he feels like he's losing his mind. The lyrics also express how his lover is the subject of his rhymes and how he stands by him in times when he feels down. The second verse speaks of the journey home to his lover, where the same old route turns out to be an endless road. The traffic lights slow him down, but he's not bothered because he's on his way to his lover. The verse ends with the same sentiment as the first verse, talking about the dark and winding road that his lover walked him home on, and how it seems like it's been a long time ago.
Overall, the song paints a picture of a strong and supportive love between two people who can rely on each other in times of distress.
Line by Line Meaning
You're my shelter
You give me a sense of security and protection
Well every time I'm walking down
The sunset boulevard
Then I'm thinkin' of
The times I had with you
Whenever I walk down Sunset Boulevard, I reminisce about the memories we made together
While I'm sittin' in a café
And I drink myself a beer
I'm gonna dream away
I wish that you were here
When I'm alone in a café, I daydream about you and wish you were there with me
You're my shelter in the dead of the night
You comfort me when I lose my mind
Yes you are the subject of my rhymes
You stand by me when I feel down
You are my source of comfort and support, the inspiration for my creative expression, and my constant companion through difficult times
While I'm riding on the highway
On my way back home to you
That same old route turns out
To be an endless road
Even though I've taken the same road home to you many times, it still feels like a never-ending journey
And the traffic lights that slow me down
The time that I will lose
It doesn't bother me
I'm on my way to you
Even though traffic lights and delays slow me down, they don't bother me because I know I'm on my way to you
I remember how you walked me home
Along that dark and winding road
Though it seems to me a long time ago
I fondly recall how you walked me home along a dark and winding road, although it feels like it happened a long time ago
You're my shelter in the dead of the night
You comfort me when I lose my mind
Yes you are the subject of my rhymes
You stand by me when I feel down
You are my sanctuary when everything else is dark, my aid when my thoughts are scattered, my muse for my creative expression, and my unwavering support during my low moments
I remember how you walked me home
Along that dark and winding road
Though it seems to me a long long time ago
I vividly recall how you accompanied me home along a dark and winding road, even though it feels like it happened a very long time ago
You're my shelter in the dead of the night
You comfort me when I lose my mind
Yes you are the subject of my rhymes
You stand by me when I feel down
You are my solace in times of darkness, my solace when my mind is lost, my inspiration for my artistic expression, and my constant support when I feel low
Contributed by Callie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.