Bertolf Lentink (1980) is a Dutch musician and singer-songwriter born in Dr… Read Full Bio ↴Bertolf Lentink (1980) is a Dutch musician and singer-songwriter born in Dronten, The Netherlands, but now residing in Zwolle, The Netherlands.

Before he started his solo career, he was in indie rock band The Junes, and he was in the band of the popular Dutch singer Ilse deLange.

Signed to the 8Ball record label, Bertolf released his first album For Life in early 2009, followed the next year by Snakes And Ladders. 2012 saw the release of the epnymous Bertolf album. 2015's First & Then was his final album for 8Ball.

Between 2014 and 2018 a large chunk of Bertolf's time was devoted to touring as a member of the tribute band, Her Majesty. Named after the closing track of The Beatles' Abbey Road album, they especially gained prominence when they started performing the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (and other artists from their scene), to rave reviews in the Dutch press.

In the mean time, Bertolf signed with Excelsior Recordings, where his fifth and sixth solo albums were issued: the somewhat gloomy Big Shadows of Small Things (2019) and the very sunny, colorful, upbeat and particularly well-received Happy in Hindsight (2021).

Wrinkles
Bertolf Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well, everything
Has disappeared
Saw it explode
Then suddenly
I was here
And I am old

I wanna run

And come home
To my hideaway
But it is gone
It was shadow play

And the moon she rose high
As I was sleeping
And the summers
Quietly crept by
There's a train that I rode
As I was running
And these wrinkles
Grew around my eyes
Overnight

Enter you
And all my schemes
Came undone
And I'll be glad
To follow through
What we've begun

Oh, you're my age
We travel time
In stereo
Tryin' to see

Best case scenario's

But the moon she rose high
As we were sleeping
And the summers
Quietly crept by
There's a train that we rode
As we were running
And these wrinkles
Grew around our eyes

Yeah, the moon she rose high
As we were sleeping
And the summers
Quietly crept by
There's a train that we rode
As we were running
And these wrinkles
Grew around our eyes
Overnight

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Bertolf's song "Wrinkles" reflect on the passage of time, the fleeting nature of life, and the inevitability of aging. The song begins with a sense of transience - everything has disappeared and the singer suddenly finds themselves feeling old. The line "I wanna run and come home to my hideaway, but it is gone, it was shadow play" conveys a yearning for a place of comfort and security, but realizing that it can never be regained.

The second verse introduces another character, referred to as "you." This person seems to disrupt the singer's plans and schemes, but the singer embraces this change and is willing to follow through with what they have started. The phrase "you're my age, we travel time in stereo" suggests a deep connection and understanding between the singer and "you," as they both navigate the passage of time together.

The repetition of the chorus throughout the song emphasizes the contrast between the stillness of sleep and the constant movement of time. As the moon rises high and the summers quietly pass by, the wrinkles around the singer's eyes symbolize the physical manifestations of aging and the accumulation of life experiences. The lyrics suggest that these wrinkles appear overnight, highlighting the sudden and almost surreal nature of aging.

Overall, "Wrinkles" delves into themes of time, change, and the acceptance of aging. It captures the bittersweet nature of life's transience and the way relationships can shape our experiences as we grow older.

Line by Line Meaning

Well, everything
All aspects of my life

Has disappeared
Have vanished or faded away

Saw it explode
Witnessed its sudden and dramatic transformation

Then suddenly
Abruptly, without warning

I was here
I came into existence

And I am old
And now I have aged

I wanna run
I desire to escape

And come home
And find refuge

To my hideaway
To my secret retreat

But it is gone
But it no longer exists

It was shadow play
It was an illusion, a mere facade