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).
emperor's new clothes
Bertolf Lyrics
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You're the self-appointed leaders of elite, but that's so misplaced
You think you are so independent, and left wing
But you're all just looking at eachother if you like the right thing
And sometimes I feel like a child that cries out: ''Please think for
Yourself, he is naked! ''
You're just too scared to admit you can't see
Look out, there he goes
But nothing really shows
We're all looking at the emperor's new clothes
Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news
But it's all friends and politics that lead to all the rave reviews
And it's about time to throw the king of his thrown
You use your taste as a status symbol, but it's not even your own
And sometimes I feel like a child that cries out: ''Please think for
Yourself, he is naked! ''
You're just too scared to admit you can't see
But why on earth would you fake it
Oh, look out, there he goes
But nothing really shows
We're all looking at the emperor's new clothes
Music's no knife, no knife
No music's no knife, no knife
No, it's a spoon, a shiny spoon
Music's no knife, no knife
No music's no knife, no knife
No, it's a spoon, a shiny spoon
And sometimes I feel like a child that cries out: ''Please think for
Yourself, he is naked! ''
You're just too scared to admit you can't see
But why on earth would you fake it
Look out, there he goes
But nothing really shows
We're all looking at the emperor's new clothes
We're all looking at the emperor's new clothes
We're all looking at the emperor's new clothes
The song "Emperor's New Clothes" by Bertolf is a commentary on the music industry and the state of popular music. The lyrics are a critique on those who claim to be the gatekeepers of good taste in the industry, stating that they are self-appointed and their elitism is misplaced. The song points out how the industry thrives on politics and friendships and how this ultimately leads to rave reviews for undeserving artists. The lyrics ask the listeners to think for themselves and not follow the herd mentality of liking what others in the industry like.
The chorus of the song, "We're all looking at the emperor's new clothes," references the classic tale by Hans Christian Andersen, where the emperor is conned into wearing invisible clothing and is praised by his subjects, who are unable to see the clothes. The song suggests that the music industry is like the emperor, with everyone pretending to see something that isn't there. The use of the word "spoon" in the bridge is a metaphor for how the industry is spoon-feeding listeners their taste, rather than allowing them to develop their own preferences.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, you call yourself the keepers of good taste
The people he's addressing consider themselves to be upper-class and responsible for setting the standards for what is tasteful.
You're the self-appointed leaders of elite, but that's so misplaced
These leaders are self-appointed and do not deserve to lead the elite.
You think you are so independent, and left wing
The leaders think they are independent and liberal-minded.
But you're all just looking at eachother if you like the right thing
The leaders are just looking at each other and following what they think is popular.
And sometimes I feel like a child that cries out: ''Please think for Yourself, he is naked! ''
The artist feels like a child trying to tell the leaders that what they believe is wrong.
You're just too scared to admit you can't see
The leaders are afraid to admit that they don't truly understand what's going on.
But why on earth would you fake it
The singer can't understand why the leaders would pretend to know something they don't.
Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news
The artist doesn't want to be the one to bring up unpleasant truths.
But it's all friends and politics that lead to all the rave reviews
The reason why certain things are popular is because of politics and insider connections.
And it's about time to throw the king of his thrown
It's time to dethrone the people who think they're in charge.
You use your taste as a status symbol, but it's not even your own
The leaders use their opinions as a way to show off their status, but don't even have unique opinions.
Music's no knife, no knife
Music is not harmful.
No music's no knife, no knife
No music can't cause harm.
No, it's a spoon, a shiny spoon
Music is harmless, like a shiny spoon.
We're all looking at the emperor's new clothes
Everyone is looking at a situation where the people in charge are pretending to know what they're doing when they really don't.
Contributed by Owen T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.