Comprising vocalist Carol Van Dyk (vocals), Peter Visser (guitar), Herman Bunskoeke (bass) and Berend Dubbe (drums) they originally formed in 1986 as a side-project of De Artsen. After De Artsen split up in 1990, Bettie Serveert became a full-time project. Bettie Serveert released their debut album Palomine in 1992, which, fifteen years after its release, is still a modern indie rock classic, wonderfully blending together influences of Velvet Underground and Neil Young with melancholic lyrics, catchy tunes and a lo-fi-feel.
After releasing the full-length albums Lamprey (1995), Dust Bunnies (1997) and the Velvet Underground cover album Venus In Furs (1998), drummer Berend Dubbe decided to leave because of musical disagreements. He started his own samplepop-project: Bauer, receiving critical acclaim in Holland and Belgium. Various drummers took the place of Dubbe on the albums that followed (Private Suit, Log 22, Attagirl and Bare Stripped Naked). During most gigs, Gino Geudens of Belgian nineties power pop band Metal Molly, plays the drums.
For the 30th anniversary of Palomine, which is generally considered their best album, there was a re-release on Matador and a tour in 2023.
Auf Wiedersehen
Bettie Serveert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I guess I'll see you around.
If I stay I know I'd only bring you down.
There'll be other times,
There'll be other days.
Mortify the flesh untill we find a way.
If I could tell you now,
I won't know where to start,
At your first goodbye,
Write a whiter lie,
Frozen like a cold stare in a feeble heart.
But it's so much more
When you spell it out.
Now, this is why we got a load of doubts.
It's obvious now, we're not allowed
To play a twosome.
Read it as a signal, now
That we feel the same.
So, it's auf wiedersehen.
There'll be other times,
There'll be other days.
Let's mortify the flesh untill we find a way.
'Cause it's so much more
When you spell it out.
Now, this is why we got a load of doubts.
It's obvious now, we're not allowed
To play a twosome.
Read it as a signal, now
That we feel the same.
So it's auf wiedersehen,
I guess I'll see you 'round.
The lyrics of Bettie Serveert's song "Auf Wiedersehen" seem to be about the end of a relationship. The singer seems to have come to the realization that their relationship with the other person is no longer going to work out, so they have decided to say goodbye before they cause any more pain or disappointment. The first verse mentions "auf wiedersehen," which is German for "goodbye," and the singer says that if they were to stay, they would only bring the other person down. The focus then shifts to the idea that there will be other times and days, and that they need to "mortify the flesh" until they find a way. This line could be interpreted as a call for self-sacrifice and self-discipline in order to move on.
The second verse continues with the theme of saying goodbye and moving on. The singer says that they don't know where to start when it comes to telling the other person how they feel, and that they need to tear down some walls in order to do so. The phrase "write a whiter lie" is interesting, as it implies that the singer may have been dishonest in the past or that they may be tempted to be dishonest again. The chorus then repeats, emphasizing the idea that it's better to say goodbye now than to continue with a relationship that isn't working.
Overall, the song seems to be about the difficult process of ending a relationship and moving forward. It's a bittersweet goodbye, marked by a mix of sadness, regret, and a sense of relief. The lyrics are poignant and honest, and the music supports the emotional weight of the words.
Line by Line Meaning
So it's auf wiedersehen,
We are saying goodbye
I guess I'll see you around.
It's possible we will meet again
If I stay I know I'd only bring you down.
I don't want to be a burden or bring you any trouble
There'll be other times,
There'll be other days.
Mortify the flesh untill we find a way.
There will be opportunities to meet again, but we must work hard and endure struggles
If I could tell you now,
I won't know where to start,
Tearing down the walls untill they fall apart
If I were to tell you everything, I wouldn't know where to begin, and it would require breaking barriers
At your first goodbye,
Write a whiter lie,
Frozen like a cold stare in a feeble heart.
When you first say goodbye, it's best to tell a small lie and mask the sadness in your heart
But it's so much more
When you spell it out.
Now, this is why we got a load of doubts.
It's better to express your feelings clearly, but doing so can create uncertainty and confusion
It's obvious now, we're not allowed
To play a twosome.
We cannot have a romantic relationship
Read it as a signal, now
That we feel the same.
We share mutual feelings, but cannot pursue them
So it's auf wiedersehen,
We are saying goodbye
There'll be other times,
There'll be other days.
Let's mortify the flesh untill we find a way.
We will meet again, and let's persevere and work hard until that happens
'Cause it's so much more
When you spell it out.
Now, this is why we got a load of doubts.
Expressing our true feelings can create more issues and uncertainty
It's obvious now, we're not allowed
To play a twosome.
We cannot be romantically involved
Read it as a signal, now
That we feel the same.
We share mutual feelings, but cannot pursue them
So it's auf wiedersehen,
I guess I'll see you 'round.
We are saying goodbye, but hope to meet again in the future
Contributed by Gianna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.