Bettie Serveert is a Dutch indie-rock band, founded in 1991 in Arnhem, The … Read Full Bio ↴Bettie Serveert is a Dutch indie-rock band, founded in 1991 in Arnhem, The Netherlands. Their name, which translates to "Bettie serves," is taken from a series of tennis instructional books by Dutch tennis player Betty Stove, who lost the Wimbledon Ladies singles final in 1977.

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.

Roadmovies
Bettie Serveert Lyrics

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I'm inside this movie
And I'm some sort of actress
They got the proper location
But I'm wearing the wrong dress

They got so many actions
And they can't find the film crew
And I guess I might as well be in the nude

?Cause there's no one here to tell me what to do

Down at the station
They have started the New Age
I got a full invitation
But I flunked at the last stage

There were too many questions
And no, no one to talk to
And I guess that's what they call 'in solitude'
When there's no one here to tell the answers to

This is your solid tear
This is your landing gear
This is you on and on
We're heading down the road of self-reliance

I once knew this lady
She was full of frustrations
She's a suntanned example
Of a worn-out Caucasian

She said, ? don't take the offer
?Cause you don't really need to?
And I guess that's why she hates, her solitude
?Cause she never had a heart to listen to

Bouncers in rehab
Saying they'll get you
?Cause they know you're not leaving
Until someone connects you

To the proper authorities
Who have somehow forgotten
How to make a civil person out of you
And now there's no one here to tell the answers to

This is your solid tear
This is your landing gear
This is you on and on
We're heading down the road of self-reliance

We're heading down the road of self-reliance
Heading down the road of self-reliance

Overall Meaning

In "Roadmovies," Bettie Serveert sings about feeling lost in various scenarios and struggling without someone to guide her. In the beginning, she describes herself as an actress in a movie who is not quite fitting in with her surroundings. Although the setting is ideal, she is wearing the wrong dress and the film crew is nowhere to be found. She feels like she might as well be in the nude because there is no one present to give her direction.

Later on, the lyrics shift to her experience at the station where the "New Age" has started. She was invited but failed to pass the last stage of the invitation due to too many questions and a lack of support. She is left to her own devices and tries to navigate through the feeling of solitude. The third verse features a woman who tells Bettie Serveert not to take an offer because she does not need to. The woman is frustrated with her own solitude since she never had someone to truly talk to. The final verse is about bouncers in rehab who want to help, but cannot seem to connect with the people they are trying to help. These scenarios all blend together to create a sense of struggling to find one's place without a stable support system.

Overall, the song appears to be about searching for self-reliance amidst feeling lost, misunderstood, or unsupported. The repetition of the words "solid tear" and "landing gear" in the chorus makes it seem as though the singer is trying to understand the inner workings of her own feelings, as well as her own stability in the face of difficult situations.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm inside this movie
The singer feels like they're in a movie in their life

And I'm some sort of actress
They see themselves as playing a role in their life

They got the proper location
Things in their life are in the right place

But I'm wearing the wrong dress
The artist feels like they don't fit in their own life

They got so many actions
There's a lot going on in the artist's life

And they can't find the film crew
They feel like they don't have the support they need

And I guess I might as well be in the nude
They feel exposed and vulnerable

Cause there's no one here to tell me what to do
They feel like they don't have guidance

Down at the station
The artist is in a place of transition

They have started the New Age
Things are changing in the world around them

I got a full invitation
The singer has opportunities available to them

But I flunked at the last stage
They feel like they're failing to take advantage of those opportunities

There were too many questions
They feel overwhelmed by their options

And no, no one to talk to
They don't have anyone to turn to for advice

And I guess that's what they call 'in solitude'
The singer is experiencing loneliness

When there's no one here to tell the answers to
They feel lost and unsure

This is your solid tear
The artist's emotions are solid and defined

This is your landing gear
They're preparing for a change or transition

This is you on and on
They feel stuck in this pattern

We're heading down the road of self-reliance
The artist is learning to rely on themselves

I once knew this lady
The artist is recalling an experience with someone else

She was full of frustrations
They remember someone who was unhappy

She's a suntanned example
They remember this person's physical appearance

Of a worn-out Caucasian
They make a comment on race and the toll that frustration can take

She said, ? don't take the offer
The singer remembers advice given to them

?Cause you don't really need to?
They recall the reasoning behind the advice

And I guess that's why she hates, her solitude
The singer thinks this person is unhappy with their own company because they haven't listened to themselves

?Cause she never had a heart to listen to
They believe the person never listened to themselves and their own needs

Bouncers in rehab
The artist is recalling a place where authority is present

Saying they'll get you
They feel threatened by this authority

?Cause they know you're not leaving
They believe this authority is trying to control them

Until someone connects you
The artist needs to be connected to the proper channels or support systems

To the proper authorities
The artist believes they need guidance from the right people

Who have somehow forgotten
The artist believes authorities have lost sight of their role

How to make a civil person out of you
They don't believe authorities are treating them with respect or dignity

And now there's no one here to tell the answers to
They feel like they're on their own again

We're heading down the road of self-reliance
The singer is determined to learn to rely on themselves

We're heading down the road of self-reliance
The singer ends with a repeated phrase, reinforcing their determination

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: VAN DYK

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind