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.
Satisfied
Bettie Serveert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Were you hurt before,
Are you happy now that you don't feel anymore.
Placid are the skies,
When you're out at night.
Are you satisfied?
Callus on the sore,
It's just a metaphor,
How placid are the skies,
When you dream at night.
When you're safe inside.
Are you safe inside, at all?
Tell me what are we looking for.
Tell me what are we looking for,
If all we really want is each other.
Callus on the soul, there's a tale untold,
How you spent your live
In a place where no one goes.
Placid are the skies,
When you're out at night.
Are you satisfied,
Are you satisfied at all?
Tell me what are you looking for.
Tell me what are you looking for,
If all we really want is,
Throw out all your chastity,
No need for your blasphemy,
Live out every fantasy, all we really want is each other,
Bring out all the best in me,
Come on, take the rest of me
You've got full capacity.
All we really want is each other.
The lyrics of Bettie Serveert's song Satisfied speak to the complexity of human emotions and the quest for fulfillment. The song addresses the idea of emotional numbness and the idea that sometimes we unconsciously create calluses on our soul to protect ourselves from further hurt. The line "Callus on the sore, were you hurt before, are you happy now that you don't feel anymore" suggests that sometimes people become so desensitized that they don't even realize they've stopped feeling. The following line "Placid are the skies, when you're out at night" emphasizes this idea of emotional deadness, suggesting that everything may appear serene and peaceful on the surface, but there is an underlying emptiness.
The chorus of the song asks the question "Are you satisfied at all?" which can be interpreted in two ways - either as a rhetorical question to show that deep down we are all in search of something more, or as a direct challenge to the listener to reflect on their own satisfaction levels.
The second half of the song hints at the idea that perhaps what we are all truly looking for is connection and intimacy with others. The lyrics encourage throwing away the trappings of society that prevent us from being open and honest with each other. The ending lines "All we really want is each other" bring the theme of the song full circle, suggesting that the search for fulfillment is futile without human connection and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Callus on the sore,
A hardened layer over a wound. Implying that the person has gone through some pain and has healed from it with a mark left.
Were you hurt before,
Asking if the person has experienced any pain or hurt beforehand.
Are you happy now that you don't feel anymore.
Asking if the person is happy not experiencing any more pain or hurt anymore.
Placid are the skies,
The skies are calm and peaceful.
When you're out at night.
When you are out during the night-time (an implied time of loneliness or contemplation).
Are you satisfied?
Asking if the person is content or fulfilled with their current state or situation.
Callus on the sore,
Repeating the first line, implying that the hardness hasn't gone away and has remained in their life.
It's just a metaphor,
Saying that the earlier callus was used as a metaphor to represent indifference, apathy or emotional distance.
'cause you're still alive, but you don't live anymore.
Saying that they still have a pulse and are still breathing, but they are not experiencing or enjoying life anymore.
How placid are the skies,
A repetition of the earlier line, referring to the peacefulness of the skies.
When you dream at night.
Saying that the person only finds peace in their dreams.
When you're safe inside.
When the person feels safe within their own mind, inside their comfort zone.
Are you safe inside, at all?
Asking if the person genuinely feels safe inside, or whether it's just a façade.
Tell me what are we looking for.
Asking what the person is seeking or searching for in life.
Tell me what are we looking for,
Repeating the earlier line for emphasis.
If all we really want is each other.
Asking if the love, companionship or true relationships are all they need in life.
Callus on the soul, there's a tale untold,
Saying that there is something deep and profound within the person, but it is not yet known or understood.
How you spent your life in a place where no one goes.
Implies a loneliness or solitude which the person has endured for their lifetime.
Placid are the skies,
Repeated for emphasis, showing the peace and calmness that the person is looking for in life.
When you're out at night.
Repeating earlier line, referring to the silence of the night when the person is thinking or contemplating.
Are you satisfied,
Repeating earlier line, asking if the person is happy with their life.
Are you satisfied at all?
Repeating earlier line with emphasis.
Tell me what are you looking for.
Repeating earlier line, asking about what the person is seeking in their life.
If all we really want is,
Repeating earlier line, if they only want true relationships and love in their life.
Throw out all your chastity,
Saying that the person should let go of their restraints or inhibitions.
No need for your blasphemy,
Saying that if they have lost faith, they should not bother to disrespect.
Live out every fantasy,
Saying that they should embrace every dream or desire in life.
All we really want is each other,
Repeating earlier line, priority lies in forging true relationships and love in life.
Bring out all the best in me,
Saying that the person wants their better traits to come forth.
Come on, take the rest of me
Saying that they will offer their all to the other person.
You've got full capacity.
Saying that the other person has the ability or potential to fulfill them or make them happy.
All we really want is each other.
Repeated earlier line, emphasizing that true love and companionship are all that they want and need in life.
Contributed by Sebastian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.