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.
What They Call Love
Bettie Serveert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is just mother nature trying to have her way
Like a chemical inside your mind
It turns you deaf and dumb and blind so easily
When I care more than I care to know
I just play it down, so my fears don't show
How many times can I push them aside
And here's to the fear
That blinded me all those years
And here's to the times
When I almost lost my mind
I take care of myself
I don't need no one else
But I love the way you say my name
So sweetly
I wonder should I trust in you
Or anyone, no matter who
You say you love me like a friend
Is this for real or just pretend, oh, no offense
And here's to the fear
That blinded me all those years
And here's to the times
When I almost lost my mind
I said to myself
I don't need no one else
But I love the way you say my name
The lyrics to Bettie Serveert's song "What They Call Love" touch on the theme of love as a chemical reaction in the brain. The singer suggests that what we often think of as love is just our biology taking over, turning us "deaf and dumb and blind so easily." Despite her awareness of this, the singer still finds herself caring deeply for someone but tries to keep her feelings at bay, so her fears don't show.
The song, however, is not merely about superficial love. It delves deeper into how fear can be a major factor in our relationships, and how it can blind and almost drive us to madness. The singer is afraid of trusting in anyone, even those who claim to love her. She wonders if their love is just fake, and if anyone is truly trustworthy.
The repeated lines of "here's to the fear that blinded me all those years, and here's to the times when I almost lost my mind" speak of the singer's past experiences in love and the fear that continues to haunt her. The lyrics are poignant and relatable, with a vulnerable honesty that will resonate with listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
What they call love
The term 'love' is just a construct created by nature to fulfill its own desires
Is just mother nature trying to have her way
Nature uses the concept of love to further its own agenda
Like a chemical inside your mind
Love is like a powerful substance that affects the mind
It turns you deaf and dumb and blind so easily
Love has the ability to make a person oblivious to what's happening around them
When I care more than I care to know
Sometimes caring too much can be overwhelming
I just play it down, so my fears don't show
To cope with overwhelming emotions, one may pretend they don't exist
How many times can I push them aside
Questioning if it's possible to continue ignoring emotions
I don't know
Uncertainty regarding emotional capacity
And here's to the fear
Acknowledging and raising a glass to past emotional struggles
That blinded me all those years
Fear that rendered someone unable to see their own needs and desires for an extended period of time
And here's to the times
Recognizing and celebrating difficult experiences
When I almost lost my mind
Remembering a time of personal crisis
I take care of myself
Self-assuredness regarding personal care and independence
I don't need no one else
Not relying on anyone else for emotional stability
But I love the way you say my name
Appreciation for someone's affection
So sweetly
Complementing the way the individual expresses themselves
I wonder should I trust in you
Questioning the honesty of another individual
Or anyone, no matter who
Referring to the general inability to trust others completely
You say you love me like a friend
Expressing how someone else loves/cares for the singer
Is this for real or just pretend, oh, no offense
Expressing skepticism at the genuineness of someone else's feelings
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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