Rather than singing in English, as is common practice among Dutch bands, BLØF produces songs in their native Dutch, vastly contributing to the popularization of Nederpop, as the genre has been known in the Netherlands..
Besides having deeply sensitive lyrics, BLØF incorporates sounds from around the world. Their hit song Aanzoek zonder ringen (Proposal without rings) uses Japanese kodo drums in the background, while their album, Umoja, was the result of a journey around the world to capture multi-national sounds.
Critics claim that their formula for success is the way they crafted songs; they try to find the ideal balance between alternative and popular rock, poetic lyrics, and the voice of Paskal Jakobsen. This has brought BLØF the hits, awards, airplay, and (inter-)national recognition that has propelled these four musicians into the most successful Dutch-language group in recent years.
Besides success, BLØF has also had its fair share of tragedy. Drummer Chris Götte, who replaced Henk Tjoonk in 1997, died in a motor crash on March 17th, 2001. When the news got out, the Bløf website was filled with condolences from fans and friends. In June, the band released a memorial album called Oog In Oog (Eye to eye). The revenue for the album was donated to War Child. Norman Bonink (who came from Frank Boeijen Groep) joined the band that same year and continues to be their drummer today.
Bougainville
Bløf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dacht ik weleens
Er gebeurt niet veel mee in dit land
Door het glas in mijn hand
In het zuiden van Frankrijk
Zie ik opeens
Dat het licht zacht verandert
En het doet iets met mij
Want de stand van de zon
Maakt van bougainville vuurwerk
Kleuren zijn kleuren
Denk ik weleens
Ze verdienen elkaar vroeg of laat
En terwijl ik maar praat
Op een zonnige berg
Weet ik opeens
Dat het licht mij verandert
En waar het om gaat
Want mijn hart weet waarom
Ik dit allemaal opmerk
En de stand van de zon
Maakt van bougainville vuurwerk
Kleuren zijn kleuren
Denk ik weleens
Ze verdienen elkaar vroeg of laat
"Bougainville" by Bløf is a meditative song about the beauty of nature and the significance of simple things. The song begins with the singer expressing his belief that colors are just colors and nothing special happens with them in his country. However, when he finds himself in the south of France, holding a glass in his hand, he suddenly realizes how the light softly changes and how it affects him. The imagery of this scene is painted through his words, and one can easily imagine the beauty and the tranquility he feels. He feels transformed by the colors and the light, and it makes him realize that something extraordinary can come out of something as simple as the changing colors of a flower. He is reminded that sometimes the most amazing things in life are the ones that are taken for granted.
The refrain, "Want de stand van de zon / Maakt van bougainville vuurwerk" translates to "Because of the position of the sun, bougainvillea turns into fireworks." The beauty of the moment is shown through this imagery, as a simple flower becomes a fireworks display in his eyes because of the position of the sun.
The song continues with the singer talking about how colors deserve each other sooner or later and how the light changes him while he's on a sunny mountain. He understands that the significance of the simple things can be more profound than what we are usually told. In conclusion, it is a song that portrays the beauty of nature and how it can change people's perspectives.
Line by Line Meaning
Kleuren zijn kleuren
Colors are just colors
Dacht ik weleens
I used to think so
Er gebeurt niet veel mee in dit land
Not much happens with them in this country
Door het glas in mijn hand
Through the glass in my hand
In het zuiden van Frankrijk
In the south of France
Zie ik opeens
Suddenly I see
Dat het licht zacht verandert
That the light is softly changing
En het doet iets met mij
And it affects me somehow
Want de stand van de zon
Because the position of the sun
Maakt van bougainville vuurwerk
Turns bougainville into fireworks
Kleuren zijn kleuren
Colors are just colors
Denk ik weleens
I think sometimes
Ze verdienen elkaar vroeg of laat
They deserve each other sooner or later
En terwijl ik maar praat
And while I keep on talking
Op een zonnige berg
On a sunny mountain
Weet ik opeens
Suddenly I know
Dat het licht mij verandert
That the light is changing me
En waar het om gaat
And what it's all about
Want mijn hart weet waarom
Because my heart knows why
Ik dit allemaal opmerk
I notice all of this
En de stand van de zon
And the position of the sun
Maakt van bougainville vuurwerk
Turns bougainville into fireworks
Contributed by Christopher A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.