Clouseau (a Belgian band) started as a group of friends back in 1984. Only … Read Full Bio ↴Clouseau (a Belgian band) started as a group of friends back in 1984. Only Karel Theys, the bass-player, had some previous experience in a band with The Employees. 1987 sees them coming out of the garage for the first time : they play Marktrock in Leuven en get a record deal for their first single "Brandweer".

In '88 they have a small hit with "Alleen met Jou" (Only with you) and win the Baccara-trophy in the squad of Raymond Van Het Groenewoud.

In 1989 they participated in the preselection to determine the Belgian delegate to the Eurovision Song Festival. Clouseau finishes second (behind Ingeborg), but now has a foot in the door. The breakthrough comes immediately with the single "Anne" and an album "Hoezo ?" (How so?). Screaming teenagers all over the place and smashed record sales in Belgium are the consequence. The Netherlands follow, when "Daar Gaat Ze" (There she goes) becomes a big hit. The 2nd album "Of zo" (Or so) also proves to be very successful.

1990 is a year which can only be described as the year of "Clouseau-mania". Everything the boys touch turns to gold.

Manager Hans Kusters : "They really appeal to the teens. Simple songs, but also lyrics in the form of "She comes, she goes or she is". No fuss about apartheid or the nuclear missiles. Clean, cute, sometimes rocking, sometimes slowing, always charming melodies with innocent and easily recognizable love- and dance stories."

In 1991, the Benelux is getting too small for the group so they (or at least the record company) decide to try to storm the European market.

This time they are appointed to participating for Belgium in the Eurovisionsongcontest (where the finish very low with "Geef het op", despite the very high hopes Flanders was posing in them). They record a CD in English called "Close Encounters" (mainly consisting of adaptations of their own Dutch songs) of which they sell 200.000 copies in the slipstream of Roxette's European tour of 1992.

The 2nd English-language album "In every small town", however, is a complete commercial failure. Frontman Koen Wauters starts a career as a television presenter and race-pilot (Paris-Dakar), kicks a few old friends out of the band and refocuses on the Dutch market with the CD "Oker" (Ochre) in 1995.

On the album "Adrenaline", only the two Wauters' Brothers remain. The album shows a more adult Clouseau. They have successfully survived the hype and are starting to produce decent material again, without the necessity to "score" or match the sales figures of the 1989-1990 craze.

What about the band members that were left behind :
- Bob Savenberg has ventured to a successful solo career (e.g. the duet with Dutch singer Stef Bos in "Breek de stilte" and his solo CD "Vuur en Vlam"). He also presented "Ultratop" (the Belgian hitparade on VRT) and has a small company that builds websites. In 2001, he did the show "Popstars" for VT4.
- Tjenne Berghmans has played in about every other Belgian group (e.g. The Scabs, Betty Goes Green ...) since he left Clouseau.
- Karel Theys, formerly of the Employees, was at the base of another Kloot Per W project, de Lama's in 1993-94.

In 1997, they release a compilation album "Clouseau 1987-1997" and have a celebration on their 10 years of existence. Koen Wauters (although hard to recognize amidst all the publicity for Belgacom) finishes another Dakar at the beginning of 1997. He also continues his television career (Familieraad, Koen & The Gang, Wedden dat ...), and fights off a female stalker in his bathroom. In 1999, he marries Carolijn Lillipally (who was a VJ for MTV-Europe).

In 1999 Clouseau conquers Flanders for the umpteenth time, on this occasion with the new CD "In Stereo". In a production with a lot of violins by Jean Blaute (see RvhG, Kate's Kennel ..) and with songs that were written by people such as Frank van der Linden (of De Mens), Jan Leyers (of My Velma & Soulsister), Mark Vanhie (The Bet, Sarah) and others, and pulled by singles such as "Heb ik ooit gezegd" (a Van Morisson-cover) and "Altijd meer en meer" the group even makes it back again as a headliner at Marktrock (where it all had started). This leads them to a new live-album, simply called "Live", released in 2000.

In 2001 they opened with an album with nothing but slow songs for the Dutch market - entitled "Ballades" - but in recording their next album they deliberately stepped away from this trend in ever slower songs. En Dans - wrapped in a funny cover hand-drawn by Marcel Vanthilt, who also sings on one song - was released in November 2001, and contained much more uptempo songs, taking them back to the starting days of the band. Most striking track was certainly the title song "En Dans", Clouseau in an festive disco-outfit. However the first single that was taken from the album was a ballad "Ik Geef Me Over" (I surrender) with a video that caused some controversy due to the smoking habit of Koen. Through the usual visits to radio stations and a break-in into the BigBrother house, the CD certainly didn't miss it's start, as it deserved platinum for 30,000 copies in the presales, and entered the album-charts at n°1. On the live-front it remained fairly quiet, working towards two gigantic gigs in the Sportpaleis in Antwerp in the month of December.

The band released their latest CD Vonken & Vuur ("Sparks & Fire") in March 2007.

Band members (original line-up) :
- Koen Wauters (vocals)
- Kris Wauters (keyboard and guitar)
- Bob Savenberg (drums and backing vocals)
- Karel Theys (bass)
- Tjenne Berghmans (guitar).

Albums :
- Hoezo(Hans Kusters Music - 1989)
- Of Zo (Hans Kuster Music - 1990)
- Close Encounters (EMI - 1991)
- Doorgaan (tot je niet meer op je benen kan staan) (EMI- 1992)
- In Every Small Town (EMI - 1993)
- Oker (EMI - 1995)
- Adrenaline (EMI - 1996)
- In Stereo (EMI - 1999)
- En Dans (EMI - 2001)
- Live in het Sportpaleis DVD ("Live at the Sport Palace, Antwerp") (2003)
- Vanbinnen (2004)
- Clouseau in 't lang DVD ("Live at the Sport Palace, Antwerp") (2006)
- Vonken en Vuur (2007)
- Zij aan Zij (2009)
Compilations :
- Clouseau Live (Hans Kusters Music - 1991)
- Clouseau 1987-1997 (EMI, 1997)
- Live (EMI, 2000)
- Ballades (EMI, 2001)

Als je me wil
Clouseau Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hier ga ik dan,
De laatste dans hoog in de wolken.
Denk ik aan jou,
jij bent de vrouw van m'n dromen

Je bent m'n alles, m'n water, m'n vuur
Je bent m'n passie, m'n kracht ieder uur

Want als je me wil
zal ik alles geven
m'n hart, m'n ziel en zoveel meer
Ja als je me wil
zal ik alles delen
tot ik weer eens heb geleerd
dat het aan mij niet is besteed

De zon kleurt de lucht
is dit de vlucht naar t onbekende
ach geef me die kans voor de laatste dans in jou armen
mmmmm
Wil ik blijven tot morgenvroeg,
wil ik vrijen tot god ons roept

Want als je me wil
zal ik alles geven
m'n hart, m'n ziel en zoveel meer
Ja als je me wil
zal ik alles delen
tot ik weer eens heb geleerd
dat als ik werkelijk van iemand hou
geen mens me hier nog tegenhoudt

Als je me wil
zal ik alles geven
m'n hart en ziel en zoveel meer
Ja als je me wil
zal ik alles delen
tot ik weer eens heb geleerd

Als je me wil
zal ik alles geven
m'n hart, m'n ziel en zoveel meer
Ja als je me wil
zal ik alles delen

tot ik weer eens heb geleerd
dat het aan mij niet is besteed

Overall Meaning

The Clouseau song "Als je me wil" is about the singer's feelings towards the woman of his dreams. He starts the song by saying that he's ready for the final dance, high up in the clouds and he thinks about her. She is the woman he has always wanted and he's willing to give everything to have her. He lists all the things she means to him, saying she's his everything, water, fire, passion and strength. He tells her that if she wants him, he'll give her everything, his heart, soul and so much more. He'll share everything with her until he learns that it's not meant to be his.

The first stanza of the song establishes the setting, making it clear that the singer is looking for the perfect last dance with the woman he loves. He sees himself close to her, up in the clouds. In the second stanza, he describes his feelings towards her, saying that she's everything he wants and needs. In the final stanza, he pledges his love for her and says he's willing to give everything, hoping for a chance to stay with her.

Overall, "Als je me wil" is a romantic song that expresses the singer's love and devotedness to the woman he holds dear. It highlights his willingness to give all to her and to hold onto the dream of being with her.

Line by Line Meaning

Hier ga ik dan, De laatste dans hoog in de wolken.
I am about to take my last dance in the sky, thinking about you, the woman of my dreams.

Denk ik aan jou, jij bent de vrouw van m'n dromen
I think of you and realize that you are the woman I have always dreamed of.

Je bent m'n alles, m'n water, m'n vuur Je bent m'n passie, m'n kracht ieder uur
You are everything to me, my water, my fire, my passion and my strength every hour.

Want als je me wil zal ik alles geven m'n hart, m'n ziel en zoveel meer Ja als je me wil zal ik alles delen tot ik weer eens heb geleerd dat het aan mij niet is besteed
If you want me, I will give everything, my heart, my soul and much more. I will share everything until I learn that it's not meant for me.

De zon kleurt de lucht is dit de vlucht naar t onbekende ach geef me die kans voor de laatste dans in jou armen mmmmm Wil ik blijven tot morgenvroeg, wil ik vrijen tot god ons roept
The sun paints the sky as we take off into the unknown. Give me this chance for one last dance in your arms. I want to stay until tomorrow, to make love until God calls us.

Dat als ik werkelijk van iemand hou geen mens me hier nog tegenhoudt
If I truly love someone, no one can stop me from being with them.

Contributed by Kennedy H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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