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)
Casanova
Clouseau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of heb ik echt een traan gezien
Dit liep anders dan verwacht
En vluchten heeft geen zin meer
Jij die niet eens zelf geloofd
Wat je iedereen beloofd
Je bleef altijd zo koel, recht naar je doel
Casanova is verliefd
Schrijft gedichten, schrijft een brief
Wie had dit ooit gedacht
Als de dood voor de nacht
Als je niet in haar armen rust
Elke ochtend is koud, je bent honderd jaar oud
Als een andere je wakker kust
Wen er maar aan
Dit zal nooit overgaan Casanova
Welkom in een nieuw bestaan
Wen er maar aan
Hoor ik daar een hart dat breekt
Nu ze niet meer met je spreekt
Ik herken je niet meer
De hemd van weleer
Hijst de witte vlag
Casanova heeft verdriet
Schrijft gedichten, schrijft een lied
Wie had dit ooit gedacht
Als de dood voor de nacht
Als je niet in haar armen rust
Elke ochtend is koud, je bent honderd jaar oud
Als een andere je wakker kust
Wen er maar aan
Dit zal nooit overgaan Casanova
Welkom in een nieuw bestaan
Wen er maar aan
Casanova staart mistroostig in zijn wijn
En hij zou graag niet meer Casanova zijn
Casanova heeft pijn
Wie had dit ooit gedacht
Als de dood voor de nacht
Als je niet in haar armen rust
Elke ochtend is koud, je bent honderd jaar oud
Als een andere je wakker kust
Wen er maar aan
Dit zal nooit overgaan Casanova
Welkom in een nieuw bestaan
Wen er maar aan
The lyrics to Clouseau's song "Casanova" tell the story of a person who is experiencing the pain of unrequited love. The singer addresses a person who may be feeling down or sad, wondering if they are affected by the light or if they really shed a tear. The situation didn't turn out as expected, and running away is no longer an option. The person being addressed is someone who always appeared composed and focused on their goals, but this time, things are different.
The chorus reveals that Casanova, known for being a ladies' man, is in love. He writes poetry and a letter, a departure from his usual behavior. The song reflects on the irony that no one could have predicted this outcome, as Casanova was always afraid of commitment and avoided getting close to anyone. Now, without the comfort of the person he loves, every morning feels cold, aging him a hundred years. The lyrics suggest that Casanova must get used to this new reality, as his love for this person will never fade away.
The second verse further emphasizes Casanova's pain and the change he has undergone. The person singing doesn't recognize him anymore, and Casanova, who used to be so confident, now raises the white flag of surrender. He is experiencing heartbreak and expresses his emotions through writing poetry and songs.
In the final part of the song, Casanova is depicted as staring sadly into his glass of wine, longing to no longer be the person he once was. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that he must accept this new existence and get used to it.
Overall, the lyrics of "Casanova" convey the emotional journey of a renowned womanizer who unexpectedly falls in love and grapples with the pain and changes associated with heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Heb je last van't licht, misschien
Do you struggle with the brightness, perhaps
Of heb ik echt een traan gezien
Or did I really see a tear
Dit liep anders dan verwacht
This turned out differently than expected
En vluchten heeft geen zin meer
And fleeing is pointless now
Jij die niet eens zelf geloofd
You who doesn't even believe in yourself
Wat je iedereen beloofd
What you promised everyone
Je bleef altijd zo koel, recht naar je doel
You always remained so cool, focused on your goal
Maar niet deze keer
But not this time
Casanova is verliefd
Casanova is in love
Schrijft gedichten, schrijft een brief
Writes poems, writes a letter
Wie had dit ooit gedacht
Who ever thought this would happen
Als de dood voor de nacht
As afraid as death in the night
Als je niet in haar armen rust
If you don't rest in her arms
Elke ochtend is koud, je bent honderd jaar oud
Every morning is cold, you are a hundred years old
Als een andere je wakker kust
When someone else wakes you up with a kiss
Wen er maar aan
Just get used to it
Dit zal nooit overgaan Casanova
This will never pass, Casanova
Welkom in een nieuw bestaan
Welcome to a new existence
Hoor ik daar een hart dat breekt
Do I hear a heart breaking
Nu ze niet meer met je spreekt
Now that she no longer speaks to you
Ik herken je niet meer
I no longer recognize you
De hemd van weleer
The shirt of the past
Hijst de witte vlag
Raising the white flag
Casanova heeft verdriet
Casanova is sad
Schrijft gedichten, schrijft een lied
Writes poems, writes a song
Casanova staart mistroostig in zijn wijn
Casanova stares gloomily into his wine
En hij zou graag niet meer Casanova zijn
And he would like to no longer be Casanova
Casanova heeft pijn
Casanova is in pain
Wen er maar aan
Just get used to it
Dit zal nooit overgaan Casanova
This will never pass, Casanova
Welkom in een nieuw bestaan
Welcome to a new existence
Wen er maar aan
Just get used to it
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dieter
ECHT GOE
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