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)

Door de muur
Clouseau Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wel ik ben wie ik ben
en ik doe wat ik doe
en ik hoor wat ik horen wil
en ik zie wat ik zie
en ik voel wat ik voel
en mijn hart is op zoek naar jou

Soms loop ik mezelf voorbij

verdwaal ik in de woestijn
Soms raak ik het noorden kwijt
maar ik leef hoe ik leef
als het zand door een zeef
als de wind als een lopend vuur

'k Ging over de muur
langs de tralies van de tijd
zonder angst voorbij noch spijt
ging door de muur
over de muur

Wel ik ga waar ik ga
en ik weet wat ik weet
dus ik zwijg als ik spreken wil
want ik wil wat ik heb
en ik heb wat ik wil
maar mijn hart blijft op zoek naar jou

Soms loop ik mezelf voorbij
verdwaal ik in de woestijn
Soms raak ik het noorden kwijt
maar ik leef hoe ik leef
als het zand door een zeef
als een wind als een lopend vuur

'k Ging over de muur
langs de tralies van de tijd
want de onschuld ben ik kwijt
ging door de muur, door de muur
over de muur

'k Ging over de muur
langs de tralies van de tijd
zonder angst voorbij noch spijt
want de onschuld ben ik kwijt
'k ging langs de tralies van de tijd
zonder angst voorbij noch spijt
want de onschuld ben ik kwijt

'k ging over de muur

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Clouseau's song "Door de muur" describe the singer's determination to be true to himself, even if it means going against societal norms or expectations. The opening lines establish this sense of independence and self-assurance, with the singer declaring that he is who he is and he does what he does. He hears and sees what he wants to, and he feels what he feels, and all of these things are guided by his search for someone he cares about deeply.

Despite this sense of confidence and self-assurance, there are moments when the singer feels lost or unsure of his path. He can get swept up in the chaos of life, like wandering in a desert or losing his bearings. But ultimately, he lives his life on his own terms, allowing himself to be shaped by his experiences and emotions, like sand passing through a sieve or a wildfire fueled by the wind.

The repeated line "ik ging over de muur" ("I went over the wall") becomes a powerful metaphor for the singer's journey. It suggests that he is breaking free from the constraints of society or expectations and going beyond what is considered normal or acceptable. He is willing to take risks and embrace his individuality, even if it means leaving behind his innocence or facing uncertain or uncomfortable situations.

Overall, the lyrics of "Door de muur" celebrate the idea of living authentically and following one's heart, even when it means going against the grain. The singer's journey is a reminder that we are all capable of breaking down walls and pursuing our passions, even in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

Wel ik ben wie ik ben
I am who I am

en ik doe wat ik doe
and I do what I do

en ik hoor wat ik horen wil
and I hear what I want to hear

en ik zie wat ik zie
and I see what I see

en ik voel wat ik voel
and I feel what I feel

en mijn hart is op zoek naar jou
and my heart is searching for you

Soms loop ik mezelf voorbij
Sometimes I overextend myself

verdwaal ik in de woestijn
I get lost in the desert

Soms raak ik het noorden kwijt
Sometimes I lose my sense of direction

maar ik leef hoe ik leef
but I live how I live

als het zand door een zeef
like sand through a sieve