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)

Houvast
Clouseau Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Even zonder jou
Is als
Verdwalen in de nacht
Zo zwart, eindeloos en koud

Slapen zonder jou
Is als
Zwerven zonder rust

Een vlucht door een hemel zonder licht
Zonder vleugels, zonder zicht
Als jij niet naast me ligt

Ik hou me vast aan jou
Mijn baken in de nacht
En ik laat niet meer los want ik weet het
Dat jij altijd op me wacht
Voor alles wat je geeft ben ik dankbaar elke dag
Geloof me als ik zeg, ik hou me aan jouw liefde vast

Leven hier met jou
Is als
Dromen zonder eind
Jij ziet
Elke pijn die ik verdring
Elke traan die ik bedwing
Elke angst die ‘k overwin

Ik hou me vast aan jou
Mijn baken in de nacht
En ik laat niet meer los want ik weet het
Dat jij altijd op me wacht
Voor alles wat je geeft ben ik dankbaar elke dag
Geloof me als ik zeg, ik hou me aan jouw liefde vast

Blijf altijd bij me
Want ik ben niets meer waard zonder jou
Steeds dichterbij me
Kom en bevrijd me

Want jij alleen jij kent de weg naar mijn hart dat je voor je won
Geloof me als ik zeg ik hou me aan jouw liefde vast

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Clouseau's song "Houvast" express the feelings of missing someone deeply. The singer compares life without his loved one to getting lost in the dark and cold night, and sleeping without them is like wandering without rest. He feels that he cannot fly without the presence of his love, as she is his wings and sight. He clings on to her as his beacon through the night, and he knows that she is always waiting for him. He acknowledges her support and the value of her love, describing it as his only anchor in life.

The singer paints a picture of life with his lover as an endless dream, in which he is able to express his emotions freely and share the joys and pains of life with her. He sees her as being able to understand his every pain, tear, and fear, and as he overcomes every obstacle, she is there to soothe him. The singer pleads for his lover to always be with him, as he believes that he is nothing without her. He urges her to come closer and rescue him and believes that only she knows the way to his heart that she had conquered.

Line by Line Meaning

Even zonder jou Is als Verdwalen in de nacht Zo zwart, eindeloos en koud
Being without you is like being lost in the endless, cold, black night.

Slapen zonder jou Is als Zwerven zonder rust Een vlucht door een hemel zonder licht Zonder vleugels, zonder zicht Als jij niet naast me ligt
Sleeping without you is like wandering without rest, a flight through dark skies without wings or sight if you are not lying next to me.

Ik hou me vast aan jou Mijn baken in de nacht En ik laat niet meer los want ik weet het Dat jij altijd op me wacht Voor alles wat je geeft ben ik dankbaar elke dag Geloof me als ik zeg, ik hou me aan jouw liefde vast
I hold onto you, my beacon in the night, and I won't let go because I know that you are always waiting for me. I am grateful every day for everything you give me. Believe me when I say, I hold onto your love.

Leven hier met jou Is als Dromen zonder eind Jij ziet Elke pijn die ik verdring Elke traan die ik bedwing Elke angst die ‘k overwin
Living here with you is like dreaming without end. You see every pain I suppress, every tear I hold back, every fear I conquer.

Blijf altijd bij me Want ik ben niets meer waard zonder jou Steeds dichterbij me Kom en bevrijd me Want jij alleen jij kent de weg naar mijn hart dat je voor je won Geloof me als ik zeg ik hou me aan jouw liefde vast
Always stay with me because without you, I am worth nothing. Come closer to me and set me free because only you know the way to my heart that you won. Believe me when I say I hold onto your love.

Contributed by Isabella P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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