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)

Ik vind je heel lief
Clouseau Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hoe lang zou het duren
voor een engel weent?
Hoeveel uren
tot je zegt wat je meent?
Niemand kan ons helpen, nu
en jij wil dat ik kies
en ik sterf als ik jou verlies

Samen lukt het niet
Pas heel goed op jezelf
Als je niets meer ziet
helpt die engel je wel

Mooi vanbuiten, mooi vanbinnen
Hoe kan ik jou meer beminnen?
God alleen weet wat ik voel
Laat ons vrijen, heel stil vrijen
Hoor een engel zingt, zingt ons lied
Hoor jij het niet?

Hoe lang zou het duren?
Je gaf je liefde aan mij
Ik vind je wel heel lief
Maar nu laat ik je vrij

En kleurt de hemel grijs
Pas dan goed op jezelf
De weg naar't paradijs
toont de engel je wel

Mooi vanbuiten, mooi vanbinnen
Hoe kan ik jou meer beminnen?
God alleen weet wat ik voel
Laat ons vrijen, heel stil vrijen
Hoor een engel zingt, zingt ons lied
Hoor jij het niet?

Als er iemand je komt strelen
Iemand die jou eenzaamheid wil delen
Hou ik je niet tegen, ga dan maar
ooooooooooooh

Mooi vanbuiten, mooi vanbinnen
hoe kan ik jou meer beminnen?
God alleen weet wat ik voel

Laat ons vrijen, heel stil vrijen
Hoor een engel zingt, zingt ons lied

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Clouseau's "Ik vind je heel lief" is a poignant song about the struggles and uncertainties of love. The song begins with questions about how long it would take for an angel to weep and for one to speak their true intentions. The singer is torn between two choices, feeling as though he will perish if he loses the person he loves. However, he recognizes that they cannot make it work together and must go their separate ways.

The chorus of the song centers on the idea of being beautiful on the inside and out, and the singer's overwhelming desire to love their partner as much as possible. He recognizes that only God knows how deep his feelings run, and the two of them engage in quiet lovemaking while an angel's voice carries them away.

The final verse of the song is particularly heartbreaking, as the singer recognizes that there may be others who will try to steal away his love, but he ultimately chooses to set them free. "If someone comes to stroke you, someone who wants to share your loneliness, I won't stop you, so go," he sings. It's a heartbreaking reminder that love is not always enough to make a relationship work.

Line by Line Meaning

Hoe lang zou het duren voor een engel weent?
I wonder how long it would take for an angel to cry?

Hoeveel uren tot je zegt wat je meent?
How many hours until you speak your mind?

Niemand kan ons helpen, nu en jij wil dat ik kies en ik sterf als ik jou verlies
No one can help us now, and you want me to decide. But I would be devastated if I lost you.

Samen lukt het niet Pas heel goed op jezelf Als je niets meer ziet helpt die engel je wel
We can't make it work together, take care of yourself. If you're lost, the angel will guide you.

Mooi vanbuiten, mooi vanbinnen Hoe kan ik jou meer beminnen? God alleen weet wat ik voel Laat ons vrijen, heel stil vrijen Hoor een engel zingt, zingt ons lied Hoor jij het niet?
You're beautiful inside and out, how can I love you more? Only God knows how I feel. Let's make love, quietly, while an angel sings our song. Can you hear it?

Je gaf je liefde aan mij Ik vind je wel heel lief Maar nu laat ik je vrij
You gave me your love, and I love you too. But now, I have to set you free.

En kleurt de hemel grijs Pas dan goed op jezelf De weg naar't paradijs toont de engel je wel
If the sky turns grey, take care of yourself. The angel will show you the way to paradise.

Als er iemand je komt strelen Iemand die jou eenzaamheid wil delen Hou ik je niet tegen, ga dan maar ooooooooooooh
If someone comes to cuddle you, someone who wants to share your loneliness, I won't stop you. Go then...

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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