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 volg m'n hart
Clouseau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spookt het in m′n hoofd dan wil ik weg
Als de stilte luider klinkt
Dan wat ik ook zeg
Dan duik ik het leven in
Zoek ik vrienden op en hang wat rond
En tot de storm weer overwaait
Raak ik zelden grond
Ik volg de zon
Ik kan niet anders
Ik zoek de bron
Waar het begon
Ik volg m′n hart
Een kruimelspoor
Laat me nu door
Soms als ik het niet meer weet
Stap ik in m'n schoenen en verdwijn
Voor een tijdje met de noorderzon
Of met de laatste trein
Ik volg m'n hart
Ik volg de zon
Ik kan niet anders
Ik zoek de bron
Waar het begon
Ik volg m′n hart
Een kruimelspoor
Laat me nu door
Maar ik kom steeds terug
Want ik weet dat ze op me wacht
Ik wacht slechts op blauwe lucht
Als ik thuiskom en ze naar me lacht
Ik volg m′n hart
The lyrics of "Ik volg m'n hart" by Clouseau depict the inner turmoil of the singer who is unable to stay still when things are too quiet. He feels restless and haunted by his own thoughts, compelling him to seek freedom and escape. The song expresses the need to follow one's heart, as opposed to the dictates of society or anyone else. The singer dives into life, seeking out friends and hanging out for a while, until the storm passes. He acknowledges that he has to follow his heart, and cannot do otherwise, tracing his roots back to the beginning, searching for the source of his being.
The chorus of the song reinforces this idea of following one's heart, as it is a driving force that compels us to move forward, to seek out the sun and find the source of our passion. The singer feels that he is following a trail of crumbs, finding his way through the vast maze of life, but he remains persistent in the face of adversity.
The song conveys a message of hope, resilience, and determination. It urges us to go beyond our comfort zones, to seek out new experiences, and to never lose sight of our goals, no matter how difficult or uncertain they may seem.
Line by Line Meaning
Soms als het te rustig wordt
Sometimes, when things are too quiet, my mind starts racing and I feel the need to escape.
Spookt het in m′n hoofd dan wil ik weg
If my thoughts become overwhelming, I feel the urge to leave and escape.
Als de stilte luider klinkt
When silence becomes louder than anything I say, it's time for me to take action.
Dan wat ik ook zeg
No matter what I say in response to the deafening silence, it feels insignificant.
Dan duik ik het leven in
In these moments, I throw myself into life, seeking out friends and spending time with them to feel more grounded.
Zoek ik vrienden op en hang wat rond
I try to find comfort by being around friends and just taking it easy.
En tot de storm weer overwaait
I wait until the storm of thoughts in my head passes.
Raak ik zelden grond
Only then do I feel calm and grounded.
Ik volg m'n hart
I always follow my heart, even when it leads me into unknown territory.
Ik volg de zon
I follow the light of positivity and hope, even when things seem dark.
Ik kan niet anders
I have no other choice but to trust my instincts and follow my heart's desires.
Ik zoek de bron
I search for the source of my inspiration and my true self.
Waar het begon
I go back to where it all started and try to find my way from there.
Een kruimelspoor
I follow the trail of breadcrumbs that my heart has left behind, hoping it will lead me to my true path.
Laat me nu door
I let myself be guided by my intuition and keep moving towards my destiny, no matter what obstacles may come.
Soms als ik het niet meer weet
Sometimes, when I feel lost and confused, I take a break and disappear for a while.
Stap ik in m′n schoenen en verdwijn
I walk away from my troubles and allow myself to disappear into the unknown, seeking answers.
Voor een tijdje met de noorderzon
I often need to leave for a while, travelling to far-off places and encountering new experiences to find clarity and perspective.
Of met de laatste trein
Sometimes, I take the last train to an unfamiliar destination to clear my head and find my way back home.
Maar ik kom steeds terug
Despite my wandering ways, I always come back to where I belong.
Want ik weet dat ze op me wacht
I return because I know that somebody important is waiting for me to come home to them.
Ik wacht slechts op blauwe lucht
I patiently wait for a time when things will be better and clearer, and the skies will be blue once again.
Als ik thuiskom en ze naar me lacht
I return home and feel comforted by the smile and warm welcome of my loved one.
Writer(s): Piet Van Den Heuvel
Contributed by Jacob G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Katelijn Isselee
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