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)
Live Like Kings
Clouseau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He took his coat off
Walked into the room
Looking like the James Dean
Of the babyboom
Oh she met him halfway
She'll be crazy 'bout the boy with the
Stars in his eyes forever more
A new day coming it will
Take their breath away
She holds him closer and
He turns to her and says
(Chorus)
Baby some day we live like kings
On top of the world together
Any day now the sun will
Coming shining through
Bbay some day we live like kings
On top of this world forever
Live like kings, oh we live like kings
Things are getting tough
And money's hard to find
Oh he's working his heart out
Thinking 'bout the time
When they won't have to worry
About making ends meet
Yeah they'll be living their dreams out
Down on the good side of the street
No compromise in
Matters of the heart
True believers always
Finish what they start
(Chorus)
In every small town there's a miracle
Not so hard to find
Read between the lines
Oh he's gonna love you 'till
The end of time, yeah
All the kings horses
And all the kings men (3x)
Never gonna let them go back again
While everybody's talking
'Bout the third world war
They've got something worth dying for
Hold on to the dream
In the middle of the night
'Cause someday's coming baby
Gonna set things right
(Chorus)
The song "Live Like Kings" by Clouseau starts with a description of a man walking into a room looking like James Dean, the epitome of coolness in the baby boom era. He meets a woman who is crazy about him, and they both dream about living like kings on top of the world together. The chorus repeats this dream of living like royalty and escaping the struggles of everyday life. The couple remains committed to their dream, even when times are hard and money is tight. The song describes their unwavering dedication to each other and their vision of a better future.
The lyrics also allude to the political and social issues of the time. While everyone is talking about the third world war, the couple has something worth fighting for and holding on to. The song's message of hope and perseverance in the face of adversity can be interpreted as a commentary on the turbulent political and economic landscape of the era.
Overall, "Live Like Kings" paints a picture of two people who are determined to achieve their dreams and live a life of luxury and happiness, despite the challenges they may face along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
He took his coat off
He entered a new place with enthusiasm
Walked into the room
He felt confident enough to make his presence felt
Looking like the James Dean
He looked like a cool and stylish person
Of the babyboom
Of an era of growth and prosperity
Oh she met him halfway
She reciprocated his intentions
Cross the kitchen floor
Towards where they hoped to celebrate their love
She'll be crazy 'bout the boy with the
She's in love with the boy who has
Stars in his eyes forever more
A spark in his eyes that won't dim
A new day coming it will
A new day full of potential
Take their breath away
Stunning and amazing
She holds him closer and
She shows more love and passion
He turns to her and says
He acknowledges the love they share
Baby some day we live like kings
They hope to have a luxurious lifestyle
On top of the world together
They will feel invincible together
Any day now the sun will
Their hopes and dreams will be fulfilled soon
Coming shining through
Their future will be bright and promising
Bbay some day we live like kings
They aspire to live like the rich and famous
On top of this world forever
Their lifestyle will be exemplary and everlasting
Live like kings, oh we live like kings
Their lifestyle will be grandeur and majestic
Things are getting tough
Their current situation is becoming unbearable
And money's hard to find
They're struggling to make ends meet
Oh he's working his heart out
He's working hard to achieve their dreams
Thinking 'bout the time
He's planning for their future
When they won't have to worry
When they finally achieve financial freedom
About making ends meet
They won't have any financial worries
Yeah they'll be living their dreams out
They will finally live their fantasy
Down on the good side of the street
In the best and most lucrative places
No compromise in
They can't settle for anything less
Matters of the heart
They are true to themselves in love
True believers always
They have full unwavering faith
Finish what they start
They complete everything they start with dedication
In every small town there's a miracle
They have faith in something extraordinary
Not so hard to find
It's easy to recognize
Read between the lines
Understand the hidden meaning
Oh he's gonna love you 'till
He will love you forever
The end of time, yeah
Till the end of the world
All the kings horses
Together they're invincible
And all the kings men (3x)
They won't let anything destroy them
Never gonna let them go back again
They can overcome any obstacle
While everybody's talking
While everyone is preoccupied
'Bout the third world war
About the threat of war
They've got something worth dying for
They cherish their dream and will fight for it
Hold on to the dream
Don't give up on their aspiration
In the middle of the night
Even when it feels hopeless
'Cause someday's coming baby
A bright future awaits them
Gonna set things right
Everything will fall in place in time
Contributed by Levi W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
anja demet
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