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)

Sluit Mij In je Hart
Clouseau Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

De dag is rond
en ik moet aan je denken
Waar zou jij nu zijn?
Jij bepaalt
de kleur van mijn gedachten
Door alles wat je zei

Niemand gaf me ooit zoveel liefde

Daarom geef ik je graag mijn leven
sluit me in jouw hart
ik wil van je houden
sluit me in jouw hart

Ik ben zo blij dat jij bleef geloven
ondanks de twijfels van mijn kant
Toch gaf je mij trouw en al je warmte
al zong ik nooit een lied voor jou

Niemand gaf me ooit zoveel liefde
Daarom geef ik je graag mijn leven
sluit me in jouw hart
ik wil van je houden
sluit me in jouw hart

Hoelang zocht ik naar de woorden?
Ja hoeveel nachten lang
maar op een dag ontwaakte dit lied voor jou

Niemand gaf me ooit zoveel liefde
Daarom geef ik je graag mijn leven
sluit me in jouw hart
ik wil van je houden
sluit me in jouw hart
heel mijn leven
sluit me in jouw hart

aah
sluit me in jouw hart

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Sluit Mij In Je Hart" by Clouseau describe the singer's feelings for someone who has given him a lot of love and warmth in his life. The song begins with the singer thinking about this person and wondering where they are. He acknowledges that this person has had a big impact on his thoughts and emotions and has influenced the color of his thoughts. He goes on to say that no one has ever given him as much love as this person, which is why he is willing to give his life to them. He asks to be "sluit" or closed in their heart, showing how much he wants to be close to them and love them deeply.

The singer then reflects on how happy he is that this person continued to believe in him despite his doubts. Even though he never sang a song for them before, they still continued to give him love and warmth. The lyrics then repeat, emphasizing how he has never received as much love as this person and how he wants to be closed in their heart, giving his life to them.

Overall, the song is a declaration of love and gratitude to someone who has given the singer a lot of love and warmth. It is a heartfelt request to be close to this person and love them with all his heart.

Line by Line Meaning

De dag is rond
The day has come full circle

en ik moet aan je denken
And I can't stop thinking of you

Waar zou jij nu zijn?
Where could you be right now?

Jij bepaalt
You determine

de kleur van mijn gedachten
The color of my thoughts

Door alles wat je zei
Because of everything you said

Niemand gaf me ooit zoveel liefde
No one has ever given me so much love

Daarom geef ik je graag mijn leven
That's why I gladly give you my life

sluit me in jouw hart
Close me in your heart

ik wil van je houden
I want to love you

Ik ben zo blij dat jij bleef geloven
I am so glad that you continued to believe