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)
Wat een leven
Clouseau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
?T heeft geen zin nu al op te staan
En ik kijk opzij, niet te geloven
?K zie je naakt met je ogen dicht
Zo volmaakt in het ochtendlicht
En ik, ben weer
Ondersteboven van het feit dat ik dit niet droom
Zoiets wordt je nooit gewoon
Wat een leven met jou aan m?n zij
Het is heerlijk
Nu je me aankijkt
Weet ik
Dat jij zonder een woord
Zegt dat ik bij je hoor
Jij daar, jij daar
Maakt m'n dromen waar
Jij daar, jij daar
Maakt m'n dromen
Elke man die van vrouwen houdt
Staart je na wordt verblind door jou
Magie
Ik zie
Ze fantaseren
En als je mij passioneel omhelst
Dan zijn ze weg, en ik wordt verwenst
Ben dan, jou man
Laat ze maar leren dat ze beter ergens anders zijn
Jij bent er alleen voor mij
Wat een leven met jou aan m'n zij
Het is heerlijk
Nu je me aankijkt
Weet ik
Dat jij zonder een woord
Me laat geloven in de waarheid
(zei zonder een woord)
Me laat verstaan dit is voor altijd
Jij daar, jij daar
Maakt m'n dromen waar
Jij daar
En nu weet ik dat jij zonder een woord
Zegt dat ik bij je hoor
Jij daar, jij daar
Maakt m'n dromen waar
Jij daar, jij daar
Maakt m'n dromen waar
Je maakt m'n dromen waar
Dit is het leven en jij bent de vrouw
Niet te geloven, ondersteboven
Dit is het leven, jij bent de vrouw
Niet te geloven
Wat een leven!
The song “Wat een leven” by Clouseau is a romantic ode to the love of one person’s life. It starts with the singer waking up early in the morning and looking at his partner in awe, who is lying next to him with her eyes shut, completely bare. He is blown away by her perfection in the morning light and feels lucky to be able to share his life with her. He acknowledges that every man who loves women is attracted to her, but he is the only one who can call her his own. He feels that his life is amazing, now that she is in it, and he is grateful for every moment they share together. He concludes the song with the lines, “This is life and you are the woman. Unbelievable, turned upside down. This is life, you are the woman. Unbelievable, what a life!”
The song is a testament to the power of love and how one person can completely transform someone’s life. It highlights the idea that true happiness and contentment is found in having someone to share your life with. The singer is grateful for every moment they share together and feels that his life is complete with her by his side.
Line by Line Meaning
Veel te vroeg springt de wekker aan
The alarm goes off too early
T heeft geen zin nu al op te staan
There's no point in getting up now
En ik kijk opzij, niet te geloven
I look to the side, can't believe it
K zie je naakt met je ogen dicht
I see you naked with your eyes closed
Zo volmaakt in het ochtendlicht
So perfect in the morning light
En ik, ben weer
And I am once again
Ondersteboven van het feit dat ik dit niet droom
Overwhelmed by the fact that this is not a dream
Zoiets wordt je nooit gewoon
You never get used to something like this
Wat een leven met jou aan m'n zij
What a life with you by my side
Het is heerlijk
It is wonderful
Nu je me aankijkt
Now that you're looking at me
Weet ik
I know
Dat jij zonder een woord
That you, without a word
Zegt dat ik bij je hoor
Say that I belong to you
Jij daar, jij daar
You there, you there
Maakt m'n dromen waar
Make my dreams come true
Elke man die van vrouwen houdt
Every man who loves women
Staart je na wordt verblind door jou
Stares at you and is blinded by you
Magie
Magic
Ik zie
I see
Ze fantaseren
They fantasize
En als je mij passioneel omhelst
And when you passionately embrace me
Dan zijn ze weg, en ik wordt verwenst
Then they're gone, and I'm cursed
Ben dan, jou man
I am then, your man
Laat ze maar leren dat ze beter ergens anders zijn
Let them learn that they are better off somewhere else
Jij bent er alleen voor mij
You are only there for me
Me laat geloven in de waarheid
Makes me believe in the truth
(zei zonder een woord)
(said without a word)
Me laat verstaan dit is voor altijd
Makes me understand that this is forever
Jij daar, jij daar
You there, you there
Maakt m'n dromen waar
Make my dreams come true
En nu weet ik dat jij zonder een woord
And now I know that you, without a word
Zegt dat ik bij je hoor
Say that I belong to you
Je maakt m'n dromen waar
You make my dreams come true
Dit is het leven en jij bent de vrouw
This is life and you are the woman
Niet te geloven, ondersteboven
Unbelievable, overwhelmed
Dit is het leven, jij bent de vrouw
This is life, you are the woman
Wat een leven!
What a life!
Contributed by Colin P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@bpinkhof
speciale videoclip
@angelocabooter7264
mooi liedje, maar jammer dat het enkel op: alle 40 goed staat. En niet op Zij aan Zij of Ballades 2010. 😞
@kimFeytons-Nannan
Heb het ook altijd een top nummer gevonden, zelfs op concerten spelen ze het weinig tot niet :(
@katelijnisselee2602
Ik krijg er niet genoeg van DANK JE WEL VOOR JULLIE prachtige muziek