Daryll-Ann was a Dutch indie rock band, active from 1988 to 2004 and origin… Read Full Bio ↴Daryll-Ann was a Dutch indie rock band, active from 1988 to 2004 and originally hailing from the small town of Ermelo, although the band members had moved to Utrecht and Amsterdam by the time the group gained some prominence.

The band's figureheads and main songwriters were Jelle Paulusma (lead vocals) and Anne Soldaat (guitar, vocals). Critics often heard echoes of early Neil Young, Buffalo Springfield and other sixties bands from the American west in Daryll-Ann's particular blend of indie rock.

After an initial EP (Decibel, 1991) and début album (Renko, 1992) on tiny domestic labels, the band drew the attention of Hut, the indie branch of Virgin Records. The I Could Never Love You and Come Around EP's (1993 and 1994, respectively) were praised by critics in Holland and the U.K. The group toured Europe and their first full-length album for Hut, Seaborne West (1995), even saw a U.S. release. It received rave reviews in the U.K. music press.

Due to disappointing sales, however, the band was dropped by Hut and joined the respected Dutch indie label Excelsior Recordings, for which they continued to release albums to huge critical acclaim (but moderate commercial success). A small international cult following continued to follow the band, so that some of their Excelsior releases were also put out internationally.

Daryll-Ann's studio albums for Excelsior Recordings:

Daryll-Ann Weeps (1996)
Happy Traum (1999)
Trailer Tales (2002)
Don't Stop (2003)

Excelsior also released a limited edition live album, entitled DA Live (2000).

The band decided to call it a day in 2004. Frontman Jelle Paulusma resurfaced two years later with his first solo album, using his his family name Paulusma as his moniker, whereas guitarist Anne Soldaat went on to form the band Do The Undo (self-titled début album released in 2007) and subsequently started recording under his own name, Anne Soldaat.

2014 saw Daryll-Ann's eagerly anticipated re-formation: original line-up, no new new material, old songs only. The band's brief reunion and farewell tour of The Netherlands received rave reviews.

On April 24, 2022, the band reunited once again, this time for one night only, to perform at Paradiso during the 25th anniversary party of Excelsior Recordings.

Allright
Daryll-Ann Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Some thoughts are weak, I easily forget
But every now and then, they're messing up my head

Talking like a child that wants to have its way
I'm learning every day
To speak up and to say

I'm allright - take a chance on myself today

Uptight - and it's never enough

I'm allright - take a chance on myself today
Uptight - and it's never enough

I'm allright - take a chance on myself today
Uptight - and it's never enough

Allright - take a chance on myself today
Uptight - and it's never, never, never enough

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Daryll-Ann's song "Allright" convey a message about the struggles of self-doubt and learning to have confidence in oneself. The singer describes how some thoughts may be weak and easily forgotten, but there are times where they start to mess with their head. This highlights the internal battle that we all face at times, where self-sabotaging thoughts can take over and cause us to doubt our abilities.

However, the singer acknowledges that they are learning to speak up and take a chance on themselves, despite feeling uptight and like it's never enough. The repeated phrase "take a chance on myself today" emphasizes the importance of taking risks and believing in oneself, even if the outcome is uncertain. Overall, the lyrics of "Allright" are empowering, encouraging listeners to trust in their capabilities and pursue their dreams with confidence.

Line by Line Meaning

Some thoughts are weak, I easily forget
My mind is occasionally filled with fleeting thoughts that disappear quickly

But every now and then, they're messing up my head
Sometimes these thoughts come back and disturb me

Talking like a child that wants to have its way
I sometimes express my opinions like a kid who wants everything to go their way

I'm learning every day
But I'm trying to improve every day

To speak up and to say
And to voice my ideas and needs

I'm allright - take a chance on myself today
I'm feeling good enough to take a risk on myself today

Uptight - and it's never enough
Even when things are going okay, I still feel tense and dissatisfied

Allright - take a chance on myself today
But I still feel confident enough to bet on myself

Uptight - and it's never enough
Yet I still feel tense and unsatisfied

I'm allright - take a chance on myself today
I still feel good enough to take a risk on myself

Uptight - and it's never, never, never enough
But no matter how much I try, I can never fully shake off my anxiety and feelings of discontentment