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.

Equally Sympathy
Daryll-Ann Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Only a world war could even up the scores
Beyond debate, negotiate
Now it's too late

We stay up for peace talks, we're busy drawing lines
Don't be kind, we all stand trial
Now equally sympathy fills the room

Could we end this like we started
Spend a little time
Just reading lips and reading minds

Now equally sympathy fills the room
Fills their minds
Fools can love and fools can cry
On the way

You're my wife, my ball and chain
You give life then turn it grey
Oh my sweet enemy don't arise
'Cause we're strong, we are one

Now equally sympathy fills the room
Fills their mind
Fools can love and fools can cry
On the way

Enter the ship of make-believe
And find out where it's from
Side all along the tapestry
The hassle and the storm
She was a case of malory
So help her in the fall
Tender the state of inbetween
Groove another song

Enter the ship of make-believe
And find out where it's from
Side all along the tapestry
The hassle and the storm
She was a case of malory
So help her in the fall

Tender the state of inbetween
Groove another song

Overall Meaning

The song "Equally Sympathy" by Daryll-Ann features thought-provoking and somber lyrics that touch on several important themes, including war, peace, pride, and love. The opening lines suggest that war might be the only way to 'even up the scores,' implying that there is a profound sense of inequality or injustice that needs to be addressed. The song then moves on to describe the difficulties of peace talks and the drawing of lines, indicating that it is challenging to overcome differences and find common ground. The lyrics reveal a sense of hopelessness and regret, with the line "now it's too late" suggesting that opportunities have been missed or mistakes have been made.

The chorus of the song is particularly powerful, with the repetition of the phrase "equally sympathy fills the room" emphasizing the significance of empathy and understanding. The lines "fools can love and fools can cry" suggest that even when we make mistakes or exhibit foolish behavior, we are still capable of experiencing deep emotions like love and sadness. Later in the song, the lyrics touch on themes of domesticity and the complexities of romantic relationships, with lines like "you're my wife, my ball and chain" and "you give life then turn it grey." The song ends on a somewhat ambiguous note, with the final lines invoking an image of a ship of make-believe and promising to "groove another song."

Line by Line Meaning

Only a world war could even up the scores
It would take a world war to balance out the injustices

Beyond debate, negotiate
We need to come to an agreement without arguing

Now it's too late
We missed our chance

We stay up for peace talks, we're busy drawing lines
We are trying to negotiate peace while creating divisions

Don't be kind, we all stand trial
We need to hold each other accountable for our actions

Now equally sympathy fills the room
Everyone is feeling empathy towards each other

Could we end this like we started
Can we go back to the beginning and find a better solution?

Spend a little time
Take the time to listen and understand each other

Just reading lips and reading minds
Trying to understand what is not being said

Fills their minds
Everyone is now more understanding

Fools can love and fools can cry
Even those who make mistakes can feel emotions