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.
Rosemary Girl
Daryll-Ann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sail my boat it's getting old
Can't believe the wind is down
Gotta keep rowing
Buy me a captain with a gun
Or else make one up
Time is wearing out
Can't believe the feeling's gone
I know it's growing
Find me a reason for a song
Or else make it up
And the wind reaches out for the birds
And the stars they are screaming for rosemary girl
And the waves seem bigger than skies
Saying I'll be as little as rosemary's life
Can't believe it struck you so hard
Don't know what's going on
Buy me a season in the sun
Or else make it up
Buy me a season in the sun
Or else make it up
The lyrics of Daryll-Ann's song 'Rosemary Girl' are loaded with vivid imagery and fascinating metaphors. The first verse talks about the singer's boat, which is getting old, and they can't believe the wind is down. Yet, they don't want to give up, and instead, they keep rowing. He wishes to have a captain with a gun, or else they will have to make one up. This can be interpreted in a few ways, but it seems to suggest that the singer is trying to keep pushing ahead, despite the obstacles that may be holding him back. Whether it's a literal boat or a metaphor for life's journey, the message is clear: keep rowing and believe in yourself.
In the second verse, the singer talks about time wearing out and encourages himself to keep going. They find it hard to believe that the feeling is gone, perhaps referring to a lack of inspiration or motivation. He doesn't want to give up, though, and seeks to find a reason for a song, or at least try to make one up. This could be interpreted as a creative block of some kind, where the artist is having trouble finding the inspiration to create something new.
The chorus of the song puts forth some of the most memorable lyrics, with lines like "the wind reaches out for the birds" and "the stars they are screaming for rosemary girl." The waves seem bigger than skies, telling the singer that they will be as little as Rosemary's life. These lines suggest that the singer is feeling insignificant and lost, overwhelmed by the vastness of the world and their place in it. The 'Rosemary girl' may be a symbol for a person or a concept that the singer feels particularly drawn to or inspired by, and her significance in the world is represented by both the wind and the stars.
Line by Line Meaning
Time to get aboard
It's time to take action and move forward.
Sail my boat it's getting old
Life is passing by and I'm getting older, but I'm still trying to make progress.
Can't believe the wind is down
I'm surprised at how difficult it is to make progress; everything feels stagnant.
Gotta keep rowing
I need to keep pushing forward, despite the difficult circumstances.
Buy me a captain with a gun
I need someone strong who can take control and help me navigate through these difficult times.
Or else make one up
If I can't find someone to help me, I'll create my own solution.
Time is wearing out
I feel like time is running out and I need to make changes soon.
Try a little more come around
I need to keep trying and not give up hope; things will get better if I keep trying.
Can't believe the feeling's gone
I'm disappointed that I've lost my passion and drive for what I once loved doing.
I know it's growing
I recognize that I need to regain my enthusiasm and passion for what I'm doing.
Find me a reason for a song
I need to rediscover the inspiration and motivation for my creative work.
Or else make it up
If I can't find a reason for my creative work, I'll have to create my own inspiration.
And the wind reaches out for the birds
Nature is trying to communicate with me, urging me to keep pushing forward.
And the stars they are screaming for rosemary girl
The universe is calling out to me, encouraging me to keep going despite the challenges.
And the waves seem bigger than skies
The problems I'm facing seem overwhelming and insurmountable.
Saying I'll be as little as rosemary's life
My problems are small in the grand scheme of things, and I need to keep things in perspective.
Can't believe it struck you so hard
I'm struggling to understand why a particular issue or problem has impacted me so deeply.
Don't know what's going on
I'm feeling lost and unsure about what steps to take next.
Buy me a season in the sun
I need a break or a respite from the challenges I'm facing.
Or else make it up
If I can't find a way to take a break or improve my situation, I'll have to create my own solution.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHANNES A. JELLE PAULUSMA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind