Formed in 1981 by brothers Hans en Huub van der Lubbe and friend Daniel Derks, De Dijk caught the wave of Dutch rock music, which they've ridden for many decades now. Having worked with a number of Amsterdam based groups with very little success for close to a decade prior to forming the band, the brothers shifted their attention to their new project featuring Dutch lyrics in 1981.
At the time most rock bands in the area performed either in English or German, making De Dijk something of an anomaly in the market at the time. The band's 1982 eponymous debut record was an enormous success. Joined by keyboard player Pim Kops and drummer Antonie Broek, De Dijk's sophomore release Nooit Meer Tarzan (1983) was underwhelming in both sales and popularity, causing the band to lose their contract with Dureco. Though it took the group a few years to recover, many successful records were soon to follow, beginning with 1985's Elke Dag Een Nieuwe Hoed and the Zilveren Harp Award winning Wakker in Een Vreemde Wereld (1987). De Dijk toured and recorded regularly throughout the late '80s and '90s, becoming one of the Netherland's most prominent rock innovators.
Their poetic lyrics, penned by Huub van der Lubbe, would influence an entire generation of European musicians. In 2006 the band played a show honoring their 25th anniversary at the Rotterdam Ahoy Theatre, kicking off an extensive tour. That same year they made their first appearance on Billboard charts with their record Zullen We Dansen 1981-2006, which ranked in the European Top 100 category.
Before the name "De Dijk" came into view, the band was known as "Stampei".
De Dijk is made up of:
* Huub van der Lubbe (vocals)
* Antoine Broek (drums)
* Nico Arzbach (guitar)
* Hans van der Lubbe (bass)
* Pim Kops (keyboard)
with additional guitar/organ playing by J.B. Meyers
and they are backed by the Hot Haarlemmerdijk Horns:
* Roland Brunt (tenor saxophone)
* Peter van Soest (trumpet)
Shortly after forming, they became famous with their first hit "Bloedend hart" and found their way to a broad audience with their albums "Wakker in een vreemde wereld" and "Niemand in de stad". De Dijk is widely acclaimed for their live performances. Still going strong after all these years, although less successful in scoring hit singles. Their biggest hit in the Netherlands has been "Als ze er niet is" (1994).
slow motion
De Dijk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
of is dit geen dansen
geen stap teveel
we staan bijna stil
dans jij met mij
of ben ik iemand anders
is dat je lach
of iets met mijn ogen
of zie ik dat slecht
dans jij met mij
of zweven we hier boven
is dit een droom of lijkt dat maar zo?
het voelt als slow motion
slow motion
het gaat zo vlug
en het komt nooit meer terug
dans jij met mij
deze gouden uren
in deze tent
dit moment zonder end
dans jij met mij
kon dit maar eeuwen duren
is dit een droom of lijkt dat maar zo?
het voelt als slow motion
slow motion
het gaat zo vlug
en het komt nooit meer terug
gaat het te snel
ben ik te traag
is het te veel
wil ik te graag
het was zo mooi
zo mooi
maar waar is het vandaag
een weeÙ plek laag in mijn maag
het leek wel een droom of was dat het ook?
het voelt als slow motion
slow motion
het gaat zo vlug
en het komt nooit meer terug
kan het niet nog een keer
in slow motion
The lyrics of De Dijk's song Slow Motion depict a moment of doubt and uncertainty between two people dancing, possibly in a club or a party. The singer is not sure if the person they are dancing with is really interested in them or if they are just dancing for the sake of it. The rhythm of the song is slow, almost as if the characters were moving in slow motion, adding to the feeling of confusion and suspension of time. The lyrics show the internal struggle of the singer, who is torn between the desire for the moment to last forever and the fear that it will never come back. At the end of the song, the singer questions whether the encounter was just a dream or if it really happened.
Line by Line Meaning
dans jij met mij
Are you dancing with me?
of is dit geen dansen
Or is this not dancing?
geen stap teveel
There is not a step too many.
we staan bijna stil
We are almost standing still.
of ben ik iemand anders
Or am I someone else?
is dat je lach
Is that your laughter?
of iets met mijn ogen
Or something with my eyes?
zijn wij dit echt
Is this really us?
of zie ik dat slecht
Or am I seeing it poorly?
of zweven we hier boven
Or are we floating above?
het voelt als slow motion
It feels like slow motion.
slow motion
Slow motion.
het gaat zo vlug
It goes so fast.
en het komt nooit meer terug
And it will never come back.
deze gouden uren
These golden hours.
in deze tent
In this tent.
dit moment zonder end
This moment without end.
kon dit maar eeuwen duren
If only this could last for centuries.
gaat het te snel
Is it going too fast?
ben ik te traag
Am I too slow?
is het te veel
Is it too much?
wil ik te graag
Do I want it too much?
het was zo mooi
It was so beautiful.
maar waar is het vandaag
But where is it today?
een weeÙ plek laag in mijn maag
A painful spot in my stomach.
het leek wel een droom of was dat het ook?
It seemed like a dream or was it really?
kan het niet nog een keer
Can it not happen again?
in slow motion
In slow motion.
Contributed by Logan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.