De Kast were a successful pop-rock band from the Netherlands in the late 19… Read Full Bio ↴De Kast were a successful pop-rock band from the Netherlands in the late 1990's. Their biggest hits include In nije dei, Woorden zonder Woorden, Hart van mijn gevoel, Eltse grins foarby, Raak, Een teken van leven and Zo Jong. Their songs are mainly in Dutch, although some songs, like In nije dei and Eltse grins foarby, are written in Frisian, which is solely spoken in the northern province of The Netherlands, Fryslân.

During the high times of De Kast the band consisted of Syb van der Ploeg (vocals/guitar), cousin Peter van der Ploeg (lead guitar), Kees Bode (keyboards), Sytse Broersma (bass guitar) and Nico Outhuijse (drums).

The band formed in 1985 under the name of Wish to Escape at local high school in Dokkum. Peter van der Ploeg, who worked there as a janitor, approached student Kees Bode to become member of a new rock band. Peter's cousin Syb joined in, together with good friend Dikkie Visser, the band's original drummer. A fifth original member soon left the band. This resulted in 1987 in Sytse Broersma joining as the new bass player, and for a short time, as the new singer too, after Syb van der Ploeg had briefly quit the band.

In the late eighties Wish to Escape had several gigs, whether it be on camp sites or in small pubs. During that time the idea of a very own studio album arose, which led to the recording of the self-titled album Wish to Escape, an album with symph-rock influences. In order to play more gigs in local discotheques, the band formed a new top-100 cover band called Goldrush. Alongside the name Wish to Escape in fact disappeared.

Soon Goldrush was booked all over the country, and, by gradually performing more and more of their own Dutch songs during the gigs, the band gained the attention of record company CNR. By that time the band had already changed its name to The Cast, but soon all agreed on adopting a more Dutch band name to match the Dutch repertoire. Thus the name De Kast was born.

De Kast were mostly successful during the late '90s scoring several hits in the Netherlands. They are best known for their #1 hit In neije dei.

California
De Kast Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Onderweg naar de toekomst
Weg uit de zinloze sleur
Steeds dezelfde geluiden
Ik doe het slot op de deur
Ik heb de beslissing genomen
Ik heb de keuze gemaakt
Op een tweesprong gekomen
'k Ben voor de tweede keer ontwaakt

Ik kus de grond en alles wat ik achterlaat
Ik weet dat ik zal gaan, er is geen houden aan

He California, ik wil de zon op m'n huid
He California, ik mis je zomers geluid

Ik ben die eenzame lifter
Met een rugzak vol tijd
Ik ruik het stof en de aarde
Ik ben op alles voorbereid

Ik kus de grond en alles wat ik achterlaat
Ik weet dat ik zal gaan, er is geen houden aan

He California, ik wil de zon op m'n huid
He California, ik mis je zomers geluid

He California dreaming
He California dreaming

He California, ik wil de zon op m'n huid
He California, ik mis je zomers geluid
He California, ik wil de zon op m'n huid

He California, ik mis je zomers geluid
Ik mis je zomerse geluid

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of De Kast's song "California" talk about someone who is tired of the monotony of everyday life and has decided to leave everything behind to start anew. The person is depicted as a lone traveler with a backpack full of time, who is ready for any challenge that might come their way. The lines "I kiss the ground and everything that I leave behind, I know that I will go, there is no stopping me" portray the traveler's sense of determination to leave everything behind and start afresh.

The chorus "He California, I want the sun on my skin, He California, I miss your sunny sound" epitomizes the person's desire for an idyllic place with sunny weather and the lazy sounds of summer. The lyrics "He California dreaming" further emphasize the person's longing for a better life, a life that they hope to find in California.

Line by Line Meaning

Onderweg naar de toekomst
Moving towards the future

Weg uit de zinloze sleur
Away from the meaningless routine

Steeds dezelfde geluiden
Always the same sounds

Ik doe het slot op de deur
Locking the door behind me

Ik heb de beslissing genomen
I have made the decision

Ik heb de keuze gemaakt
I have made the choice

Op een tweesprong gekomen
At a crossroads

'k Ben voor de tweede keer ontwaakt
I have awakened for the second time

Ik kus de grond en alles wat ik achterlaat
I kiss the ground and everything I leave behind

Ik weet dat ik zal gaan, er is geen houden aan
I know that I will go, there is no stopping me

He California, ik wil de zon op m'n huid
Hey California, I want the sun on my skin