Doe Maar (the band name can be loosely translated as 'go ahead' or 'do as you say') recorded five studio albums, with the latter four hitting number one in the Dutch album charts.
Having emerged from a hippie community in the south of The Netherlands in the late 1970s, Doe Maar's self-titled 1979 début album was not much of a success. Founding member and original bass player Piet Dekker left the group. Ernst Jansz (vocals, keyboards), Jan Hendriks (guitar) and Carel Copier (drums) were briefly joined by stand-in bass player Joost Belinfante (of hippie/folk outfit CCC Inc.) before Henny Vrienten was recruited as the permanent new bass player in 1980.
The second album, Skunk, was released in the summer of 1981, preceded by the lead single Sinds 1 Dag Of 2, which didn't enter the charts until radio DJ Frits Spits had pretty much singlehandedly changed the song title into the more catchy 32 Jaar ('32 Years'). Single and album were reasonably succesful, but not more than that. At the end of the year drummer Carel Copier was replaced by René van Collem, who was 20 years of age at the time, more than a decade younger than the rest of the band.
March 1982 saw the release of the album Doris Day en andere stukken and the lead single, Doris Day, which - almost overnight - sparked off 'Doe Maar-mania', a craze unequaled for a Dutch band in their home country, including hysterical and fainting teenage girls during live performances and a brief domination of teen fashion in The Netherlands, with the fluorescent 'phosphor green' and 'lollipop pink' trade mark colours of the Skunk album and a huge market of Doe Maar memorabilia: pins, badges, sweatbands and what not.
Doe Maar were now referred to as 'the Dutch Beatles': very different music, but similar (if not worse) madness.
The Doris Day album had only just disappeared from the top of the Dutch album charts when the two-year old Skunk album hit number. The stand-alone single De Bom ('The Bomb') topped the singles charts in November 1982. Typically, the band's young fans hardly seemed to understand what an apocalyptic song it was: "Work on your future... before the bomb drops."
The band members were shocked and not seldomly frightened or depressed by their sudden popularity. They were in their mid-thirties; the hordes of teenage girls that suddenly invaded their private lives were everything but their peers. Doe Maar wrote particularly gloomy songs about topics that you would expect to appeal to 'thirty-somethings' rather than teenagers. Jansz and Vrienten, in particular, received tons of love letters from teenage girls, but also death threats from Dutch Neo-Nazis. They needed bodyguards. Meanwhile, the Dutch music press dismissed Doe Maar as a teenybopper phenomenon: the band was first sneered at and later mostly ignored by Holland's music critics.
In May 1982 the band fired its youthful drummer, René van Collem. His successor, Jan Pijnenburg, was involved in car accident shortly after he was hired. Somewhat bizarrely, the band then hired René van Collem as a stand-in for another six months of live concerts. The definitive Doe Maar line-up was now complete: Ernst Jansz (vocals, keyboards), Henny Vrienten (vocals, bass), Jan Hendriks (guitar) and Jan Pijnenburg (drums). Years later, René van Collem would express his bitterness over the fact that Pijnenburg can be seen on almost all of the band's famous group pictures and is generally regarded as the Doe Maar drummer (especially after the 1999-2000 and 2008 reunions), in spite of the fact that the drum parts on the studio albums are almost exclusively Van Collem's work. He also played the lion's share of the band's live shows.
The particularly dark 4us ('Virus') album was released in March 1983 and immediately rocketed to number one, just like its lead single Pa ('Dad'), a rather bitter song about generation gaps. 'Doe Maar-mania' was now at its peak and (during live shows) frequently out of control. The band decided to stop doing interviews, announced complete radio silence and attempted to focus on their next album, but had to conclude that there was no more inspiration. Doe Maar had burned out.
The announcement that Doe Maar was going to call it quits caused grief beyond belief amongst a generation of Dutch teenage girls. The Dutch Kindertelefoon ('Kids Phone') had to deal with countless brokenhearted young girls who phoned in, not seldomly to announce their imminent suicides.
The band did two emotional 'farewell' shows in Den Bosch's Maaspoort hall on 14 April 1984. Since then, Henny Vrienten and Ernst Jansz have pursued successful solo careers, mostly in the context of music composition for television and cinema. The band members remained friends and continued to play together on private occasions.
After more than fifteen years of absence - in which their work was rehabilitated by a new generation of music critics - Doe Maar decided to re-unite for one final album: Klaar (which means as much as 'finished' or 'done') was released in 2000. A string of sixteen reunion concerts at Rotterdam's Ahoy sports palace was announced. 175,000 tickets were sold in an eyewink, in many cases to the teenage girls of the early eighties, now thirty-somethings.
In 2007 a theatre musical about the band's music toured the Netherlands and won several important theater awards. The success of 'Doe Maar - The Musical' was followed by another reunion show, at De Kuip football stadium in Rotterdam. 50,000 tickets sold out within the hour, three more concerts were added... and also sold out in no-time. In an interview on 20 June 2008, Henny Vrienten said: "This is no longer a 'reunion'. Doe Maar is back, for real." Doe Maar still performs regularly in The Netherlands, mostly at festivals.
Pa
Doe Maar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
De rimpels op je handen
Zo vriendelijk en zacht wie had dat ooit gedacht
Je bent zoveel veranderd
Ik werd niet wat je wou maar papa luister nou
Ik doe de dingen die ik doe met mun ogen dicht
Je was heel wat van plan maar daar kwam weinig van
Ik heb niet veel geleerd deed alles net verkeerd
Heb moeite met relaties
Ik loop niet in de rij ik breek en vecht me vrij
En doe de dingen die ik doe met mun ogen dicht
Knoop je jas dicht, doe un das om, was eerst je handen
Kam je haren, recht je schouders, denk aan je tanden
Blijf niet hangen, recht naar huis toe, spreek met twee woorden
Stel je netjes voor, eet zoals ut hoort en zeg u (u u u)
Ik sta hier en ik zing, ik doe gewoon mun ding
Dat moet je accepteren
Ach luister nou toch pa, het is nog niet te laat
Want leven kun je leren
Ik weet niet waar ik sta, loop niemand achterna
Maar doe de dingen die ik doe met mun ogen dicht
Knoop je jas dicht, doe un das om, was eerst je handen
Kam je haren, recht je schouders, denk aan je tanden
Blijf niet hangen, recht naar huis toe, spreek met twee woorden
Stel je netjes voor, eet zoals ut hoort en zeg u u u u
Aah ah aah
Aah ah aah
Aah ah aah
The lyrics of Doe Maar's song "Pa" tell the story of a son that tries to communicate with his father, who underwent significant changes throughout his life, and he tries to make peace with him. The song starts with the son observing his father's physical changes, how he has aged and his hands are now wrinkled. The son admires his father's kindness and reveals that he never expected him to change so much. He then admits that he had not become the person his father wanted him to be, but he still wants his father to listen to him. The son explains that he does things his way, even blindly, and the father needs to accept it.
The second verse is about the father and how he had ambitions and plans for his son, but they did not materialize. He sees his son as someone who did not do well in life, who did not learn much and struggled in relationships. But his son fights to be free, to break free from the norm and do things differently, even without conforming to the social standards. The chorus then kicks in, and it seems as though the father is lecturing his son on how to behave, the right way of living, and how to conduct himself in public.
The song ends in the same way it started, with the son still trying to explain to his father that he is different, and he does things his way. The son is still hopeful that his father will listen to him and that it is not too late to fix their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Zoals je daar nu zit je haren bijna wit
As I see you sitting there with white hair and wrinkles on your hands.
De rimpels op je handen
The wrinkles on your hands.
Zo vriendelijk en zacht wie had dat ooit gedacht
So friendly and gentle, who would have ever thought?
Je bent zoveel veranderd
You have changed so much.
Ik werd niet wat je wou maar papa luister nou
I didn't become what you wanted, but please listen to me now.
Ik doe de dingen die ik doe met mun ogen dicht
I do what I do with my eyes closed.
Je was heel wat van plan maar daar kwam weinig van
You had big plans, but they didn't work out.
Ik lever geen prestaties
I am not achieving anything.
Ik heb niet veel geleerd deed alles net verkeerd
I haven't learned much, and I did everything wrong.
Heb moeite met relaties
I struggle with relationships.
Ik loop niet in de rij ik breek en vecht me vrij
I don't follow the crowd, I break free and fight for what I want.
Knoop je jas dicht, doe un das om, was eerst je handen
Button up your jacket, put on a tie, wash your hands first.
Kam je haren, recht je schouders, denk aan je tanden
Comb your hair, straighten your shoulders, think about your teeth.
Blijf niet hangen, recht naar huis toe, spreek met twee woorden
Don't linger, go straight home, speak politely with two words.
Stel je netjes voor, eet zoals ut hoort en zeg u (u u u)
Introduce yourself nicely, eat properly, and use the polite form of 'you' (u u u u).
Ik sta hier en ik zing, ik doe gewoon mun ding
I am here singing and doing my thing.
Dat moet je accepteren
You have to accept that.
Ach luister nou toch pa, het is nog niet te laat
Please listen to me, Dad, it's not too late.
Want leven kun je leren
Because you can learn how to live.
Ik weet niet waar ik sta, loop niemand achterna
I don't know where I stand, I don't follow anyone.
Maar doe de dingen die ik doe met mun ogen dicht
But I do what I do with my eyes closed.
Aah ah aah
Aah ah aah
Aah ah aah
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: H. Vrienten
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Red Arrow
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
The way you're sitting here now
Your hair almost white
The wrinkles on your hands
So kind and gentle, who would have ever thought
You have changed so much
I didn't become what you wanted, but daddy listen up
I do the things that I do... with my eyes closed
You had lots of plans, but little came of it
I don't deliver
I haven't learnt much, I did everything just wrong
I've got troubles with relationships
I don't walk in line, I break and free myself
And do the things that I do... with my eyes closed
Button up your jacket, put on a tie, wash your hands first
Comb your hair, straighten your shoulders, brush your teeth
Don't stay late, go straigth home, speak with two words
Present yourself nicely, eat like it should and never say ya, ya, ya, ya
I'm standing here and I'm singing, just doing my thing
You have got to accept that
Oh please, listen dad, it's not too late
Because one can learn how to live
I don't know where I stand, don't imitate others
But do the things that I do... with my eyes closed
Button up your jacket, put on a tie, wash your hands first
Comb your hair, straighten your shoulders, brush your teeth
Don't stay late, go straigth home, speak with two words
Present yourself nicely, eat like it should and never say ya, ya, ya, ya
larissa boden
zoals je daar nu zit je haren bijna wit
de rimpels op je handen
zo vriendelijk en zacht wie had dat ooit gedacht
je bent zoveel veranderd
ik werd niet wat jij wou maar pappa luister nou
ik doe de dingen die ik doe met mijn ogen dicht
jij was heel wat van plan maar daar kwam weinig van
ik lever geen prestaties
ik heb niet veel geleerd deed alles net verkeerd
heb moeite met relaties
ik loop niet in de rij ik breek en vecht me vrij
en doe de dingen die ik doe met mijn ogen dicht
knoop je jas dicht doe een das om was eerst je handen
kam je haren recht je schouders denk aan je tanden
blijf niet hangen recht naar huis toe spreek met twee woorden
stel je netjes voor eet zoals het hoort en zeg u
ik sta hier en ik zing ik doe gewoon mijn ding
dat moet je accepteren
ach luister nou toch pa het is nog niet te laat
want leven kun je leren
ik weet niet waar ik sta loop niemand achterna
maar doe de dingen die ik doe met mijn ogen dicht
knoop je jas dicht doe een das om was eerst je handen
kam je haren recht je schouders denk aan je tanden
blijf niet hangen recht naar huis toe spreek met twee woorden
stel je netjes voor eet zoals het hoort en zeg u
Frank Walraven
Mijn broer draaide dit altijd, ik was toen nog een kleine kerel. Ik ga dit steeds meer waarderen. Doet mij trouwens ook herinneren aan mijn overleden pa
Red Arrow
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
The way you're sitting here now
Your hair almost white
The wrinkles on your hands
So kind and gentle, who would have ever thought
You have changed so much
I didn't become what you wanted, but daddy listen up
I do the things that I do... with my eyes closed
You had lots of plans, but little came of it
I don't deliver
I haven't learnt much, I did everything just wrong
I've got troubles with relationships
I don't walk in line, I break and free myself
And do the things that I do... with my eyes closed
Button up your jacket, put on a tie, wash your hands first
Comb your hair, straighten your shoulders, brush your teeth
Don't stay late, go straigth home, speak with two words
Present yourself nicely, eat like it should and never say ya, ya, ya, ya
I'm standing here and I'm singing, just doing my thing
You have got to accept that
Oh please, listen dad, it's not too late
Because one can learn how to live
I don't know where I stand, don't imitate others
But do the things that I do... with my eyes closed
Button up your jacket, put on a tie, wash your hands first
Comb your hair, straighten your shoulders, brush your teeth
Don't stay late, go straigth home, speak with two words
Present yourself nicely, eat like it should and never say ya, ya, ya, ya
Shewannafuck
Wrong
Kim
@Shewannafuck what? It’s the right translation, I don’t know what you are saying but they’re translation is right.
Char
Other countries listen to Dutch music?
gamen met britt
🤣 ya yay ya🤣
Mag Primed
@Kim its a Good translation only in the netherlands we speak older people on with u so he made it ya ya ya
Joseph Macias
I feel like I’m the only American person who likes this song. My girlfriend is Dutch and when she played this I told her to play it over and over again.
sebas hess
SHE S OKE, KOZ, BOPPE.....
Mirlov
I’m American as well, learning Dutch for fun.