1. Fr… Read Full Bio ↴Two musicians from The Netherlands are known as Frank Boeijen:
1. Frank Boeijen is a Dutch singer/songwriter, who was the front man of popular (and eponymous) pop group De Frank Boeijen Groep from 1980 until 1991, the year he went solo. As leader of De Frank Boeijen Groep, Boeijen was one of the pioneers of Nederpop; along with the likes of Doe Maar en Het Goede Doel. After the peak of Nederpop passed, Boeijen broke new ground by touring theatres with his band and bringing pop music to new auditoriums and audiences. As a solo artist, he has kept to this theatre based approach of his music and maintained a productive pace.
Frank Boeijen was born in Nijmegen, The Netherlands on November 27, 1957, as the last in a family of ten children. His father was a typesetter in a factory. His older brothers were into American pop music; in the Boeijen household, Bob Dylan and Neil Young were often to be found on the record player (years later, Boeijen would write a song about this, appropriately titled Robbert Zimmerman). Young Frank learned to play the guitar. After finishing high school, Boeijen started a musical collaboration with guitarist Wout Pennings. Boeijen en Pennings released an album together in 1977. The songs of the album were re-recorded and the album was re-released a year later, with Rob de Nijs acting as producer. It was appropriately titled Boeijen en Pennings. To fulfil live engagements, drummer Henk Wanders en bass player Nels Busch joined the duo.
Pennings left the band in 1979 and was replaced with guitar player Wil Theunissen. The name was changed into the Frank Boeijen Groep. The b-side of their fist single, a song entitled Verjaardagsfeest was picked on up by radio disc jockey Frits Spits, who played the record a lot during his evening show. The group released their debut album, simply entitled Frank Boeijen Groep, album later that year. On the base of the airplay of Verjaardagsfeest, the album reached the Tipparade.
Nederpop, pop music with Dutch vocals, was becoming a mainstream success in the early eighties, and the Frank Boeijen Groep hitched a wagon to that train, when their single Linda, reached the Top Forty. Zwart Wit, another single, written after a racial murder had taken place in Amsterdam, became a number one hit. 1982's Twee and 1983's 1001 Hotel became big sellers.
In 1984, the Frank Boeijen Groep was awarded the Zilveren Harp by Conamus. In that same year, album Kontakt was released. Lead guitarist Wil Theunissen quit the group later that year and replaced with Maarten Peters, who himself was replaced two years later by Ger Hoeijmakers. In 1985, the group released Foto Van Een Mooie Dag. Single Kronenburg Park -- named after Kronenburger Park a park in Nijmegen, Boeijen's place of birth and residence -- became a huge success. Follow up, In Nature, released in 1986, didn't do as well, but still sold respectively.
Towards the end of the eighties, Boeijen's music fell somewhere in between het levenslied of André Hazes, the chansons of Ramses Shaffy and the pop of Doe Maar. According to Frank Boeijen and his manager Paul Schouwenaars the group had outgrown clubs and tents. With the release of album Welkom In Utopia in 1987, the group decided to tour Dutch theatres. The Welkom In Utopia tour started in the Stadsschouwburg in Amsterdam in September of the same year. Two more albums were released: studio album Een Zomer Aan Het Eind Van De Twintigste Eeuw (1989) and live album Hier Komt De Storm. During these years, Frank Boeijen dated Sky Channel presenter Amanda Redington. The two would marry in 1990. The album Dans In Slow Motion, released in 1988, was written for her. In juni 1994 scheidden ze weer van elkaar.
In the spring of 1991, Boeijen announced the ending of his group. In November of that year, he released his first solo album Wilde Bloemen. The musicians on the album were drummer Norman Bonink, guitar player Peter van Benthem and bass player Michel van Schie. Van Schie was replaced by touring bass player René te Voortwis, and pianist Ton Snijders was also recorded. Wilde Bloemen featured several duets with other well known Dutch musicians, among them were: Twee Gezichten, a song written and recorded with Henk Hofstede of The Nits); and Het IJs, written and recorded with Henny Vrienten of Doe Maar).
In the summer of 1993, Boeijen recorded Jazz in Barcelona; an album concerned with the break up between him and Amanda Redington. The subsequent theatre tour was a big success, with sold out shows every evening. Traces of Boeijen's break up were also to be found on next album De Ontmoeting (1994 - an even more spare and intimate affair than Jazz In Barcelona. De Ontmoeting also featured a single, Twee Mannen Zo Stil, with music and lyrics by Boeijen and Stef Bos. Although the single failed to mount the charts, over the years it became a Nederpop classic, often played at funerals. In the same year, Boeijen produced an album for Liesbeth List, the female voice of Ramses Shaffy's recordings. In 1995, another live album, Stormvogels, hit the shelves.
Boeijen returned with two new albums in 1997: a greatest hits compilation, Het Beste En Het Mooiste and an album of new material, Vaderland. The year before, Boeijen had travelled extensively through Asia, and a lot of the songs, although concerning Boeijen and The Netherlands, were written from a distant perspective. In 1999, De Ballade van de Dromedaris, recorded in Peter Gabriel's Real World Studio's appeared, followed by live album Door De Jaren Heen, containing several duets with Ramses Shaffy, Liesbeth List and Stef Bos. Both albums were big sellers. In 2001, Heden, was released. Drummer Norman Bonink left the group to join BLØF. He seat was filled by Oscar Kraal. Helder contained a collaboration between Boeijen and BLØF front man Paskal Jakobsen, single Geen Gevaar. The song was released in the summer of 2002. In the same year, Boeijen won an Edison award as best singer.
2. Frank Boeijen is also the name of the keyboardist for the Dutch group The Gathering.
Wat doet U hier meneer
Frank boeijen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
U bent zo ver van huis
Wat zoekt u hier meneer
De lichten gaan zo uit
De gasten zijn weg
De stoelen staan op tafel
Zal ik een taxi voor u bellen
Bent u getrouwd meneer
Heeft u ook kinderen
Er belde een mevrouw meneer
En die vroeg waar ze u kon vinden
Maar u verdween uit het zicht
U verdronk in het glas
Had u het zo warm meneer
Of waren dat tranen die ik zag
U riep een naam meneer
Ik heb het niet goed verstaan
U zong een lied meneer
Ik vond er niet zo veel aan
Ach meneer ik hoor zoveel verhalen
Het lijkt me best wel zwaar meneer
Als iedereen je zomaar aanspreekt
We gaan sluiten meneer
Wat deed u hier meneer
Wat zocht u hier meneer
The lyrics to "Wat doet u hier meneer" by Frank Boeijen depict a conversation between the singer and a man who appears to be lost and out of place. The singer wonders why the man is so far from home and what he is looking for. As the night comes to a close and the guests leave, the singer offers to call a taxi for the man. The singer also asks if the man is married and has children. A woman had called looking for him, but he disappeared. The singer then observes that the man seems to be drowning in his drink, either from the heat or from tears in his eyes. The man cried out a name, but the singer didn't understand it. The man also sang a song, but the singer didn't like it. Finally, the singer tells the man that it must be difficult to be constantly approached by strangers and that the establishment is closing.
Line by Line Meaning
Wat doet u hier meneer
Asking the stranger about their purpose of being in that place
U bent zo ver van huis
Noticing the distance between the stranger's current location and his home
Wat zoekt u hier meneer
Inquiring about what the stranger is searching for in that place
De lichten gaan zo uit
Notifying the stranger about the closing time of the establishment
De gasten zijn weg
Informing the stranger that all other customers have left the place
De stoelen staan op tafel
Describing the state of the furniture after closing time
Zal ik een taxi voor u bellen
Offering to call a cab for the stranger
Bent u getrouwd meneer
Asking the stranger about his marital status
Heeft u ook kinderen
Inquiring about whether the stranger has children or not
Er belde een mevrouw meneer
Informing the stranger about a woman who called for him
En die vroeg waar ze u kon vinden
Explaining the purpose of the woman's call
Maar u verdween uit het zicht
Noticing that the stranger disappeared afterwards
U verdronk in het glas
Observing the stranger's excessive drinking
Had u het zo warm meneer
Asking the stranger whether he's feeling hot or not
Of waren dat tranen die ik zag
Speculating whether the stranger was crying or just sweating
U riep een naam meneer
Noticing that the stranger called out somebody's name
Ik heb het niet goed verstaan
Admitting that the name wasn't audible enough to recognize
U zong een lied meneer
Observing that the stranger sang a song in the place
Ik vond er niet zo veel aan
Expressing personal opinion about the stranger's musical performance
Ach meneer ik hoor zoveel verhalen
Sympathizing with the stranger about his situation
Het lijkt me best wel zwaar meneer
Empathizing with the stranger about his tough circumstances
Als iedereen je zomaar aanspreekt
Commenting on how people approach and talk to strangers
We gaan sluiten meneer
Notifying the stranger again about the closing time
Wat deed u hier meneer
Repeating the same question about the stranger's purpose of being in that place
Contributed by Anna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.