Gare du Nord kicked off early 2001 when producers Doc (Lancee, Ferdi) & Inca (Fransen, Barend) were asked by a French promotor to deliver the soundtrack for a fashion & lifestyle event in Brussels labeled Excellence. Instead of going just for moody sounds and lounge atmospheres the twosome decided to go beyond synths and beats and composed a songcycle to express their contemporary interpretation of traditional delta blues. Excellence became Excellounge, excellounge became lounge and that kept Western Europe busy for quite a while. The debut album (in search of) Excellounge featured the hit single Pablo’s Blues, dominated by the dobro rif of Lancee and the voice of legend Robert Johnson. The album was released worldwide with special editions in Canada, Australia and Russia and was certified gold. Follow up Kind Of Cool was built around the title track, a grooving jazzy blues track in the Miles Davis mode. That track and another key track of the album, Sold My Soul, found its way to American tv series and movies. The album was certified gold upon re-release in 2009. After a Russian Tour in the slipstream of the second album the third Gare du Nord album, Club Gare du Nord, hit the streets by the end of 2005. Featuring trumpeter Erik Truffaz the album captured the now typical non-traditional sound scape structure that became the Gare du Nord sound. Although the album was released to high critical acclaim and generated a hit single (the Steely Dan-tribute Go Back, Jack) sales were only modest. Nevertheless, Club is a precious pearl in the catalogue not in the least because of its key track We Still Grow that would become a highlight of the live shows in later years.
2006-2010
In the fall of 2006 Fransen & Lancee wrote a song for a US- biopic in the making based upon the life and times of Soul legend Marvin Gaye. The song, Marvin & Miles, was sung by singer Dorona Alberti. The Marvin link triggered the two and a second song, You’re My Medicine, was written for the movie. Medicine featured the original Marvin Gaye vocal track from the classic track Sexual Healing, recorded in 1982 in Belgium. A third song, Somethin’ In My Mouth, again with Alberti, was written by means of a soundtrack to the bestselling book Stout by Heleen van Royen and Marlies Dekkers. Dekkers, then already a famous Dutch lingerie designer was asked to design the iconic cover for the new Gare du Nord-album, to be titled Sex ‘n’ Jazz. The album also featured the song Ride On, sung by British singer Paul Carrack.
Sex ‘n Jazz was a smash; the Top Ten-album spent a stunning 100 weeks in the Dutch album charts and was certified multi platinum. New York based jazz label offered Gare du Nord a record deal for a new album and for two mix albums. The 2009 album Love For Lunch was certified platinum and both the mix albums, Jazz In The City (2007) and Let’s Have A Ball
(2010) mixing Blue Note tracks from the likes of Donald Byrd, Andrew Hill and Bobby Hutcherson were certified gold. A round up of the first ten years of Gare du Nord was presented on the compilation album Greatest Hits, released by the end of 2010.
The year 2011 marks a new perspective. A more intimate, direct approach of producing and songs that cross borders in the direction of white soul, ska and even a little touch of country. The lyrics of the new songs reflect the great feelings and little mysteries of (Dorona Alberti’s) pregnancy as a metaphor for new life. Lilywhite Soul is a new episode in the ever changing moods of Gare du Nord.
Sold My Soul
Gare du Nord Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This used to be my home,
But nothin's the same since you left baby
But that's OK, I can handle it,
I got some new friends now!
Some new friends now!
Song:
But the Devil came back for more
I sold my soul to the Devil
But the Devil came back for more
Well I'm in need of some cash
So what is he waiting for
I don't know what it's like
To live in a house like this
I don't know what it's like
To live in a house like this
Just see the curtain's are closed
And the garden's a wilderness
(And the garden's a wilderness)
The bottle's my friend
Since the day you walked out that door
Well the bottle's my friend
Since the day you walked out that door
I've got a head full of blues
But nothin' worth fightin' for
I sold my soul to the Devil
But the Devil came back for more
I sold my soul to the Devil
But the Devil came back for more
Well I'm in need of some cash
So what is he waiting for
I sold my soul to the Devil
The Devil came back for more
I sold my soul to the Devil
Devil came back for more
Well I'm in need of some cash
So what is he waiting for
I sold my soul to the Devil
Devil came back for more
Sold my soul to the Devil
Devil came back for more
Well I'm in need of some cash
So what is he waiting for
What's he waiting for (x4)
The song "Sold My Soul" by Gare du Nord is a melancholic contemplation of the consequences of selling one's soul to the devil. The opening lines of the song suggest a personal loss, as the singer laments the absence of someone they cared for but admits to having found solace in new friendship. The narrative then turns to the central theme of the song: the consequences of selling one's soul in exchange for something, in this case, cash. The repetition of the line, "I sold my soul to the Devil, but the Devil came back for more" creates a sense of inevitability and fatalism, as if the bargain made cannot be undone.
The singer's sense of resignation is further emphasized by the repetition of the lines, "Well, I'm in need of some cash, so what is he waiting for?" suggesting that the singer is resigned to their fate and waiting for the devil to return to collect what's owed. The song's melancholic mood is further enhanced by the imagery of a wilderness-like garden and closed curtains, emphasizing the sense of isolation and loss.
Overall, "Sold My Soul" is a haunting meditation on the consequences of making a deal with the devil, illustrating the inescapable consequences of such a bargain.
Line by Line Meaning
This used to be my home,
I used to feel comfortable and safe here, but now things have changed since you left.
But nothin's the same since you left baby
Life does not feel the same without you, and I miss you.
But that's OK, I can handle it,
Even though I miss you, I will manage and cope with the situation.
I got some new friends now!
I made new connections, and I am not alone anymore.
I sold my soul to the Devil
I did something morally wrong or sold my integrity for personal gain.
But the Devil came back for more
The consequences of my actions caught up with me, and I must face them again.
Well, I'm in need of some cash
I am in desperate need of money to fulfill my needs or wants.
So what is he waiting for
I am impatient and want the Devil to fulfill his end of the deal immediately.
I don't know what it's like
I am unsure of how to live or behave in an unfamiliar environment.
To live in a house like this
This house is not familiar to me, and I am not used to its environment.
Just see the curtains are closed
The curtains are closed, and the scenery is unfamiliar to me.
And the garden's a wilderness
The garden is unkempt or overgrown with shrubs or weeds.
The bottle's my friend
I find solace in alcohol to cope with my loneliness and desperation.
Since the day you walked out that door
Since you left me, I have been using alcohol to fill the void.
I've got a head full of blues
I am depressed or feeling low, and I am unable to shake off this feeling.
But nothin' worth fightin' for
My problems seem insurmountable, and I do not see any reason to fight for anything.
Devil came back for more
The consequences of my actions or my past are haunting me again.
What's he waiting for (x4)
I am impatient and concerned about the Devil fulfilling his end of the deal.
Contributed by Isaac P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jensopitz475
Exzellent!
@1elfjetwaalfje
The first version is the BEST!
@ninonakashidze1320
awesome
@pathernph
excellent
@LifeOfJazz2016
I love this song. I uploaded a different version of it. Greetings Sjoerd
@philippe888
Loved that version! Do you know where i can find it now?
@MufcATW
83 likes 0 dislikes , fair enough . lets make it 84 and on and on :)
@morenamodonutti778
Nice
@ditte0326
csak you :)
@martinkuiper5632
Authentic