… Read Full Bio ↴George Baker Selection was a rock band from Hoorn, the Netherlands.
George Baker (born Johannes Bouwens, The Netherlands) is the singer, songwriter, and founder of the Dutch pop music band, the George Baker Selection in 1969. They have sold over 20 million records worldwide.
The band acquired international fame with the two major hit singles; the psychedelic rock-style Little Green Bag (1969), and Paloma Blanca (1975).
In 1982, Paloma Blanca was used in the TV movie The Executioner's Song. In 1992, Little Green Bag again topped the international charts after it was used in Quentin Tarantino's motion picture Reservoir Dogs. Little Green Bag was also used in Chilean telenovela "Machos" as the main theme, and in a commercial for a norwegian pizza called "Grandiosa".
In 1967, Johannes Bouwens was living in Wormerveer and joined the band Soul Invention, a soul band which played covers of songs by Otis Redding and Sam and Dave. They changed their name to "George Baker Selection", Bouwens naming himself for a character from a detective novel. The band consisted of Jan Hop, Jac. (Sjaak) Greuter, George Thé, and Jan Visser. Their first album, Little Green Bag (1970), produced an immediate worldwide hit: their debut single, "Little Green Bag" reached No. 16 on the Cash Box magazine chart and No. 21 on the Billboard Top 100 in the United States. The success came as a surprise for Baker, who remembers hearing it on the radio at work, in a lemonade factory. The single sold over one million copies globally, and received a gold disc. A string of singles and albums followed; the second single, "Dear Ann", was such a success that Baker quit his job in the lemonade factory and became a full-time musician. Besides scoring hits with his own band, he also wrote songs for others, including BZN, The Shoes, Andy Star, and Next One. In 1974 singer Lida Bond joined the band, and combining her voice with Baker's proved highly successful.
Their fifth album, Paloma Blanca, was released in 1975, and the single "Paloma Blanca" reached No. 1 on charts in several countries. "Paloma Blanca" sold more than seven million copies worldwide, making it one of the most successful Dutch singles ever.
In 1978, the George Baker Selection split up because "the pressure had become too much." The band has sold over 20 million records worldwide. George Baker formed a new George Baker Selection in 1982, which stayed together until 1989. The band has released twelve albums and several compilation albums.
The band experienced a brief return to the international charts in 1992 when the song "Little Green Bag" was used in the title sequence of the film Reservoir Dogs and in "Machos", a cheesy Chilean soap opera in 2003. The song is also featured in a Moto X smartphone commercial circa 2013.
Members
Johannes Bouwens (as George Baker) (composer, vocals, guitar, mandolin, flute, piano and organ) 1967–1977, 1982–1989.
Elly Bloothoofd (vocals, guitar) 1982–1989.
Lida Jonkman-Bont (vocals) 1974–1977.
Nelleke Brzoskowsky (vocals) 1982–1989.
Willy Delano (vocals) 1977, 1982–1989.
Pieter Goeman (organ and piano) 1982–1989.
Sjaak Greuter (vocals, organ, flute and piano) 1967–1982. (died in March, 2018)
Jan Hop (drums) 1969–77, 1983–1989.
Henk Kramer (saxophone) 1967–1970.
Nathalie Más (vocals) between 1977 and 1982.
Job Netten (guitar) 1967–1970.
Martin Schoen (bass) between 1974 and 1982.
George Thé (vocals, guitar and bass) 1969–77, 1983–1989.
Cor Veerman (as Alan Decker) (bass) 1971–1974.
Theo Vermast (bassoon) 1967–1968.
Jan Visser (bass) 1968–1971.
Ton Vredenburg (drums) 1967–1970.
I'm On My Way
George Baker Selection Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The moon was low
Believe me,
And I was proud
To have a girl like you.
The next day she
Was gone
Oh what a pity,
My days with searching you.
I'm on my way
I'm on my way
To Bali Bali.
I'm on my way
I'm on my way
To Mexico.
I'm on my way
I'm on my way
To New York City.
I'm on my way
To find the treasure of my soul.
I think that I
Shall never find
My darling.
I think that I
Will search my whole
Life through.
No place to hide
And so I keep on travelin'
No place to hide
Until that I found you.
Hey hey
I'm on my way
Oh oh oh
Hey hey
I'm on my way.
A ha ha
Hey hey
I'm on my way
Oh ho ho
Hey hey
I'm on my way
A ha ha
The lyrics of George Baker Selection's song "I'm on My Way" follow the story of a man who lost his love and now spends his days searching for her. The opening lines set the scene with a description of a dark night and the moon low in the sky, creating a somber and melancholic tone. The man then expresses his pride in his former girlfriend, highlighting the depth of his attachment to her. However, the following day she disappears, leaving him with a sense of regret and longing.
The chorus, "I'm on my way," is repeated throughout the song, indicating the singer's determination to keep searching for his lost love. He travels to Bali, Mexico, and New York City in the hopes of finding her, believing that she is the treasure of his soul. The journey becomes a metaphor for his search for love and happiness, with no place to hide from his emotions, and no end to his quest.
The lyrics of "I'm on My Way" are emotional and relatable, capturing the pain of losing someone we love and the hope that keeps us going. The song's universal theme, combined with its upbeat rhythm and catchy chorus, has made it a timeless classic that continues to resonate with listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
The night was dark
It was a dark night, void of any light or visibility.
The moon was low
The moon that night was low on the horizon, casting a dim glow and not providing much illumination.
Believe me,
This is the singer's way of emphasizing that what he is about to say is true and should be taken seriously.
And I was proud
The artist was happy and content with himself, likely because he had a girl he was happy with.
To have a girl like you.
The artist is thankful for the girl he has and is happy to be with her.
The next day she
Referring to the day that comes after the night described in the previous lines.
Was gone
The girl the singer was referring to left or disappeared without explanation.
Oh what a pity,
The artist expresses pity or sadness over the fact that his girl has disappeared.
And now I spend
The artist has a new way of occupying his time since the girl he was with has left - searching for her.
My days with searching you.
The artist spends his days searching for the girl he lost and is unable to move on until he finds her again.
I'm on my way
The singer is currently traveling and embarking on different journeys.
To Bali Bali.
The artist is en route to Bali, a popular tourist destination.
To Mexico.
The singer is headed to Mexico, another popular travel destination.
To New York City.
The singer plans to visit New York City, another major city in the US known for its many attractions.
To find the treasure of my soul.
The singer is searching for what he calls 'the treasure of my soul,' which is likely his lost love or something that will give him fulfillment and meaning.
I think that I
This is the artist's opinion or belief about something.
Shall never find
The artist believes that he will never be able to find something, likely the girl he lost.
My darling.
The singer is referring to someone he loved and is now missing.
Will search my whole
The singer plans to spend a long time or their entire life looking for what they lost, possibly implying that it's something they may never find.
Life through.
The artist's search for what they lost will continue until they no longer live.
No place to hide
The artist believes that their lost love has nowhere to hide and is out there somewhere, possibly implying that they will find them eventually.
And so I keep on travelin'
The artist is always traveling, possibly searching for their lost love or something else that they can't seem to find.
Until that I found you.
The singer is implying that when they find the person or treasure they are searching for, everything will be worthwhile and their search will have been worth it.
Hey hey
This is a way to get someone's attention, signaling that the artist is excited and enthusiastic about something.
Oh oh oh
This is an exclamation that can be used to signify excitement or surprise, often used in music or other forms of media.
A ha ha
This is a way to convey a sense of fun or amusement, often used as an expression of laughter or humor.
Oh ho ho
This is a similar expression to 'Oh oh oh' and is used to express excitement or surprise.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HANS BOUWENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lidia Sobkowiak
🌷🌷🌷❣️🌷🌷🌷 CÓŻ ZA PIEKNA PIOSENKA brawo GEORGE BAKER 🌷🌷🌷❣️🌷🌷🌷
Ryszard Handke
Rozpływam się przy muzyce GEORGE...... dziękuję Wam za miłe przeżycia
Hendar Suhendar
Always play and hear this song at home, because this song very great and beautiful. And for dance this song very good. George Baker have beautiful voice. Greetings from Indonesia ❤❤
Zofia Szydłowska
Być w dzień przy dobrej muzyce,to jest SUPER...!.Dzięki,pozdrawiam :-)*
Adam adi
Pięknie
bibiJ63
So super!This was my first record I bought back then!And now years later I see it here again!Thanks so much for uploading this!! This was from German TV,right?I recognize that DISCO sign on the background.Great music program was that!
Henk Hansum
Cool to hear this oldie again ! ♥
おやじひー
カッコいい👍
Danielle Willems
que de souvenirs du top of the pop, le bon vieux temps
Danga Aukštikalnienė
Beautiful song!