Formed in 1961, the band was active for 60 years, almost non-stop. They had 56 years of studio output, starting in 1965, which made them the world's longest surviving rock band, formed a year before The Rolling Stones, until their tragic end on 5 February 2021, when guitarist founding member George Kooymans revealed that he had been diagnosed with the neuro-muscular disease, ALS.
The band's core line-up of four was unchanged from 1970 to 2021, although extra musicians had short stints in the band in the 1970s. Golden Earring was always touring, except in 2000 (their only sabbatical year) and the final year of their existence, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 1961 George Kooymans (age 13) and his neighbour Rinus Gerritsen (age 15) formed The Tornado's in the Zuiderpark district of their home town of The Hague, The Netherlands. The band's first line-up mainly played The Shadows and The Ventures covers, as well as other instrumental tunes, and played its first gigs at school parties.
In 1963, as the band found out that there already was a British band called The Tornados, they decided to change their name into The Golden Ear-rings (after a Peggy Lee song). The band now performed around The Hague, soon had a devoted local following and landed a record deal with Polydor. Their début single, 1965's Please Go, immediately landed in the Dutch Top 10.
Under the Golden Earrings moniker the band eventually recorded four albums and had twelve hit singles in the Netherlands between 1965 and 1969, ten of which reached the Dutch Top 10. Several of their records were released internationally in Europe and even North America, although they failed to make an impact there.
One of the band's sixties singles became their first Dutch #1 hit: 1968's somewhat carnavalesque Dong-Dong-Diki-Digi-Dong, although that tune is now frowned upon by the band and generally regarded as inferior to other sixties Earrings gems, such as That Day (1966, the first Dutch pop single to have been recorded in the U.K., at London's Pye Studios), Sound Of The Screaming Day (1966) and the epic Just A Little Bit Of Peace In My Heart (1969).
The band's lead singer during the early Golden Earrings years was Frans Krassenburg. He was replaced by Barry Hay (ex-The Haigs) in 1967. The band's drummer for much of the 1960s was Jaap Eggermont. His successors were Sieb Warner (1969) and, in 1970, Cesar Zuiderwijk (ex-Livin' Blues), Golden Earring's definitive drummer.
The band's international career modestly started to take off in 1969, the year of their psychedelic Eight Miles High album, their first haphazard tour of the United States and also the year in which the band name was slightly changed into The Golden Earring and finally (dropping the article within a year), Golden Earring. On their early U.S. tours, their long, wild cover version of The Byrds' classic Eight Miles High impressed audiences and press alike. Golden Earring's 19-minute album version, as well as the stand-alone 1969 single, Another 45 Miles, were the first Golden Earring recordings to get some North American airplay.
The arrival of drummer, Cesar Zuiderwijk, in 1970, completed what would turn out to be the group's definitive line-up: Barry Hay (lead vocals/guitar/flute), George Kooymans (guitar/vocals), Cesar Zuiderwijk (drums) and Rinus Gerritsen (bass/harmonica/keyboards).
1970 saw a dramatic shift in Golden Earring's musical style. After the melodic, often Beatle-esque sixties beat of The Golden Earrings and a brief phase of psychedelia and hippie rock in 1968 and 1969, the single Back Home marked the birth of Golden Earring's trademark heavy, riff-based brand of hard rock with catchy hooks. Back Home hit #1 in the Dutch charts and 'broke' Golden Earring in most of Europe, notably countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France.
This marked the start of a decade of domestic and international glory. Between 1966 and 1976 seventeen consecutive Earring singles rocketed into the Dutch Top 10, while their international popularity increased, especially after their lengthy 1972 tour of Europe, supporting The Who. Buddy Joe (1972) achieved considerable chart success in the German-speaking countries of Europe, but 1973's Radar Love was their breakthrough smash hit worldwide: #13 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, #1 in the U.S. Cashbox chart, #5 in Britain, #8 in Australia, #10 in Canada, #5 in Germany, #6 in Belgium, #1 in Spain and also #1 in (last but not least) Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), to name but a few.
Radar Love remains an enduring 'car classic' and radio anthem of global fame to this day. Between 1969 and 1985 Golden Earring completed ten major tours of North America, building a considerable North American fanbase, as well as five headlining tours of Great Britain in 1973 and 1974 alone. Golden Earring toured as 'special guests' of The Who, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, .38 Special, Rush and many more, whereas bands like Aerosmith, KISS, ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd opened for Golden Earring. The album that spawned Radar Love, 1973's Moontan, was certified 'Gold' by North America's RIAA in 1974 and sold millions of copies worldwide.
The band failed to achieve similar chart success in the years after Radar Love: the progressive Switch (1975) and To The Hilt (1976) charted in Billboard's album charts, but yielded no major U.S. hits. The singles were clearly not what North American audiences wanted from the 'Radar Love guys'.
Golden Earring was forgotten by many outside of The Netherland and by 1980 even Dutch audiences started to lose interest: albums such as No Promises, No Debts (1979) and Prisoner Of The Night (1980) were commercial flops, leading to the band's decision (in 1981) to record a 'final LP and then call it quits.
The lead single from 1982's 'farewell album', Cut, a Kooymans-penned tune called Twilight Zone, surprisingly became an even bigger hit in the U.S. than Radar Love: #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks, thanks to heavy MTV rotation of the Dick Maas-directed video. The song (#1 in The Netherlands) revived Golden Earring's stateside career overnight. The Cut LP was certified 'gold' in Canada, with Twilight Zone hitting #3 in the Canadian charts.
In their native Netherlands the band did manage to extend their creative and commercial peak this time: the single When The Lady Smiles and the album N.E.W.S. ('NorthEastWestSouth'), both released in 1984, repeated the success of Twilight Zone and Cut. 'Lady' peaked at #3 in Canada, but fared disappointingly in the U.S. as MTV and even radio stations banned the track because of its controversial video, once again directed by Dick Maas, in which the rape of a nun was suggested.
After 1985 things rapidly went downhill for Golden Earring internationally (they would not tour the U.S. again), but - after a creative and financial crisis that lasted throughout the second half of the 1980s - the band wrote one of their most enduring Dutch hits in 1991 (the power-ballad, Going To The Run, which fared partially well in Russia) and discovered a new gold mine in their home country a year later: acoustic concerts in theatres, the concept of MTV Unplugged.
To everybody's surprise, the band's acoustic live album, The Naked Truth, slowly became their all-time biggest selling album in The Netherlands. Its sequels, Naked II (1997) and Naked III (2005) also went platinum at least once in The Netherlands.
Golden Earring's by far most succesful album internationally remains 1973's Moontan, which sold well over 3.5 million copies outside of The Netherlands and was certified 'gold' in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom (and platinum in the U.S. in later years).
Golden Earring released 25 studio albums, 9 live albums and countless succesful compilations. Almost all of these records were certified gold, often platinum, in The Netherlands. More than anything else, though, the band remained a live force of legendary status in their home country and beyond. They toured throughout each year until the very end, almost exclusively in the Netherlands, although there are still occasional live appearances in Belgium and Germany. 2009 saw Golden Earring's long overdue return to the United Kingdom: their sold out shows in Ipswich and London's Shepherd's Bush Empire were their first live appearances in England since 1978.
In 2011 the band recorded their first album of new material since 2003's Millbrook U.S.A.: Tits 'n Ass - studio album #25 for the Dutch legends - was released on 11 May 2012 on Universal Music and hit #1 in the Dutch album charts one week after its release to become Golden Earring's 8th #1 album in their home country. Certified 'gold' in The Netherlands, the album was generally believed to be Golden Earring's final studio outing, but December 2015 saw the release of a five-track mini album entitled The Hague, released more than fifty years after their début single and just before the band's sold out 'Five Zero' anniversary concert at Amsterdam's Ziggo Dome in front of a 17,000-strong crowd. 2019 saw the release of a stand-alone single, Say When: Golden Earring's final studio recording.
Nobody was aware of it at the time, but the band's 16 November 2019 performance at the Rotterdam Ahoy would turn out to be their final concert. After a year of Covid-19 lockdowns, guitarist George Kooymans announced his ALS diagnosis on 5 February 2021, the disease rendering him unfit to perform. Within hours, the band admitted that carrying on without Kooymans was unthinkable. In the words of lead singer, Barry Hay: "This is the end of the line for the band. It's a death blow. We always said: we'll keep going until the first one of us goes down. I never expected it to be George."
The band's final performance was released as a live CD and DVD in April 2022, named after Barry Hay's final words at the end of countless Golden Earring shows: You Know We Love You!.
Studio albums (released as Golden Earring, unless noted otherwise)
Just Ear-rings (1965, as The Golden Earrings or The Golden Ear-rings)
Winter-Harvest (1967, as Golden Earrings, sometimes spelled as Winter Harvest)
Miracle Mirror (1968, as Golden Earrings)
On The Double (1969, as Golden Earrings)
Eight Miles High (1969, as The Golden Earring)
Golden Earring (1970, colloquially known as 'Wall Of Dolls')
Seven Tears (1971)
Together (1972)
Moontan (1973)
Switch (1975)
To The Hilt (1976)
Contraband (1976, U.S. title: Mad Love)
Grab It For A Second (1978)
No Promises... No Debts (1979, spelled as No Promises, No Debts on most online platforms)
Prisoner Of The Night (1980)
Cut (1982)
N.E.W.S. (1984)
The Hole (1986)
Keeper Of The Flame (1989)
Bloody Buccaneers (1991)
Face It (1994)
Love Sweat (1995, covers album)
Paradise In Distress (1999)
Millbrook U.S.A. (2003)
Tits 'n Ass (2012)
The Hague (EP, 2015)
Live albums
Live (1977)
2nd Live (1981)
Something Heavy Going Down (1984, includes one new studio track)
The Naked Truth (1992, acoustic)
Naked II (1997, acoustic)
Last Blast Of The Century (2000)
Naked III (2005, acoustic, incorrectly listed as Naked Truth III on some streaming platforms)
Live In Ahoy 2006 (2006, live DVD + CD set)
You Know We Love You! (2022, live DVD + CD set)
Additional information:
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Earring
Official website: https://www.golden-earring.nl
What Do I Know About Love
Golden Earring Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I’m like a dog with an endless desire
I had a drink and maybe more then once again
Where does that leave me? Outside, I guess
The beauty and the beast
Say yes or no
Inside a dream
Been here before
Been there before
What do I know
And nothin’ about love
I’m like a shit
And no compass, no loter
You can count on me always the same
We’ll see
And the difference between
I don’t want any other
Is like a beauty
The beauty and the beast
The beauty and the beast
Say yes or no
Inside my dream
Never let you go
Been here before
Been there before
Why is it I know
Nothin’ about love?
Is it a secret
Or something between lovers
I’m here discoverin’ the mystery I miss
Is it I want you more than anything another?
Another sudden chance
And change of luck
The beauty and the beast
Say yes or no
Inside my dream
Never let go
Been here before
Been there before
Why is it I know
Nothin’ about love?
What do I know?
What do I know?
What do I know?
About love
What do I know?
What do I know?
What do I know?
What do I know?
About love
What do I know?
What do I know?
What do I know?
What do I know?
About love
The lyrics to Golden Earring's song "What Do I Know About Love" is about the confusion and uncertainty that comes with the concept of love. The first stanza describes a chaotic and dangerous situation – a house on fire – and how the singer is feels lost and uncertain, akin to a dog with an insatiable desire. He is unsure of his own actions, having had too much to drink and wondering where that leaves him – outside, alone. The chorus refers to the dichotomy of the beauty and the beast, prompting the question of whether to say yes or no to love, and never wanting to let go.
The second stanza of the song features more uncertainty and confusion, as the singer compares himself with a "shit" with no compass or direction. However, he promises to remain the same always, even if they may see differences in him. He ponders about the difference between wanting another and the beauty of love. The chorus is repeated again, with the singer wondering why they know nothing about love. The third stanza questions if love is a secret between lovers, and if wanting someone more than anything else is simply another chance for change and luck.
The song ends with the repetition of the chorus and the lyrics "What do I know? About love." Overall, the song portrays the uncertainty and confusion that can come with the concept of love, with the singer grappling to understand it.
Line by Line Meaning
Out on the street and your house is on fire
I am outside on the street and I see that your house is burning down.
I’m like a dog with an endless desire
I have an insatiable longing, like a dog that always wants more.
I had a drink and maybe more then once again
I consumed alcohol, and possibly repeated this action.
Where does that leave me? Outside, I guess
I am unsure how to proceed, but assume that I am still outside.
The beauty and the beast
Two opposing forces, the beautiful and the ugly.
Say yes or no
Make a decision, choose between two options.
Inside a dream
Experiencing something imaginary and unreal.
Never let go
Holding on tight and refusing to let something or someone go.
Been here before
Having experienced this situation previously.
Been there before
Having visited or been in this location before.
What do I know
I do not have knowledge or understanding.
And nothin’ about love
Specifically, I am lacking knowledge of love.
I’m like a shit
I am of the same quality or substance as excrement.
And no compass, no loter
Without a guide, I am directionless and aimless like someone lost at sea.
You can count on me always the same
I am reliable and consistent, always behaving in the same way.
We’ll see
I am uncertain of what will happen, but I am willing to wait and find out.
And the difference between
What sets things apart is...
I don’t want any other
I do not desire something different or alternative.
Is like a beauty
A comparison is being made to something attractive or pleasant.
The beauty and the beast
Again, the two opposing forces, the beautiful and the ugly, are mentioned.
Is it a secret
Is this something that is kept private or concealed?
Or something between lovers
Is this something specific to romantic partners?
I’m here discoverin’ the mystery I miss
I am currently in the process of trying to uncover something that I do not understand.
Is it I want you more than anything another?
Am I expressing that there is a desire for a specific person above all others?
Another sudden chance
A new and unexpected opportunity or circumstance.
And change of luck
A shift in fortune, either positive or negative.
What do I know?
Once again, I admit to being ignorant and unknowledgeable.
About love
In this case, specifically regarding the topic of love.
Contributed by Julia Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
neal davis
Please post the correct lyrics for this song because there are websites posting very maligned and incorrect versions. I have the cd and I am trying to learn how to play this song and needed to have a readable lyric sheet to refer to. This group has astounded me with this release. One of the best compleat cds I have heard.
ei1988
mijn favo liedje! KIPPENVEL!
Fred van den Driessche
Het hele album is top, maar deze is mijn favoriet
George van Cranenbroek
Wat een gaaf Earringnummer is dit!
Samuel van der Meij
heel mooi nummer dit
Pieter Maassen
episch
paidinfull cash
not bad
Matthijs Fleumer
Gaaaf!