The band was formed in 1974 by Fender bass virtuoso Henk 'Hank The Knife' Bruysten, who quit the tremendously popular rock 'n' roll revival band, Long Tall Ernie & The Shakers. Bruysten thought he had a bunch of good songs of his own, but 'Long Tall Ernie' Treffers never wanted to record them. Frustrated, Bruysten decided to leave and form his own band, fronted by singer Pierre Beek.
The first two songs released on single were major Dutch chart hits in 1975: 'Guitar King' (which hit #2) and 'Stan The Gunman' (#1). Hank The Knife & The Jets were a spectacular stage band, touring The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany relentlessly.
The band's success was great... but short-lived. The rock 'n' roll revival petered out in the latter half of the 1970s. The original Hank The Knife & The Jets split up in 1977.
Hank The Knife had one more Dutch Top 10 single in 1980: 'Crazy Guitar', with his new backing band, The Crazy Cats (see: Hank The Knife & The Crazy Cats).
Bruysten re-surfaced in 2000 in the 'oldies circuit' with Hank The Knife & The Silver Cadillacs and - two years later - with a new incarnation of Hank The Knife & The Jets, with which he still performs every once in a while.
Yesterday Star
Hank The Knife & The Jets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A more exciting woman there has never been
Never ever failing she had offers every day.
Suddenly she started doing not so well
Didn't listen what somebody tried to tell
That her magic spell was slippin' away.
She lost her fans no doubt about
Nowhere to go got to the jar
And now they say that she's a yesterday star.
She used to be a star in a teenage dream
To ev'ry man and boy she was a sunlight beam
Throwing lots of parties and she never called it a date
Squandering all her money and her dignity
Running out of friends
she didn't want to see
That her flame was slowly fading away.
The song "Yesterday Star" by Hank The Knife & The Jets tells the story of a woman who used to be a hit in the glamour scene but started to lose her stardom as she didn't pay attention to the advice given by someone. The first stanza depicts her as an exciting and never-failing woman who used to get offers every day. However, the second stanza details that her magic spell was slipping away and she was not doing well. Despite people warning her, she didn't listen, and her star started fading away rapidly.
The chorus of the song is a direct indication of her downfall. People started saying that she is "down and out," she has lost her fans, and now she has nowhere to go but the jar. The phrase "yesterday star" emphasizes how quickly the glory fades away in the entertainment industry. The third and final stanza is about her past glory days as she used to be a star in a teenage dream, admired by every man and boy as a sunlight beam. She used to throw parties and spend her money, but now she is running out of friends, and her flame is slowly fading away. The song highlights the pressures of stardom and the transient nature of fame.
Line by Line Meaning
She used to be a hit in the glamour scene
She was once a widely popular celebrity in the world of fashion and entertainment.
A more exciting woman there has never been
Her charisma and charm was unmatched and there was no one more enthralling than her.
Never ever failing she had offers every day.
She was successful in all her endeavors and received numerous opportunities everyday.
Suddenly she started doing not so well
She began to falter and her career took a downward turn.
Didn't listen what somebody tried to tell
Despite being advised, she didn't pay attention to what people were saying.
That her magic spell was slippin' away.
The enchantment and allure that she once possessed was slowly diminishing.
They said it loud she's down and out
Everyone was aware of her downfall and defeat.
She lost her fans no doubt about
Her fan following began to decline and she was losing people's support.
Nowhere to go got to the jar
Having no other option, she resorted to alcohol to numb her pain and frustration.
And now they say that she's a yesterday star.
She is now referred to as a faded celebrity who was once popular but now forgotten.
She used to be a star in a teenage dream
In the eyes of teenage boys, she was a dream come true and a popular icon.
To ev'ry man and boy she was a sunlight beam
For every man and boy, she was a bright and radiating presence that brought joy and happiness.
Throwing lots of parties and she never called it a date
She enjoyed hosting several parties and never saw it as a romantic event.
Squandering all her money and her dignity
She wasted all her wealth and also her self-respect.
Running out of friends she didn't want to see
As she started losing her fame, she also lost her friends and wouldn't face them.
That her flame was slowly fading away.
Her vibrancy and energy were slowly depleting and she was losing her spark.
Contributed by Lincoln S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.