After playing piano in Cuby + Blizzards and several other bands since 1964, Brood started his own group, Herman Brood & His Wild Romance, in 1977. The band had their first hit single, Saturday Night, in 1978. It was taken from their best known and most succesful studio album, 1978's Shpritsz. A a live band, the leather-clad Wild Romance took The Netherlands (and Germany) by storm.
But even more than his music, it was his outspoken statements in the press about sex and drug use that brought Herman Brood into the public arena in The Netherlands. In the early 1980s he was romantically involved with the German artist, Nina Hagen, with whom he appeared in the film Cha Cha. Brood relished the media attention and became the most famous hard drug user in the Netherlands. In the 1990s he took up painting and soon became more successful as a painter athan he was as a musician (for a rock musician as legendary as Herman Brood, his studio LPs after 1980 sold remarkably poorly).
Brood swore off most drugs, reducing his drug use to alcohol and a daily shot of speed. Sadly (and ironically), this healthier lifestyle turned him into a vulnerable man almost overnight. He decided to take matters into his own hands and committed suicide: on 11 July 2001 he jumped off the roof of the Amsterdam Hilton hotel, at aged of 54.
Close friend, Bart Chabot, wrote about Brood's life in a string of biographies: "Broodje gezond", "Broodje halfom", "Brood en spelen" and "Broodje springlevend". Admirer, Black Francis, recorded a studio album (Bluefinger) as a tribute to Herman Brood.
No Ballad
Herman Brood & His Wild Romance Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
don't try to hold me everytime I leave
A tiger in a cage is just a disgrace
do you prefer to see me on my knees
beggin' you if I could possibly
a man can only stumble when he's fearfull
now don't you shout & try to do me in
this kind of fightin' you will always win
just y'r feelin's
If singin' ballads doesn't fit my style
& if I'm not the all romantic guy
leaves you confused & makes you wonder why
it doesn't mean that I don't love you anymore
I ain't your Macho Mister know it all
ain't gonna catch you every time you fall
it don't make sense to fake that kind of romance
why don't you find someone you can command
you can squeeze in the palm of y'r hand
pretends he understands y'r fears & sorrows
the kind of chaindog always hangin' round
who cracks you up whenever you go down
don't try to make me Rudolph Valentino
If singin' ballads doesn't fit my style
& if I'm not the all romantic guy
leaves you confused & makes you wonder why
it doesn't mean that I don't love you anymore
If I can't take the way you talk no more
If I sneak out since you're such a bore
Don't feel the fever like I did before
I guess that means that I
I'm sure that means that I don't love you anymore
The lyrics of "No Ballad" suggest that the singer is involved in a messy relationship where he's not willing to conform to societal expectations. He is not interested in being someone else's hero or playing by their rules. In the first stanza, the singer asks his partner not to hold him back or make him feel guilty for leaving. He compares himself to a tiger in a cage, implying that he needs the freedom to be himself. He also refuses to beg or plead, indicating that he's not going to compromise his values to keep his partner happy. The singer, in fact, doesn't seem to care much for the wisecracks or witty remarks of his partner. He just wants her to understand that his feelings are real, and he's not going to change for anyone.
The chorus is an affirmation of his love, although it comes with a caveat. He's not the type to sing ballads or play the romantic hero, but it doesn't mean he loves his partner any less. He's just not willing to live up to society's expectations of what love should look like. He's not a macho, "Mr. know-it-all," and he's not going to catch his partner every time they fall. He doesn't believe in faking romance or pretending to be something he's not. In the second stanza, the singer suggests his partner should find someone who is more suited to their expectations. He calls them a "chaindog" who is always around, pretending to understand their fears and sorrows. The singer refuses to be someone he's not, and he's not interested in playing Rudolph Valentino to his partner's expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Now don't you look at me with all that grief
Don't give me that sad expression
don't try to hold me everytime I leave
Don't try to stop me every time I want to go away
A tiger in a cage is just a disgrace
Being forced to conform is a shameful existence
do you prefer to see me on my knees
Do you want me to beg for your forgiveness?
beggin' you if I could possibly
Begging you if I could possibly do so
a man can only stumble when he's fearfull
A man can only falter when he's afraid
now don't you shout & try to do me in
Don't scream at me and try to hurt me
this kind of fightin' you will always win
This type of fighting will always be your triumph
I don't care for y'r wisecracks
I don't appreciate your sarcastic comments
just y'r feelin's
Just your emotions
If singin' ballads doesn't fit my style
If singing ballads doesn't suit my personality
& if I'm not the all romantic guy
If I don't behave like a typical romantic man
leaves you confused & makes you wonder why
Leaves you perplexed and questioning the reason
it doesn't mean that I don't love you anymore
It doesn't mean that I no longer love you
I ain't your Macho Mister know it all
I am not your macho, all-knowing man
ain't gonna catch you every time you fall
I'm not always going to save you when you stumble
it don't make sense to fake that kind of romance
Feigning that kind of love doesn't make sense
why don't you find someone you can command
Why don't you seek someone you can control
you can squeeze in the palm of y'r hand
You can manipulate at your will
pretends he understands y'r fears & sorrows
Pretends to relate and empathize with your worries and pain
the kind of chaindog always hangin' round
The type who always hovers around like a loyal dog
who cracks you up whenever you go down
Who picks you up when you're feeling down
don't try to make me Rudolph Valentino
Do not try to make me a romantic icon like Rudolph Valentino
If I can't take the way you talk no more
If I can no longer tolerate the way you speak
If I sneak out since you're such a bore
If I leave secretly because you're so dull
Don't feel the fever like I did before
Don't feel the same passion as before
I guess that means that I
I suppose that implies that I
I'm sure that means that I don't love you anymore
I am very certain that I no longer love you
Contributed by Claire E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.