Hooverphonic is a Belgian rock/pop group formed in 1995. Though initially p… Read Full Bio ↴Hooverphonic is a Belgian rock/pop group formed in 1995. Though initially placed in the trip-hop genre, they quickly expanded their sound to the point where they could no longer be classified so easily. The band originally called themselves Hoover but later changed their name to Hooverphonic due to other groups using the Hoover name.

The band achieved international recognition through the inclusion of the track 2Wicky (from A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular) on the soundtrack to Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1996 film Stealing Beauty (Io Ballo da Sola).

The original members of the group were vocalist Liesje Sadonius, keyboardist Frank Duchêne, bass guitarist and programmer Alex Callier, and guitarist Raymond Geerts. Sadonius left Hooverphonic on amicable terms shortly after the release of A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular and was replaced by Geike Arnaert in early 1998. Duchêne left the band after Blue Wonder Power Milk. Arnaert left the band in 2008 and was succeeded by Noémie Wolfs. On March 26, 2015 the band announced that that Noémie Wolfs would be leaving the band "in mutual agreement."

Hooverphonic released their fifth studio album No More Sweet Music in November 2005, featuring four singles: Wake Up, You Hurt Me, Dirty Lenses and We All Float. One year later they released a Best Of album called Singles 96-06. This was their last release under the Sony label.

Hooverphonic released their sixth studio album The President of the LSD Golf Club on 8th October 2007 in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium and Holland, which includes the single Expedition Impossible. European Release January 2008 (although available via mail-order). This was an independent release, recorded at the Willie Nelson studios in the USA.

On October 10, 2008 the management announced that Geike Arnaert would be leaving the band.

After Geike Arnaert and the band parted ways, it took them two years to find a worthy successor to Arnaert. In November 2010 Noémie Wolfs was announced as the new leading lady. A brand new album called The Night Before followed soon after. The new singer was introduced on Belgian television in State Broadcaster VRT's late night show "De Laatste Show" on Thursday November 4th. The title track of the album is their biggest singles' chart success to date. Also, the album soon equaled the success of A Magnificent Tree.

On March 26, 2015 it was announced that Noémie Wolfs would be leaving the band.

Hooverphonic released In Wonderland on March 18, 2016. This release features a number of vocalists including: Emilie Satt, Janie Price (AKA Bird), Felix Howard, Litlo Tinz, Christa Jérôme, and Tjeerd Bomhof.
They were supposed to represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam with their song "Release Me". The event was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hooverphonic was the only Eurovision entrant for 2020 who refused to take part in the "Love Shine a Light" performance, where entrants each contributed sections of the song, although a photograph of Luka Cruysberghs was included with the other participants making a hand heart at the end.

On 9th November 2020, Luka Cruysberghs left the band and, on the same day, Geike Arnaert announced her return. Also on the same day, they released a new version of Mad About You for the song's 20th anniversary.

Discography

• A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular (1996)
• Blue Wonder Power Milk (1998)
• The Magnificent Tree (2000)
• Hooverphonic Presents Jackie Cane (2002)
• Sit Down And Listen To... (2003)
• No More Sweet Music (2005/6)
• Singles 96/06 (2006)
• The President of the LSD Golf Club (2007/2008)
• The Night Before (2010)
• With Orchestra (2012)
• Reflection (2013)
• In Wonderland (2016)

Shake The Disease
Hooverphonic Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm not going down on my knees
Begging you to adore me
Can you see it's misery
And torture for me
When I'm missunderstood
Try as hard as you can
I've tried the hardest I could
To make you see

How important it is for me
Here is a plea
From my heart to you
Nobody knows me
As well as you do
You know how hard it is for me
To shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these
Understand me

Some people have to be
Permanently together
Lovers devoted to each other forever
Now I've got things to do
And I've said before
That I know you have too
When I'm not there
In spirit I'll be there
Here is a plea
From my heart to you
Nobody knows me
As well as you do
You know how important is for me
To shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these
Understand me

Here is a plea
From my heart to you
Nobody knows me
As well as you do
You know how hard it is for me

To shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these

Overall Meaning

The Hooverphonic song "Shake the Disease" is a heartfelt plea from the perspective of a person who is struggling with a disease that affects their ability to communicate effectively in certain situations. The song's lyrics express frustration at the difficulty of being understood, despite trying one's hardest to make oneself clear. The singer recognizes that the person they are speaking to (presumably a romantic partner) knows them better than anyone else and has the power to help them shake off this disease that takes hold of their tongue in certain situations.

The song's lyrics highlight the pain and torture the singer experiences when they are misunderstood, not just because they can't convey their message effectively, but because it represents a failure in their relationship with the person they love. They acknowledge that some people are lucky enough to be permanently together, but for the singer, this disease causes distance between them and their partner.

Ultimately, the song is a plea for understanding and empathy from the person closest to them. Through these lyrics, we can understand the impact that communication difficulties can have on relationships and the importance of compassion and patience in overcoming such challenges.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm not going down on my knees
I'm not going to beg for your affection or validation.

Begging you to adore me
Pleading with you to love and accept me.

Can you see it's misery
Don't you understand the pain and hardship I'm experiencing?

And torture for me
This situation is causing me immense suffering.

When I'm missunderstood
When you fail to comprehend my intentions or feelings.

Try as hard as you can
Even if you make every effort possible.

I've tried the hardest I could
I've given it my all.

To make you see
To help you understand something from my perspective.

How important it is for me
How significant this matter is to me.

Here is a plea
I'm making a heartfelt request to you.

From my heart to you
This is coming from the deepest part of me.