Hugo Matthysen (Ekeren, January the 30th 1956) is a Belgian singer, columni… Read Full Bio ↴Hugo Matthysen (Ekeren, January the 30th 1956) is a Belgian singer, columnist, writer, graduated philosopher and actor.

In 1978 he played in the cover band Beri Beri, together with Bart Peeters and Jan Leyers.

In 1984 he appeared frequently in Bart Peeters’s program Villa Tempo, together with Bart Peeters and Marcel Vanthilt, as “De Hermannen”. De Hermannen were three men with sunglasses, blond wigs, black coats and white sweaters. They played absurd sketches.

Matthysen started writing for Humo, a Belgian weekly magazine. He started the humoristic rock band “Hugo Matthysen & De Bomen” (Hugo Matthysen and the trees). In 1989 he worked together with Kamagurka and Herr Seele with their weekly, absurd program “Lava”.

Later that year, together with Bart Peeters, he created the radio program “Het Leugenpaleis” (the palace of lies). Later on it got a version for television “Het Peulengaleis” (an anagram of its radio version’s name). Furthermore he also created the well known children series “Kulderzipken” and “Dag Sinterklaas”, the play “Frankenstein of Smrntwsk” (1989) and the lyrics for the Belgian group “De Nieuwe Snaar”.

In 1990 he presented, together with Guy Mortier the main acts at the festival Torhout-Werchter (now known as Werchter).

His alter ego Clement Peerens and his band The Clement Peerens Explosition (CPeX) became very popular and known amongst everyone. The trial from the woman of the fair (“Foorwijven”) because of his song “Foorwijf” only made him more known.

Furthermore he created the girl band Hormonia, which mocks the many girl bands nowadays.

Alaska
Hugo Matthysen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In het noorden van Alaska
Is het altijd bitter koud
Maar daar wil ik wel zitten rillen
Als jij er bent en van me houdt
En inderdaad, de Nopri staat niet
om zijn fijne sfeer bekend
Maar daar wil ik desnoods gaan wonen
Als jij maar bij me bent

O hopeloos gezever
O droge witte wijn
Mijn lever zal nooit meer dezelfde zijn
En al die flitsende primaten
Die ik nog geen beetje haat
Wel, daar wil ik zelfs mee staan praten
Als jij maar naast me staat
O uitzichtloos gepieker
O emmers witte wijn
Wat is er zieker dan een dood konijn?
Ik zal tilt slaan in de Provence
Ik snij mijn linkeroor er af
Als jij in het rechter fluistert
Ik hou van jou tot in mijn graf
O hopeloos gezever
O droge witte wijn
Mijn lever zal nooit meer dezelfde zijn
O uitzichtloos gezever

En wat zal het voor u zijn
't Kanaal de gaskraan of onder een trein?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Hugo Matthysen's song "Alaska" tell the story of a person who is willing to endure the bitter cold of northern Alaska just to be with someone they love. The singer notes that the location, known for its harsh climate, is not known for its pleasant atmosphere, but they are willing to live there as long as their beloved is with them. The lyrics then take a darker turn as the singer reflects on their own sense of hopelessness and despair, and how it is only alleviated by the presence of the person they love. The singer even contemplates extreme actions, such as cutting off their own ear, just to prove their love.

Overall, the lyrics convey a strong sense of longing and desperation, with the singer being willing to do whatever it takes to be with the object of their affections. The use of extreme metaphors and imagery, such as the reference to a dead rabbit, add to the sense of desperation and even madness in the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

In het noorden van Alaska
The location being referred to in this song is the northern region of Alaska.

Is het altijd bitter koud
The weather in Alaska is always very cold.

Maar daar wil ik wel zitten rillen
Despite the frigid conditions, the singer wants to be there and experience the cold.

Als jij er bent en van me houdt
The presence and love of someone special is what makes the idea of being in such a cold place appealing to the singer.

En inderdaad, de Nopri staat niet
The Nopri is not known for having a pleasant atmosphere.

om zijn fijne sfeer bekend
The singer acknowledges that this place may not be desirable, but he would still be willing to live there as long as he has the person he loves with him.

Maar daar wil ik desnoods gaan wonen
Even though the Nopri has a bad reputation, the singer is willing to live there if he can be with his partner.

Als jij maar bij me bent
The most important factor for the singer is having their beloved with them.

O hopeloos gezever
The singer is frustrated and tired of meaningless talk.

O droge witte wijn
The singer is using wine as a coping mechanism for their frustrations.

Mijn lever zal nooit meer dezelfde zijn
The singer is concerned about the physical toll that their heavy drinking may be taking on their body.

En al die flitsende primaten
The singer has a strong dislike for people they perceive as being obnoxious or rude.

Die ik nog geen beetje haat
These people are so difficult for the singer to deal with that they don't even have to do anything to be hated.

Wel, daar wil ik zelfs mee staan praten
Despite their dislike for these people, the singer would be willing to tolerate their presence if it means they can be with their partner.

Als jij maar naast me staat
The only thing that truly matters to the singer is the presence of their loved one.

O uitzichtloos gepieker
The singer is stuck in their own mind and is struggling to find a way out of their negative thoughts.

O emmers witte wijn
The singer is using excessive amounts of wine to try and cope with their problems.

Wat is er zieker dan een dood konijn?
The singer is grappling with the idea that there may be nothing more hopeless than a dead rabbit.

Ik zal tilt slaan in de Provence
The singer is so frustrated with their situation that they would even consider having a mental breakdown in the Provence region of France.

Ik snij mijn linkeroor er af
The singer is so serious about their love that they would be willing to harm themselves.

Als jij in het rechter fluistert
The love of their partner is what makes the singer feel alive and gives them a reason to go on.

Ik hou van jou tot in mijn graf
The depth of the singer's love knows no bounds and will continue even after their death.

O uitzichtloos gezever
The singer is once again caught up in negative, useless talk.

En wat zal het voor u zijn
The singer is asking their partner what they want the outcome to be.

't Kanaal de gaskraan of onder een trein?
The singer is so lost in their own negativity that they are considering drastic and dangerous acts.

Contributed by Jonathan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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