Johannes Hendricus Maria "Jan" Smit (born December 31, 1985) is a Dutch pop… Read Full Bio ↴Johannes Hendricus Maria "Jan" Smit (born December 31, 1985) is a Dutch pop music and schlager singer. He scored his first number one position in the Dutch charts with Ik zing dit lied voor jou alleen (I sing this song only for you) in 1997. Being 12 years of age back then, he was known as Jantje Smit.

Smit was discovered by Dutch middle of the road band BZN, who used his vocals in a duet called Mama. He has released several albums in Dutch and German since.

Jan dedicated the song Ik zing dit lied voor jou alleen (means: I Sing this song just for you) to his grandmother. In 1997, Smit toured South Africa with popular Afrikaans singer Nádine. In 2000, Smit won the Grand Prix der Volksmusik singing Ich zeig dir die Berge with Oswald Sattler for South Tyrol. In 2001 Smit won the Exportprijs for his success in Germany, France and Italy. In Germany he became one of the best selling Dutch artists ever, with German-language albums specifically aimed at the German market.

After three big hits in the late 90's, Jan's popularity began to wane gradually. His albums Jan Smit 2000 #32 (2000), Zing en Lach (Sing and Laugh) #33 (2001), Zonder Jou (Without You) #40 and Op Eigen Benen (On My Own Feet) #45 sold fewer copies than his first two albums from his child star era.

However, Jan was still very popular in Germany, where he spent most of his time touring. 2005 marked his comeback in his home country, when regional television host Willie Oosterhuis picked up a Jan Smit song recorded in 2003, 'Als de nacht verdwijnt' ('When the night is over'). Willie heavily plugged the song on his show, resulting in a medium sized hit.

During the same period Dutch broadcaster TROS wanted to produce a real life soap about Jan, with the focus on his life as a teenage star in Germany and The Netherlands, and on his private life in the picturesque seaside village of Volendam. The reality soap became a TV hit and an accompanying album, 'Vrienden voor het leven' ('Homies for life') brought Jan back at the top of the charts for the first time in a few years. It was written for his cousin Niek Smit(s), who lives in Maastricht.

In 2006 Smit had several big selling hit singles, such as 'Laura' (about a friend who died of cancer), 'Als de morgen is gekomen' ('When the morning has come') and 'Cupido' (Cupid). Jan usually includes special tracks on his CD singles, such as live recordings, previously unreleased tracks and CD-ROM-content, which makes his singles more interesting for his hardcore fanbase. In 2007 he topped the single charts again with "Op Weg Naar Geluk" (On The Road To Happiness) and with "Dan Volg Je Haar Benen" ('And then you check out her legs'), and the album charts also with the album "Op Weg Naar Geluk" (the album sold 160.000 copies in its first four days after being released, more than double platinum).

In 2006 he also recorded "Kerst voor Iedereen" (Christmas for Everyone) which was a Christmas-duet with Dutch tv-host Bridget Maasland as a part of Dutch tv-show Katja vs Bridget. He later on recorded this song with his younger sister Monique Smit, who recently also started a singing career

In 2007 he planned to tour the Netherlands again with the "Jan Smit Komt Naar Je Toe"-tour (Jan Smit Comes To You) but due to problems with his vocal cords this tour had to be postponed. For at least 6 months Jan Smit has to rest his voice.

'Dan volg je haar benen' was Jan's fifth Number One single in The Netherlands, making him one of the most successful soloists in Dutch chart history. Only George Michael and Dutch singer Marco Borsato had more Number Ones.

Stilte in de storm
Jan Smit Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Luister naar de wind
Waarin ik rust en vrede vind
Luisterend naar jou
Naar wat je mij nog vragen wou
Kom maar,
Ik laat je horen wat stilte is
Ga maar,
En wees bereid voor de stilte in de storm

refrein:
Vanavond... ben ik bij jou
Je kust me, en ik kus jou
Laten we maar maar zwijgen
Over wat er komen gaat
Niemand hoeft te weten
Hoe het met de liefde staat

Kijk eens naar de zon
Waarmee de dag opnieuw begon
Kijkend weer naar jou
Naar wat je mij nog vragen zou
Kom maar,
Ik laat je voelen wat stilte is
Ga maar,
En wees bevrijdt naar de stilte in de storm

refrein:
Vanavond... ben ik bij jou
Je kust me, en ik kus jou
Laten we maar zwijgen
Over wat er komen gaat
Niemand hoeft te weten
Hoe het met de liefde staat

Vanavond, ben ik bij jou
Je kust me, en ik kus jou
Laten we maar zwijgen
Over wat er komen gaat
Niemand hoeft te weten
Hoe het met de liefde staat

Vanavond, ben ik bij jou
Je kust me, en ik kus jou.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jan Smit's song "Stilte in de storm" speak of finding peace and solace in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. The wind and the sun serve as metaphors for these moments of stillness and clarity, and the singer invites his loved one to share in these moments with him. The refrain repeats the idea of being together, kissing, and keeping quiet about their love, indicating a desire to hold onto this moment of connection and protect it from the outside world.

The first verse begins with an invitation to listen to the wind, which represents a source of rest and tranquility for the singer. He then turns his attention to his loved one, offering to answer any lingering questions she may have. The lines "Kom maar, ik laat je horen wat stilte is, ga maar, en wees bereid voor de stilte in de storm" suggest that he is going to provide her with the same sense of calm and comfort that he finds in the wind. The phrase "stilte in de storm" (silence in the storm) speaks to the idea of finding peace in difficult circumstances.

Line by Line Meaning

Luister naar de wind
I find peace and rest in the sound of the wind

Waarin ik rust en vrede vind
The sound of the wind brings me tranquility and peace

Luisterend naar jou
Listening to you

Naar wat je mij nog vragen wou
To what you still wanted to ask me

Kom maar,
Come here,

Ik laat je horen wat stilte is
I'll let you hear what silence sounds like

Ga maar,
Go ahead,

En wees bereid voor de stilte in de storm
And be ready for the silence in the storm

refrein:
Chorus:

Vanavond... ben ik bij jou
Tonight... I'm with you

Je kust me, en ik kus jou
You kiss me and I kiss you