1. Johan is a Dutch … Read Full Bio ↴There are at least three artists called Johan.
1. Johan is a Dutch indie rock band, established in 1990 in the town of Hoorn, The Netherlands, by singer, guitarist and songwriter Jacob de Greeuw, who initially named the group Visions Of Johanna (after the Bob Dylan song of the same name).
The name was changed into Johan in 1996. That same year the band put out their début album, Johan, to overwhelming acclaim from the Dutch music press. The band underwent several personnel changes. De Greeuw soon was the only permanent member. Johan recorded and released three more studio albums of melodic, crafty, Beatle-esque guitar pop with English lyrics that often touched on De Greeuw's personal life. The frontman suffered several bouts of serious clinical depression, the subject of many songs on the Dutch indie classic Pergola (2001) as well as THX JHN (2006). By 2006 De Greeuw had re-located to Amsterdam and formed an Amsterdam-based line-up of the band.
The album 4 (2009) would be thought to be Johan's swan song: the band - to the surprise of many fans - decided to call it a day after a sold-out 'farewell show' at Amsterdam's Paradiso in December 2009. In 2018 they released their 5th studio album Pull Up(2018) All five of Johan's albums (particularly the first three) are regarded as Dutch indie gems, but Johan never made a mark outside of The Netherlands, which is why they are regarded by many (in spite of their domestic success and 'gold' certification for Pergola) as criminally underrated.
Frontman Jacco (or Jacob) de Greeuw is the only permanent Johan member. The first Johan line-up (the 'Hoorn line-up' of 1996) was completed by Remco Krull, Niels de Wit and Wim Kwakman.
The 'Amsterdam line-up' line-up that called it a day in late 2009 consisted of De Greeuw, Maarten Kooijman (guitar, vocals), Diets Dijkstra (guitar, bass guitar, vocals) and Jeroen Kleijn (drums).
De Greeuw's decision to call it quits was perhaps more of a surprise than his decision to re-form the band in 2018 after nine years of absence. The comeback album, Pull Up was regarded by most critics as 'just as good as the first three'. A long string of Dutch festival shows and sold out club gigs followed. The current line-up of Johan is the 'Amsterdam line-up' of 2009, with the exception of guitarist Maarten Kooijman, who penned several songs on 2009's 4. Robin Berlijn (previously in Fatal Flowers, Moke and Kane, amongst others) replaced him.
2. Johan is an American singer and music producer who, until 2010, had never seriously listened to any kind of popular music--he was fully immersed in the world of classical, as an award-winning composer and self-taught pianist. But then Johan was introduced to Kanye West's symphonic 2010 album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, while on acid at a house party in the suburban Massachusetts town where he grew up. Captivated, he immediately began teaching himself how to sing and produce contemporary songs.
In 2016, Johan became the composer for Yeethoven--a concert featuring the music of Kanye West and Beethoven juxtaposed and combined by a 50-piece orchestra. Johan's work soon caught the attention of Mike Dean and No I.D., both of whom he's worked with extensively since then on albums for Travis Scott (Astroworld), Teyana Taylor, Nas, Kanye West, Vic Mensa and others. His contributions on these records range from writing & production, to composing & singing grandiose choral atmospheres to orchestrating symphonic interludes.
Now, Johan is releasing new music of his own, featuring the same vocal and orchestral textures he contributed to these artists. They appear not as background components in his work, but as a central compositional feature--something Kanye West personally encouraged him to consider when working on Teyana Taylor's album.
Johan's songs, which he produces largely himself, explore a feeling of suburban ennui and anxiety about growing up, often viewed through a darkly humorous, self-deprecating lens.
3. Johan is also a Dutch folk/pub singer. His full name is Johan Hengeveld, 'Jij hebt de hemel verdiend' (2009) his best known song.
Pergola
Johan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Doorbell, ring-a-la, whining at the playground
Mothers call, mothers scream, gotta sleep, had a dream
Boom box, booty shave, one o'clock and I'm awake
Console, TV-set, in control and out of bed
Rob a bank, steal a car, kill a gang, start a war
With low life animals, with shooting eyes, tentacles Grabbing me, sucking on my energy, stop
One of these days I'm starting over
Write me a song like Crimson and Clover
Too many times I tried to remember
One of these days I'm gonna make a new life
Here we go, once again, and again
Going round and round, pretend
Coming home, going out, coming back for some more
Going out, get some food, driving through the neighbourhood
Parking lot, local store, all in line, find the door
In I come, heart attack, checking out a paper bag
With toothpaste, cornflakes, party cakes, stop
One of these days I'm starting over
Write me a song like Crimson and Clover
Too many times I tried to remember
One of these days I'm gonna make a new life
Here we go, once again, and again
Going round and round, pretend
Coming home, going out, coming back for some more
Here we go once again and again
Going round and round, pretend
Coming home, going out, coming back get some more
Here we go once again and again
Going round and round, pretend
Coming home, going out, coming back for some more
"Pergola" is a song about the repetition and monotony of daily life, expressed through a series of surreal and disjointed images. The first verse describes the chaos of children at play, with mothers attempting to control them, while the singer struggles to sleep. The mention of a boom box and booty shave suggests a desire for escape or distraction, but ultimately the energy of those around him proves to be draining.
The second verse takes a darker turn, with references to violence and criminal behavior. The line "tentacles grabbing me, sucking on my energy" suggests a sense of being overwhelmed and consumed by negative forces. Despite this, the chorus provides a glimmer of hope for a new beginning, with the singer dreaming of writing a song that will lift him out of his current situation.
Overall, "Pergola" seems to be a reflection on the difficulties of finding meaning and purpose in life, and the temptation to simply go through the motions and numb oneself to the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Pergola 55, 30 kids come alive
The 55th pergola is full of energy as 30 kids are joyfully playing and having fun.
Doorbell, ring-a-la, whining at the playground
The sound of the doorbell interrupts the children's playtime and they reluctantly move to the playground, whining.
Mothers call, mothers scream, gotta sleep, had a dream
The mothers call and scream for the kids to go to sleep as they had a dream and need rest.
Boom box, booty shave, one o'clock and I'm awake
The loud music from the boom box and someone shaving their bottom wakes the singer up at one in the morning.
Console, TV-set, in control and out of bed
The singer spends a lot of time controlling things through their video game console and TV, often from their bed.
Rob a bank, steal a car, kill a gang, start a war
The singer fantasizes about committing extreme crimes and violence.
With low life animals, with shooting eyes, tentacles Grabbing me, sucking on my energy, stop
The singer feels like they are being attacked by dangerous and vicious creatures with powerful tentacles that drain their energy, and wants it to stop.
One of these days I'm starting over
The singer wants to start over and make a fresh start with their life.
Write me a song like Crimson and Clover
The singer wants someone to write them a song similar to 'Crimson and Clover,' a popular song from the 60s.
Too many times I tried to remember
The singer has attempted to recall things from their past too many times and wants to move on.
Going out, get some food, driving through the neighbourhood
The singer goes out to get food and drives around their neighborhood.
Parking lot, local store, all in line, find the door
The singer parks in a lot and goes to a local store, waiting in line before finally finding the door.
In I come, heart attack, checking out a paper bag
The singer enters the store and has a sudden moment of panic or anxiety, checking out a paper bag.
With toothpaste, cornflakes, party cakes, stop
The singer purchases items such as toothpaste, cornflakes, and party cakes before deciding to stop shopping.
Going round and round, pretend
The singer feels like they are going in circles, pretending to be something they're not.
Coming home, going out, coming back for some more
The singer keeps going back and forth between being at home and going out, always searching for more.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACCO DE GREEUW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind