There are at least three artists called Johan.

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.

Swing
Johan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I remember everything, you were sitting on a swing
Push you up, I pull you down, breaking up, make it up
Everything else fades in mist
This is all a lie, got it all in my mind
If it's not real life, this could be a perfect lie

Followed to the other side, take off clothes and in we dive
Swimming till the moon shines, right, right

Everything else fades in mist
This is all a lie, got it all in my mind
If it's not real life, this could be a perfect lie

See you're dress underneath the sunset
Suits you well, you're the sunset, suits you well

If it's all fool, a big lie, you wouldn't tell me this part
If it's just a silly play, you wouldn't let me get this far

Everything else fades in mist
This is all a lie, got it all in my mind
If it's not real life, this could be a perfect lie

See you're dress underneath the sunset
Suits you well, you're the sunset, suits you well

This is all a lie, got it all in my mind
This is not real life, this could be a perfect lie

Overall Meaning

In Johan's song "Swing," the songwriter reminisces about a past relationship, specifically a time when they were with their partner on a swing. The lyrics "I remember everything, you were sitting on a swing, push you up, I pull you down, breaking up, make it up" illustrate the ups and downs of the relationship. While there were moments of love and happiness, there were also moments of conflict and strife. But despite everything, the singer holds onto the memories and feelings associated with this relationship, however fleeting they may be.

There is a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty in the lyrics, as the singer questions whether what they experienced was real life or just a "perfect lie." The lines "if it's not real life, this could be a perfect lie" and "if it's all fool, a big lie, you wouldn't tell me this part, if it's just a silly play, you wouldn't let me get this far" suggest that the singer is grappling with the idea that everything they experienced may have been an illusion or a fabrication of their own mind. In the end, they acknowledge that "this is not real life," but still hold onto the memories and emotions associated with this relationship.

The lyrics "see your dress underneath the sunset, suits you well, you're the sunset, suits you well" create a vivid image of the singer's partner in a moment of beauty and tranquility. The sunset imagery may be a symbol for the fleeting nature of their relationship and the realization that all good things must come to an end.

Overall, "Swing" is a nostalgic and contemplative look back at a past love, full of uncertainty and questioning. It is a reminder that even when relationships come to an end, the memories and emotions associated with them can still hold a powerful grip on us.

Line by Line Meaning

I remember everything, you were sitting on a swing
I can vividly recall every detail of the moment you were sitting on a swing

Push you up, I pull you down, breaking up, make it up
Our relationship is constantly in a state of flux, with us going through ups and downs, breaking up and reconciling

Everything else fades in mist
All the other things in my life become hazy and unimportant when I think about you

This is all a lie, got it all in my mind
I know that what we have is not entirely true or real, but it's still extremely important to me

If it's not real life, this could be a perfect lie
Even though our relationship may not be grounded in reality, it still feels perfect to me

Followed to the other side, take off clothes and in we dive
We explore uncharted territories and engage in intimate activities together

Swimming till the moon shines, right, right
We engage in these activities until the moon is high in the sky

See you're dress underneath the sunset, Suits you well, you're the sunset, suits you well
I admire the way you look as the sun sets, and think that you embody the beauty of the sunset

If it's all fool, a big lie, you wouldn't tell me this part
If all of this is just a silly joke or lie, you wouldn't share this intimate part of yourself with me

If it's just a silly play, you wouldn't let me get this far
If what we have is just a meaningless game or performance, you wouldn't allow me to become so emotionally invested

This is not real life, this could be a perfect lie
Even though our relationship may not be grounded in reality, it still feels perfect to me

Contributed by Juliana T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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