Krezip began as a four-piece outfit in 1997, in Tilburg, The Netherlands, consisting of Jacqueline Govaert on vocals, Anne Govaert and Annelies Kuijsters on guitar and Joost van Haaren on bass. Though these four formed the core of the band, they found it difficult to get a fitting permanent drummer. During one of their early shows, Thijs Romeijn was in the audience, and was so impressed by the band's energy that he approached them after the show to commend them. During the conversation, it turned out that Romeijn was a drummer himself, and he quickly became the band's permanent drummer.
Throughout 1998, Krezip, armed with two demo tapes, played many festivals throughout the country, such as Festival Mundial, Noorderslag, and Lowlands. Studies and age became a sticking point to accept big offers in the music world. In 1999, they released an independent EP, titled Run Around.
Nothing Less (2000 - 2001)
Reportedly, the band soon received numerous offers from record companies. In 2000, they signed with Warner Music and recorded their debut album, "Nothing Less", with producer Oscar Holleman. Their first single, "Won't Cry", did little to advance their career. The band gained more exposure after a show at Dutch festival Pinkpop, with the ballad "I Would Stay" being received exceptionally well. Accordingly, the song was released as their second single, featuring a video compiled from footage of the Pinkpop show. "I Would Stay" became a #1 hit in Belgium and #2 in the Netherlands. It was the #1 song of 2000 in Belgium.
"Nothing Less" debuted at #1 in both the Netherlands and Belgium, going 3x platinum in the Netherlands (210,000 copies sold with a total of 250,000 albums sold[2]). Despite this, the two other singles from the album, "All Unsaid" and "Everything And More", failed to chart. Among others, Krezip received a 2001 Edison Award (the Dutch equivalent of the Grammy Awards).
The band toured continuously on the album, though towards the end of the tour, problems began to arise. Jacqueline Govaert began to lose her voice, while Annelies Kuijsters experienced severe pains in her hand that stopped her from playing shows without painkillers. After the tour, Govaert needed an operation on her vocal cords, while Kuijsters was diagnosed as simply not being "made" to play guitar. The band decided to go with an unorthodox solution for this problem, and moved her to a keyboard position instead. The empty guitar position was filled by Thomas Holthuis.
Days Like This (2002 - 2003)
Despite a delay due to writer's block, the band released Days Like This, the follow-up to Nothing Less, in 2002. The album was certified gold (35,000 copies) later that year, and though the album was not as successful as its predecessor, the album had several successful singles; "You Can Say" (#18), "Promise" (#16), and "Mine". Despite this success, Jacqueline Govaert has expressed disdain for some of the songs, implying that the album was too serious for Krezip, and critisizing her own singing.
A club tour supported the album through The Netherlands, including unplugged performances in theaters. A performance for The Box program Pure was recorded live and brought out on DVD and CD called "That'll Be Unplugged". The band liked the unplugged shows at first, but over time, decided to keep with rock music. Krezip also spent time promoting the album in Germany. They did two tours through the country and they were the supporting act for Bon Jovi in the Netherlands. They also were the supporting act for Sheryl Crow during her tour through Germany and France.
In 2003, guitarist Thomas Holthuis decided to leave the band to live with his girlfriend in Berlin, citing musical differences. He was replaced by JanPeter Hoekstra.
Release from record label and What Are You Waiting For?
While the band wrote new songs, Warner Music forced Warner Music Benelux to drop all of their national artists, including Krezip. The band independently released "All I'm Asking For", available on their website for 99 cents.
After their departure at Warner, Krezip received many offers from other record labels. After careful deliberation, they chose to sign with Sony BMG. In a speech during the 2004 TMF Awards, Krezip thanked their old label for everything that they had done. The band flew to Los Angeles to collaborate with American producer couple Wizardz of Oz, writing most of their new album there. Drummer Thijs Romeijn became demotivated and found himself unable to play the new songs due to not practising. Eventually, the band decided not to move on with Thijs. The new drummer was Bram van den Berg, who was originally only hired to play on the album, but decided to stay.
On May 9, 2005 Krezip released "What Are You Waiting For?". The album debuted at #1 in the Dutch Album Top 100 and stayed in the chart for 27 weeks. Three singles were released with "Out Of My Bed" as the first. It peaked at #9, making it Krezip's second top 10 hit since "I Would Stay" (2000). Two other singles, "Don't Crush Me" (#22) and the ballad "I Apologize" (#30), failed to make it into the top 20.
In early 2005 Krezip traveled to Ethiopia at the request of charity foundation Novib for an education campaign. The journey was recorded and shown on the Dutch version of MTV. The band also went on tour through Benelux, selling out 15 big venues.
The song "Same Mistake" was used in the Dutch movie Schnitzel Paradise (Het Schnitzelparadijs), which became a huge hit in the Netherlands. The band later noted that, ironically, Same Mistake is the only Krezip song that has never been played live.
In 2006, Jacqueline joined several artists in the Netherlands to record the anthem for the 2006 TMF Awards. The song was performed live during the award show. The single became available for download to support the foundation Dance 4 Life. The song peaked at #4 on downloads alone.
Plug It In (2006 - 2007)
In 2007, the band teamed up with Felix Rodriguez and Jesper Anderberg of The Sounds to record a new album. The band deliberately chose a drastically different sound, with disco influences and more electronica. The album was recorded in two weeks. On May 11, 2007 Krezip released "Plug It In". On February 6, 2007 a Dutch radio station (3FM) played a rough version of the first single, "Plug It In & Turn Me On". The song officially debuted in April 2007 at the #39 spot on the Dutch Top 40. To promote the new album, Krezip has done a promotional tour through the Netherlands.
Ten-year anniversary and break-up (2007 - 2009)
On August 17, 2007 Jacqueline announced on Giel Beelen's radio show that Krezip will give a special concert on December 29, 2007 in the HMH to celebrate their tenth anniversary. A documentary was also filmed, showcasing the band's entire career up until that point with narration by the band members. The band also recorded a cover of "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" by The Korgis. The song was featured in the film "Alles is liefde." Later that year, the band re-released Plug It In with the track, a new song and a number of live tracks from the HMH concert.
The band continued to tour, eventually announcing that a Best Of-compilation would be released in November 2008. It was implied that the band thought this a good point to release a retrospective. On October 2, however, the band announced in Giel Beelen's radio show that they had decided to break up. On the band's Hyves account, they elaborated that now, at their peak, was a good time for them to quit and go their own ways.
Lead singer Jaqueline Govaert has hinted she might be pursuing a solo career in the future.
Come back (2019)
On January 29, 2019, Krezip announced two live shows: Pinkpop and a gig in the Ziggo Dome on October 26, 2019. They also released a new song Lost Without You. The night of their first Ziggo Dome show, the released a new album, "Sweet High". They have several shows planned in full formation for 2020.
Billie Jean
Krezip Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I said don't mind, but what do you mean I am the one
Who will dance on the floor in the round
She said I am the one, who will dance on the floor in the round
She told me her name was Billie Jean, as she caused a scene
Then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one
Who will dance on the floor in the round
People always told me be careful of what you do
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts
And mother always told me be careful of who you love
And be careful of what you do 'cause the lie becomes the truth
Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son
For forty days and for forty nights
The law was on her side
But who can stand when she's in demand
Her schemes and plans
'Cause we danced on the floor in the round
So take my strong advice, just remember to always think twice
(Do think twice)
She told my baby we'd danced till three, then she looked at me
Then showed a photo my baby cried his eyes were like mine (oh, no!)
'Cause we danced on the floor in the round, baby
People always told me be careful of what you do
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts
She came and stood right by me
Then the smell of sweet perfume
This happened much too soon
She called me to her room
Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son
Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son
She says I am the one
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is
Billie Jean is
Billie Jean is
Not my lover
Not my lover
Not my lover
Not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover (she is just a girl)
Billie Jean is not my lover (she is just a girl)
Billie Jean is not my lover (she is just a girl)
Billie Jean is not my lover (she is just a girl)
Billie Jean is
Billie Jean is
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is
Billie Jean is
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is
Billie Jean is
The lyrics of Krezip's song Billie Jean were originally written and performed by Michael Jackson. The song was included in his famous album, Thriller, which was released in 1982. The song is about a man who meets a woman named Billie Jean, who claims that he is the father of her child. She relentlessly pursues him, claiming that he is the only man who can dance with her on the floor in the round. However, the man denies her claims and asserts that Billie Jean is not his lover and the child is not his son.
The song has a melancholic tone, which is evident in the chorus. It reflects the confusion and tension that the man feels, as he tries to clear his name and break free from the woman's grasp. The lyrics also highlight the importance of being careful in the choices one makes, especially with love relationships. The lines "People always told me be careful of what you do, and don't go around breaking young girls' hearts," shows the man's realization of the consequences of his actions.
Overall, Krezip's interpretation of Billie Jean revolves around a man's struggle to clear his name and separate himself from a woman's false accusations. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of his confusion, fear, and desperation, which makes the song relatable and timeless.
Line by Line Meaning
She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene
She was stunningly beautiful, like a queen from a fancy film set.
I said don't mind, but what do you mean I am the one
I asked her to clarify what she meant by saying I was the one.
Who will dance on the floor in the round
Who will be the star of the dance floor in the circular area?
She said I am the one, who will dance on the floor in the round
She confirmed that she considers me the one who will dance on the circular floor.
She told me her name was Billie Jean, as she caused a scene
She introduced herself as Billie Jean and drew attention by making trouble.
Then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one
Everyone turned to look and imagined being in the position she promised me.
People always told me be careful of what you do
People warned me to be cautious of my actions.
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts
And don't recklessly hurt young women's feelings.
And mother always told me be careful of who you love
My mother advised me to choose my partner wisely.
And be careful of what you do 'cause the lie becomes the truth
And to be mindful of my actions because lies can become believable over time.
Billie Jean is not my lover
I want to emphasize that Billie Jean and I are not in a romantic relationship.
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
She is just a girl who asserts that I am the chosen one.
But the kid is not my son
I want to make clear that I am not the child's father.
For forty days and for forty nights
For a significant period of time.
The law was on her side
The legal system was on her side.
But who can stand when she's in demand
But who can resist when she is desirable.
Her schemes and plans
Her manipulative and cunning intentions.
'Cause we danced on the floor in the round
Because we danced together in the circular area designated for dancing.
So take my strong advice, just remember to always think twice
So heed my wise advice and always carefully consider your options before taking action.
She told my baby we'd danced till three, then she looked at me
She told my partner we danced until very late, then turned to look at me.
Then showed a photo my baby cried his eyes were like mine (oh, no!)
Then showed a photo where the child's eyes looked like mine, causing distress to my partner.
She came and stood right by me
She approached me closely and stood beside me.
Then the smell of sweet perfume
Then the pleasant scent of perfume filled the air.
This happened much too soon
This all came about too quickly.
She called me to her room
She invited me to go to her room.
Billie Jean is not my lover
I repeat that Billie Jean is not my romantic partner.
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
She is simply a girl who believes that I am special.
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son
She maintains that I am the chosen one, but I am not the father of her child.
She says I am the one
She insists that I am the special one she has been waiting for.
Billie Jean is
Billie Jean exists.
Not my lover
She is not my romantic partner.
Contributed by Charlie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mandz Clarke
i think she has done a beautiful cover... not many people can sing MJ and she has done an outstanding job.... well done!!!
Lisa van Erp
I think it's awesome, that this band sing the song of MJ. They remember him. and have peace for him.
Ietsmetkrullen
Dit is uit respect voor Michael gezongen. Dus heb er RESPECT voor !
Julia Raaijman
Aaah Krezip ik mis jullie echt. Ik had zo graag nóg een concert willen zien! En kijk Jacq nou, zie haar entertainen en genieten. Geweldige vrouw.
Philipp Blum
Ik vind het een geweldige cover; het is met HUN stijl gezongen en ze hebben niet geprobeerd het van hem over te nemen, dat verdient toch respect :)
Lizssx
LOVE IT :) . echt mooi inelkaar gezet. en haar stem blijft mooi!
Annemarie Otten
Kippenvel! Heel mooi gezongen!
Ron Mols
Echt een heel gaaf optreden zaterdagavond. Gewoon kippenvel hele concert.
rick p
prachtige versie!! Super cover, probeer nog steeds de gitaar partij uit te zoeken!
SDW
heerlijk nummer! Ook zo super chill bass lijntje erin!