Their musical style has varied considerably over the years, as has their line-up with the core of Henk Hofstede (vocals, guitar, also the band's lyricist), Rob Kloet (drums, percussion) and Robert Jan Stips (keyboards; also had stints in Supersister, Gruppo Sportivo and Golden Earring).
Although most of the band's songs are sung in English, Nits have been praised as a group that is 'European' more than anything else, staying relatively far away from American and British influences. They are an 'album band', not a 'singles band', although they had a number of considerable hits in The Netherlands and beyond. The biggest hit in their native Netherlands was "Nescio" (1983), a tribute to the Dutch author Jan Hendrik Frederik Grönloh a.k.a. Nescio. The hit that brought the band to the attention of an international audience was "In the Dutch Mountains" (1987), which has become their signature song.
The band released dozens of studio albums, from The Nits (1978) to the triptych Angst, Knot and Neon in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. Three of their studio albums reached the top 10 of the Dutch album charts, but their highest charting album was the 1989 double live album, Urk, which hit #2 in The Netherlands and still stands as a near-perfect introduction to the group's work.
On 16 May 2022 the band's own studio and 'headquarters', De Werf in Amsterdam, burned down. The group's archives, as well as many instruments and master tapes, went up in flames. Hofstede sings about the tragedy on 2024's mini album, Tree House Fire. Its release marked the start of Nits' anniversary year: the band celebrated its 50th anniversary with an international tour and two special performances in Amsterdam's Carré Theatre in April.
All I Want
Nits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gimme some love (that nobody loves me)
Gimme some hope (I hope it's not true)
Gimme some love (that's not what I want)
All I want (all I want)
Shadow on a street (is my shadow on a street)
Fire on a mountain (fire on a mountain)
Gimme some light (sunlight in the morning)
Gimme some rain (hole in my shoes)
Gimme some blues (I'm standing on a crossroad)
Gimme some money (that's not what I want)
All I want (all I want)
Shadow on a street (is my shadow on a street)
Fire on a mountain (fire on a mountain)
Child in my head (child in my head)
All I want (all I want)
Shadow on a street (is my shadow on a street)
Fire on a mountain (fire on a mountain)
Child in my head (child in my head)
All I want
Shadow on a street
Fire on a mountain
Child in my head
All I want
Shadow on a street
Fire on a mountain
Child in my head
Gimme some time (sometimes I'm so afraid)
Gimme some love (that nobody loves me)
Gimme some hope (I hope it's not true)
Gimme some love (that's not what I want)
Child in my head (child in my head)
Child in my head
The song "All I Want" by Nits is a powerful expression of the desires and fears that we all struggle with in life. The lyrics convey a sense of longing for deeper experiences and emotions than the mundane day-to-day routines that often consume us. The singer is asking for time, love, and hope, but not in the way that we might expect.
The first line of the song, "Gimme some time, sometimes I'm so afraid," sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics. The singer recognizes that time is precious and fleeting, and that sometimes it can be a scary thing. The second line, "Gimme some love, that nobody loves me," expresses a universal fear: the fear of being alone and unloved. The singer is not necessarily asking for love from someone in particular, but rather the affirmation of being loved.
The third line, "Gimme some hope, I hope it's not true," is a plea for optimism in the face of uncertainty. The singer recognizes that hope is often the only thing that keeps us going in difficult times. Lastly, "Gimme some love, that's not what I want," is a poignant statement about the difference between true love and the superficial love that many of us settle for.
Throughout the song, there is a repeated chorus of "All I want, shadow on a street, fire on a mountain, child in my head." These lyrics have a dream-like quality, evoking the longing for experiences that are out of reach. The child in the head represents the innocence and wonder that we often lose in adulthood, while the shadow and the fire evoke the primal desires for movement and excitement.
Overall, "All I Want" is a song about the human condition - the struggle to find meaning and fulfillment in a world that often feels lacking. It's a reminder that there's more to life than just surviving, that sometimes all we need is a little love, hope, and time to find what we're truly looking for.
Line by Line Meaning
Gimme some time
Sometimes, I'm so afraid and unsure, so I need some time to think and understand better.
Gimme some love
I feel like I'm not loved by anyone, so I need someone to show me some love and appreciation.
Gimme some hope
There are times when I feel hopeless and lost, so I need someone to give me hope and reassure me.
Gimme some love (that's not what I want)
I don't want just any kind of love; I want something deeper and meaningful.
All I want
My desires are simple, and all I really want is to find peace and contentment in life.
Shadow on a street (is my shadow on a street)
Sometimes I feel like I'm lost and alone, with just my shadow to keep me company.
Fire on a mountain (fire on a mountain)
I feel a sense of danger and urgency, as though there is a fire blazing on a distant mountain that I am drawn to.
Child in my head
Despite my fears and doubts, I still have an inner child within me that is full of hope and wonder.
Gimme some light (sunlight in the morning)
I need some clarity and understanding, some light to shine on the things I am struggling to comprehend.
Gimme some rain (hole in my shoes)
I want to experience some hardship and struggle, to feel the rain on my face and the pain of a hole in my shoe.
Gimme some blues (I'm standing on a crossroad)
I want to feel the emotional complexity of life, to experience the blues of standing at a crossroads with difficult choices to make.
Gimme some money (that's not what I want)
Money is not what I am after; I am looking for something deeper and more meaningful.
Child in my head (child in my head)
Despite all of life's challenges, my inner child still exists within me, full of wonder and hope.
Contributed by Benjamin O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
abigail
As a person who has had head lice 2 TIMES I can say it's not as bad as you think. But you don't even realise you have it until the itching continues getting worse for a while.
It you ever get lice this is what you do
1. Do a mayonnaise treatment. It kills most of the lice and it's really good for your hair.
2. After you wash out the mayonnaise, use a lice brush to brush out the dead lice.
3. Straighten your hair. The heat will kill all the extra eggs that are still in there.
4. Go to a stylist or ask a family member to check your hair and see if there are any lice in it every once in a while
Also, lice can get in beards to so be sure to check that too.
Hope this helped!
a o k i
So basically this is very common actually, it can be caused by a dandruff, but it’s a common hair disease, and there is supposed to be white flakes coming off your hair if you scratch it. A dandruff can also be sensed, for example, if you get goosebumps every minute or more, then you have baby lice in your hair. Here’s how to treat it:
Soft shampoo
Green tea
Lemon tea
Special shampoo
And here’s some foods that make it go away:
Salmon
Pineapple
Tuna
Jose Lopez
Damn, seems like they're living rent free 😂
Darktapes
LOL XD😂
Marque
They be living "rent free" in my head
Tom_says_hi
Its not a rent free country 😂😂
p00f_1
well i mean they are
scp69
Just like those kids in my basement!
XxFantasticButterflyxX
We got life size lice when its up close, imagine if this was walking down your street
XxFantasticButterflyxX
@Meandrayy LOL I just imagined someone giving it a scratch and saying- Scratchy scratchy 😂
Meandrayy
@XxFantasticButterflyxX hahahhaha
Sarnai Viola
Having lice doesn't really hurt its just that they bite sometimes you have really itchy head and sometimes you can feel them cralwing I had them before in like 5th grade from school