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.
Da Da Da
Nits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When she was 16
She charmed the boys out of the tree
I saw the moon
When I was 15
Fell like a fire into the sea
dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA
He smiled at me when he was 50
He turned his head and said goodbye
And when he died when he was 65
He left a hole in the sky
dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA
dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA
dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA
dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA
I think of the year when she was 18
She charmed the words out of my mouth
dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA
dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA
dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA
dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA dA
The lyrics of Nits's song Da Da Da might seem like a string of disconnected memories, but they all share a common thread of nostalgia and loss. The first stanza mentions a girl who charmed the boys out of a tree when she was 16, and the singer remembers the year with fondness. The second stanza jumps to a man who smiled at the singer when he was 50 and then left a hole in the sky when he died at 65. In the final stanza, the singer reflects on a year when a girl charmed words out of his mouth when she was 18.
The repeated "da da da" throughout the song could be interpreted in a number of ways. It could represent the passing of time, the sound of memories fading away, or the inability to fully articulate the emotions being felt. The song's lyrics have a dreamlike quality to them, evocative of the way memories can feel hazy and surreal.
Line by Line Meaning
I think of the year
Remembering a specific year in the past
When she was 16
Her age at that time
She charmed the boys out of the tree
She was very attractive to boys
I saw the moon
A moment of personal experience
When I was 15
The age of the experiencer
Fell like a fire into the sea
A powerful, exciting experience
He smiled at me when he was 50
Someone else's interaction with the experiencer
He turned his head and said goodbye
A brief moment that left an impact on the experiencer
And when he died when he was 65
The end of someone else's life
He left a hole in the sky
The impact that person had on the world
I think of the year when she was 18
Another year of remembrance
She charmed the words out of my mouth
She left the experiencer speechless with her charm
Contributed by Carson N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.