From 1972 on Raymond mixes candid observations on human behavior with his own, unique sense of humor. His songs are alternatively full of emotion and boisterous, dark and joyful, but are always powered by a sound base of rock'n roll and references to all four musical corners of the globe". They rightfully awarded him the title "His excellence of Belgian Pop".
Early Years
Born in a musical family (his father is Nico Gomez), Raymond starts performing with Johan Verminnen. In 1975 he says : "Like Lennon shouted "Twist and Shout", no one had ever made music before. We felt that as being extremely non-comformistic. So we also had long hair and jeans. It was Johan Verminnen who showed me the life in bars. He led me into the nightlife. That was necessary, 'cause my parents where Dutch people who lived an isolated life in Antwerp."
After somewhile as a musician backing up other people (e.g. with Della Bosiers), he forms his own band with Erik Van Neygen called Louisette. Already he gives Flanders some of its musical evergreens like 'Maria, Maria ik hou van jou" and "Zij houdt van Vrijen".
In an era of "Osmonds and Mud" Louisette fails to make it big. He reforms the group, this time as RvhG and Bien Servi, for which the lineup includes Jean-Marie Aerts (see TC Matic etc ..) and Jean Blaute (see Kate's Kennel, K's Choice ...).
Humo, more than 25 years later acknowledged the fact that "Je moest eens weten hoe gelukkig ik was" (you should know how happy I was) by Bien Servi was a masterpiece : "When Raymond was hungry and 22 and stayed in bed to keep himself warm he wrote a song called "you should know how happy I was". Classy! Only Randy Newman could have done better. When there was electricity in his apartment he would constantly put Newman's first record on the turntable. Maybe it wasn't that clear at the time, but nowadays it's crystal clear that this record is the best Dutch-speaking debut album of all times."
First Succes
"Nooit meer drinken" of 1977 is the first album on which he operates with his backing group, then called "The Millionaires", but later on renamed to e.a. "The Centimeters" and "de Vlaamse Mustafa's". He records "Meisjes" (girls) which becomes a huge hit and gains fame through his steamy live-reputation.
After the ironic hit "Vlaanderen boven" (Flanders on top) he also travels abroad to Holland with "Je veux de l'amour" (I want love) and makes appearances at the major Pinkpop & Torhout-Werchter festivals. He quits playing live after the successful single "cha cha cha".
"It was becoming too easy, and most of all : too much. Never time to take a break, never time to do something fresh. I had toured Belgium twice before my appearance at Pinkpop. After that I toured the country twice again, and then I had enough of it".
Van het Groenewoud takes a step back and starts writing music for films (e.g. "Brussels by night" from Marc Didden or "Sailor's don't cry" with Elsje Helewaut). He also produces some music for others (Employees, Kamagurka).
New Breaktrough
After a few "sabbatical years" he refocuses on his musical career again, but it's a different Raymond who has come back : deeper, more emotional and intimate, sometimes more painful and more romantic is his music. His comeback doesn't bring his popularity to the heights of the late seventies. For another minute of fame in the general public eye, he has to wait 'till 1990 with a compilation of his early work and a surprise hit "Liefde voor muziek" (the love for music), a gospel-ish song which makes it as a carnival-hit. Raymond is back just in time to make it as the godfather for a whole new generation of Dutch-singing artist who emerged in the 90's (Noordkaap, de Mens, Gorki)
More recently, he did a very successful -almost acoustic - concert tour through the theater halls of Belgium and Holland. A wonderful and intimistic report of this tour has been released as "De minister van Ruimtelijke Ordening".
Now that he has seen Abraham (has become 50), Raymond van het Groenewoud has been honoured with a book. This luxurious hardback (with a cover in pluch) entitled "Je veux de l'amour" contains an intro written by Boudewijn de Groot, a story of his career, a complete discography and more than 139 lyrics to the songs that have made him such a unique figure. Moreover, the book comes with a cd, that contains 10 songs recorded acoustically at home. (Btw : it sure are busy times for Raymond-collectors, as there was also a cd with live-songs on only 2,000 copies that was handed out to those present at the Valentine's Day-gig in February 2000 at the Ancienne Belgique).
In 2000, Raymond was also the author of the soundtrack for the very succesful film "Iedereen Beroemd" by Dominique Deruddere and the theme song "Lucky Manuelo" (which received an Oscar nomination for Foreign Language movie, but was beaten by "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon)
In 2001, Raymond released a CD with the title "Een jongen uit Schaarbeek" (a boy from Schaerbeek). The CD was recorded with César Janssens on drums again, and the young Thomas Vanelslander (Overflow) on guitar. Strangely enough, the production was done by Christine Verschorren, who also happens to be the current Ms. Van Het Groenewoud. The CD-release itself is for October 4th 2001, but there is already a track that gets lots of airplay, the single "Keineig (verliefd op haar)" (I'm so like totally in love with her).
One track on the album, the titlesong "Een jongen uit Schaarbeek" is being sung by Sarah Bettens, about which track he tells Humo "it's a lullaby for adults. It had to be sung by a woman. I had it so bad (lovesickness) that I wished I had someone who would sing for me softly, make me feel as if I was in the warm bath of a womb again".
Raymond fans also were pleased to find a Cd with newspaper De Morgen, with seven track - some old songs and two tracks from the new album, called "Water en Brood" (water & bread).
Respected Belgian Artist
In 2005, Raymond releases two more CD's: "Ballades" (Ballads) and "Mr. Raymond", which includes the protest song "Weg met Amerika", in which he denounces the USA imperailism and the commercialisation/americanisation of society. Touring around the country performing a mix of intimate songs and his well known hits, he reaches a big audience. He gets admired not only because of his great music, but also for he has his very own style and humour in the way he performes. Many Belgian young artists are inspired by his person, resulting among other tribute's in the project "Raymond en zijn jonge helden" ("Raymond and his young hero's") organisated by Poppunt.
Koffie & brood
Raymond van het Groenewoud Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ik wandel door het rood
Het meisje ligt te slapen
En ik, ik ga om brood
Bevrijd van moeizaam denken
Gedragen door het licht
M'n leven één moment
Schrijvers van de schoonheid
Schrijvers van de troep
Het woord is aan de bakker
De bakker om de hoek
Zijn vlaams is onverstaanbaar
Maar ik spreek frans voor drie
In mij huist al een tijd
'This Melody'
Ik denk aan hij die opgaf
Zijn leven zonder zin
Nu leeft hij slechts
In mijn herinnering
Schrijvers vol pretentie
Schrijvers zonder naam
Hier sta ik bij de bakker
Zie je me niet staan
Oh, lichtere momenten
Platanen op een rij
En ook nog het vooruitzicht
Op ontbijt
De stad, ze toont haar charmes
Ze oogt zo aangenaam
Alvorens met de uren
Tot broeikas te vergaan
De dag is vol belofte
De dag weegt nog geen lood
Ik heb nog recht op koffie
En op brood
Brood
Koffie en brood
Koffie en brood
The lyrics to Raymond van het Groenewoud's "Koffie & brood" describe a beautiful Tuesday morning where the singer takes a walk through town. While on his walk, he notices a girl sleeping and he heads to the baker to buy bread. The singer is feeling liberated from his worries and is carried by the lightness of the day. He reflects on the power of language, noting the influence of both constructive and destructive writing. He is humbled by the simplicity of the baker's language and finds comfort in his own ability to speak multiple languages.
The song takes a melancholic turn when the singer recalls someone he knew who gave up on life. While reflecting on the past, he feels present and engaged with the beauty of the world around him. He feels unrecognized by society, particularly the self-important writers who dominate the cultural scene. However, the singer is grateful for the lighter moments in life and the simple pleasures of a good breakfast.
The lyrics of "Koffie & brood" weave together themes of liberation, memory, language, and the beauty of everyday life. The song is a tribute to the power of small moments in life and the importance of recognizing the beauty of the everyday. The lyrics are full of vivid imagery and tender reflections that carry the listener on a journey through a beautiful Tuesday morning in the life of the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Een mooie dinsdagochtend
A beautiful Tuesday morning
Ik wandel door het rood
I walk through the red light district
Het meisje ligt te slapen
The girl is sleeping
En ik, ik ga om brood
And I, I go for bread
Bevrijd van moeizaam denken
Freed from difficult thinking
Gedragen door het licht
Carried by the light
M'n leven één moment
My life one moment
Een zoet gedicht
A sweet poem
Schrijvers van de schoonheid
Writers of beauty
Schrijvers van de troep
Writers of rubbish
Het woord is aan de bakker
The word is to the baker
De bakker om de hoek
The baker around the corner
Zijn vlaams is onverstaanbaar
His Flemish is incomprehensible
Maar ik spreek frans voor drie
But I speak French for three
In mij huist al een tijd
Within me for some time
'This Melody'
This melody
Ik denk aan hij die opgaf
I think of him who gave up
Zijn leven zonder zin
His life without meaning
Nu leeft hij slechts
Now he only lives
In mijn herinnering
In my memory
Schrijvers vol pretentie
Writers full of pretension
Schrijvers zonder naam
Writers without a name
Hier sta ik bij de bakker
Here I am at the baker's
Zie je me niet staan
Don't you see me standing here
Oh, lichtere momenten
Oh, lighter moments
Platanen op een rij
Plane trees in a row
En ook nog het vooruitzicht
And also the prospect
Op ontbijt
Of breakfast
De stad, ze toont haar charmes
The city, it shows its charms
Ze oogt zo aangenaam
It looks so pleasant
Alvorens met de uren
Before the hours
Tot broeikas te vergaan
Turn into a greenhouse
De dag is vol belofte
The day is full of promise
De dag weegt nog geen lood
The day doesn't even weigh a pound
Ik heb nog recht op koffie
I still have the right to coffee
En op brood
And bread
Brood
Bread
Koffie en brood
Coffee and bread
Koffie en brood
Coffee and bread
Writer(s): raymond van het groenewoud
Contributed by Violet P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
yulie Klestadt
Sublieme zelfrelativering - ultiem intelligent! Heerlijk.
Roel Wieers
Voor mij , is dit zijn mooiste lied.
Brecht Hayen
Eindelijk! Dankuwel.
Jeroen Hilgeholt
Kippenvel..