Many of the lyrics are sketches of provincial everyday life: a young bird falling from its nest, a famous person in the village, a local funeral, scenes from the local pub or just waking up with a hangover.
Established in 1985, the band called themselves The Legendary Texas Four until Jack Poels joined as the new frontman. He joined on the condition that he wanted to add at least one song in the Limburg dialect to the band's repertoire. The other members agreed. Rowwen Hèze was born.
Rowwen Hèze translates loosely as 'Rough Hesen' and was the nickname of a notorious character from the village, Christiaan Hesen (1853-1947). Under this new name, the band started covering songs from Thin Lizzy. The band also wrote Dutch party songs for the annual carnival in the southern Netherlands.
The band saw two members leave in the early years. Mart Deckers (drums) and Geert Hermkes (accordeon) left the band. The line-up that was formed in 1991 is still intact today and has been unchanged for 29 years and counting.
- Jack Poels (lead singer, guitar)
- Tren van Enckevort (accordeon, piano, trombone)
- Jan Philipsen (bass)
- Theo Joosten (guitar, mandoline, tin whistle, percussion)
- Jack Haegens (trumpet, trombone, percussion)
The band's 1992 performance at Limburg's Pinkpop Festival was a breakthru moment. The band's set was shown live on Dutch television. At the time, the band had four studio albums under its belt: Rowwen Hèze (1987), Blieve loepe (1990), Boem (1991) and the live album, In de weiIn De Wei (1992). Their party anthem, Bestel mar (1992) hit #13 in the Dutch Top 40, still their highest charting single.
This pattern of three studio LPs and a live album repeated itself in the 1990s: Station America (1993), Zondag in het Zuiden (1995) and Water, lucht en liefde were followed by a 1999 live album entitled 't Beste van 2 werelden (1999), this time a recording of Rowwen Hèze semi-acoustic theatre incarnation.
The steady stream of albums continued in the 21st century.
Studio albums
Vandaag (2000)
Dageraad (2003)
Rodus & Lucius (2006)
Zilver (2010)
Manne van staal (2011)
Geal (2012)
Hemel op aarde: De liedjes (2013)
Vur altied: Ballades & Beer (2016)
De liefde, de muziek, de herinnering (2017)
Voorwaartsch (2019)
Onderaan beginne(2021)
Live albums:
D.A.D.P.G.S. (2003)
Andere wind (2004)
Saus (2008)
Wear of gen wear: Slotconcert 2019 (2019)
Compilation album:
Kilomeaters: 't beste van 20 joar Rowwen Hèze (2005)
Official site: www.rowwenheze.nl
Nar boave
Rowwen Hèze Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nog mieér kenners langs de kant
En inaens daan gieét 't hard
Trekt 't circus door ein land
De lónge vol met frisse lucht
En de oage zeen van veul
Elken bocht is hier berucht
Nar baove, nar baove
Umhoag, zo snel 't gieét
Heerbaove, heerbaove
't Moaiste oetzicht dat bestieét
De veut vast op 't pedaal
En de spiere die staon strak
Elken berg haet zien verhaal
Gí¨nnen maeter deín is vlak
Nar baove, nar baove
Door de zomerwind umermd
Heerbaove, als í¨nnen aove
Deín te lang is veurverwermd
Aover aafgeslete stieín
Doffe klappen op de baan
Fiets te met ów zelf allieín
De laatste maeters van vandaag
Nar baove, nar baove, nar baove
Nar baove, nar baove
Aan de kant ik lig op stoam
Nar baove, nar baove
Onderwaeg nar mienen droam
Want daorbaove loert de kans
Winnaar van de Tour de France
Nar baove, nar baove, nar baove
't Podium dat kump in zicht
Nar baove, nar baove, nar baove
Oet de schaduw in 't licht
Nar baove, nar baove
In de allerlaatste spring
Nar baove, nar baove
Drejt 't felgekleurde licht
Nar baove, nar baove, nar baove
Waterdruppels in de zon
Nar baove, nar baove, nar baove
De moaiste plaats op 't balkon
Nar baove, nar baove, nar baove
The song "Nar boave" by Rowwen Heze is about a cycling race, potentially the Tour de France. The song begins with the image of many racers at the start line and even more spectators on the sidelines. Suddenly, the race begins and the circus of the event travels through the countryside. The long roads are filled with fresh air and the eyes of many. Every turn is notorious and requires effort from the cyclist. However, the beauty of the ride cannot be ignored. The chorus of the song emphasizes the sensation of going "up" or "nar baove" and the feeling of accomplishment as the view from high up is spectacular. The cyclists push themselves harder, legs pumping and muscles tightening with each climb. The song ends with the dream-like image of a winner standing on the podium, basking in the glory of their hard work.
The lyrics are filled with imagery of cycling, from the sound of wheels on the road to the feeling of muscles straining. The idea of a race and competition is also evident, with the mention of the Tour de France and the desire to come in first place. However, the song is not solely about the physical act of cycling. The chorus emphasizes the beauty of the landscape and the view from high up. This adds an element of appreciation for nature and the world around us, showing that hard work and perseverance can lead to incredible experiences.
Overall, "Nar boave" is a motivational song about pushing oneself and achieving greatness through hard work. It emphasizes the beauty of the world around us and the potential for greatness in all of us.
Line by Line Meaning
Hieél veul renners aan de start
There are a lot of riders at the start line
Nog mieér kenners langs de kant
Even more experts on the sidelines
En inaens daan gieét 't hard
Suddenly it starts to go hard
Trekt 't circus door ein land
The circus travels through the country
De lónge vol met frisse lucht
The lungs full of fresh air
En de oage zeen van veul
And the eyes see a lot
Elken bocht is hier berucht
Every turn is infamous here
An de trekken aan 't steur
Pulling at the handlebars
Nar baove, nar baove
Up, up
Umhoag, zo snel 't gieét
Steep, as fast as it goes
Heerbaove, heerbaove
Up there, up there
't Moaiste oetzicht dat bestieét
The most beautiful view that exists
De veut vast op 't pedaal
The feet firmly on the pedals
En de spiere die staon strak
And the muscles are tight
Elken berg haet zien verhaal
Every mountain has its story
Gínnen maeter deín is vlak
Not a meter of flat
Door de zomerwind umermd
Embraced by the summer wind
Heerbaove, als í¨nnen aove
Up there, like an eagle
Deín te lang is veurverwermd
Legs warmed up for too long
Aover aafgeslete stieín
Over worn out cobblestones
Doffe klappen op de baan
Dull bumps on the road
Fiets te met ów zelf allieín
Cycling alone with yourself
De laatste maeters van vandaag
The last meters of today
Aan de kant ik lig op stoam
On the side I lay on the cobblestones
Onderwaeg nar mienen droam
On the way to my dream
Want daorbaove loert de kans
Because up there, the opportunity is waiting
Winnaar van de Tour de France
Winner of the Tour de France
't Podium dat kump in zicht
The podium is coming into view
Oet de schaduw in 't licht
Out of the shadows into the light
In de allerlaatste spring
In the very last leap
Drejt 't felgekleurde licht
The brightly colored light turns
Waterdruppels in de zon
Water droplets in the sun
De moaiste plaats op 't balkon
The most beautiful spot on the balcony
Contributed by Elizabeth P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sjors van Voorthuijzen
Mooi met die beelden erbij, van die wielrenners. Prachtig nummer!
eslrns
Ik heb ook echt na deze aflevering dagen lopen zoeken naar dit nummer, maar toch stond het in 1 keer online:) echt vet nummer
Nadine
Zalig! Vooral op dit tijdstip van het jaar met un pak sneeuw buiten!
Tim Meuwissen
limburgse muziek bij nos, GEWELDIG!!!! Groeten uit het Limburgse Weert
ETAG231189
weet nog goed dat ik dit voor het eerst hoorde kippenvel bij 30 graden Celcius...
ETAG231189
vind ik een beetje respectloos