Rowwen Hèze is a Dutch folk rock band fronted by Jack Poels. They hail from… Read Full Bio ↴Rowwen Hèze is a Dutch folk rock band fronted by Jack Poels. They hail from the small town of America in the southern Dutch province of Limburg. Rowwen Hèze are known for Poels' poetic lyrics as well as upbeat folk songs in a Tex-Mex vein, sung in the Limburg dialect. Their music is heavily influenced by Tex-Mex and polka music.

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

Vremd Gegoan
Rowwen Hèze Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Niemand wet dat ik heer bin
Ik bin eigenlijk urges anders hin
Niemand wet 't van ow en van meej

Wat weej doon is neet zo sleum
Ik halt van eur en geej van eum
Niemand wet 't van ow en van meej

Mar als geej nar meej lacht
Als geej nar meej lacht
Als geej an meej denkt
Als geej op meej wacht
Als geej op meej wacht
Als geej nar meej wenkt

Dinsdagmerge op de mert
Ik staar als 'n blind perd
Allien mar denke an ow en an meej

Ik denk an ow de ganse tied
Ik wil neet dat dit verder giet
Allien mar denke an ow en an meej

(refrein)

Gisteroavend half veer
Vul te laat en te veul beer
Heb ik verteld oaver ow en oaver meej

Ik bin ladderzat nar hoes gegoan
Ik haj troane in mien oege stoan
Want d'r is mier tusse ow en tusse meej

(refrein)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Rowwen Hèze's song Vremd Gegoan describe a secret love affair between two individuals who are carrying on their relationship outside of the public eye. The first stanza talks about how no one knows that the singer is in love as they seem to be someone entirely different. Similarly, no one knows about the other person and their feelings towards the singer. The song goes on to detail their relationship and how they both have strong feelings for each other, even though nobody is aware of it. They both feel a sense of comfort and attraction towards one another, and it is implied that they are happy in their relationship, despite it being kept hidden.

The chorus of the song talks about how the singer feels when the person they are in love with thinks about them or waits for them. The chorus implies that the feelings between the two of them are mutual and strong. The second verse describes the singer on a Tuesday morning, standing alone on the market square, thinking about their lover. They realize that they don't want the relationship to end and want to keep thinking about each other. The final verse talks about how, while drunk, the singer told someone about their relationship with their lover. They went home feeling upset because the secret relationship was revealed, and something had come between them.

Overall, this song is about a love affair carried on out of the public eye. The secrecy of their love adds a sense of danger and excitement to their relationship. The singer seems to be content with this lifestyle, but their fear of betrayal and exposure is always present.

Line by Line Meaning

Niemand wet dat ik heer bin
Nobody knows that I am here

Ik bin eigenlijk urges anders hin
I am actually somewhere else

Niemand wet 't van ow en van meej
Nobody knows about you and me

Wat weej doon is neet zo sleum
What we do is not so dumb

Ik halt van eur en geej van eum
I love her and you love him

Niemand wet 't van ow en van meej
Nobody knows about you and me

Mar als geej nar meej lacht
But when you laugh at me

Als geej an meej denkt
When you think of me

Als geej op meej wacht
When you wait for me

Als geej nar meej wenkt
When you call for me

Dinsdagmerge op de mert
Tuesday morning at the market