In Dutch speaking countries he is best known for his 1991 hit record ‘Papa’ - about a father/son relation. Since then he has made several albums and has also become quite popular amongst the Afrikaner population of South-Africa where he recorded several songs with crossovers between his European style and the tribal sounds of Southern Africa.
In 2004 he published as a poet. He is still performing and developing new material.
Engjelushe
Stef Bos Lyrics
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Kijken mij aan
Ze spreken een taal
Die ik niet kan verstaan
Ik zie in hun ogen
De zon ondergaan
Ik kom thuis bij een volk
Met een land zonder naam
Ze zijn overal thuis
Dus altijd een vreemde
En ik weet wat het is
Om verloren te leven
Twee kleine meisjes
Kijken mij aan
Ze zitten daar samen
En ik zing hun naam
Refr.:
Engjellushe, Marinella
Marinella, Engjellushe
Timomoengkong
Marinella
Timomoengkong
Engjellushe
Ik kijk in hun ogen
En ik kan niet geloven
Hoe dit volk door de eeuwen heen
Wordt verstoten
En ik denk aan de wereld
Waar ik ben geboren
De verzuurde gezichten
De berekende woorden
Refr.:
Ze dansen en ze dansen
Ze dansen voor mij
En ze vragen en ze vragen
Ze vragen of ik blijf
Maar ik moet verder op reis
Refr.:
En ik weet dat ik morgen
Verder moet reizen
Maar dat ik in gedachten
Hier zal blijven
Want ik denk aan de wereld
Waar ik ben geboren
Ik kijk in hun ogen
En ik loop verloren
Refr....
The lyrics to Stef Bos's song Engjelushe describe the emotions and experiences of someone who visits a foreign land, where they don't understand the language or customs. The opening lines "Two little girls, look at me, They speak a language I cannot understand" already indicate the sense of unfamiliarity and displacement. However, the singer can sense an unspoken sadness and beauty in the girls' eyes and expression that connect them. The singer feels like they have come home to a people whose land has no name, which brings up images of the displacement of communities and cultures due to conflict or colonialism.
Throughout the song, the singer grapples with the sense of being an outsider or a stranger who is never fully at home, a theme that is underscored by the repeated refrain of the names "Engjellushe, Marinella, Timomoengkong." These names represent different cultures and ethnicities and illustrate how the singer feels a sense of connection and belonging to these far-off places, even though they are not physically there. The descriptions of the "soured faces" and "calculated words" of the world where the singer was born create a stark contrast with the world of the two little girls, who dance and sing with joy, despite their apparent hardships.
Overall, the lyrics of Engjelushe are introspective and contemplative, evoking the feeling of being a stranger in a foreign land and connecting with the humanity in those around us, regardless of their culture or background.
Line by Line Meaning
Twee kleine meisjes
There are two young girls present in the scene.
Kijken mij aan
The girls are looking directly at the singer.
Ze spreken een taal
The girls are speaking a language the singer doesn't understand.
Die ik niet kan verstaan
The singer is unable to comprehend their language.
Ik zie in hun ogen
The singer observes the expressions of the girls.
De zon ondergaan
Through their eyes, the singer experiences the sunset.
Ik kom thuis bij een volk
The singer feels at home amongst these people.
Met een land zonder naam
The people belong to a stateless land.
Ze zijn overal thuis
The people belong everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
Dus altijd een vreemde
They are always strangers, even in their own land.
En ik weet wat het is
The singer understands how it feels to be lost.
Om verloren te leven
Living without a sense of belonging can be very disorienting.
Ze zitten daar samen
The girls are sitting together, probably friends.
En ik zing hun naam
The singer sings their names, reaching out to them.
Engjellushe, Marinella
The singer calls out to the girls using their names - Engjellushe and Marinella.
Timomoengkong
This word is unclear and its meaning is unknown.
Ik kijk in hun ogen
The singer looks into the girls' eyes again.
En ik kan niet geloven
The singer is incredulous as they continue watching the girls.
Hoe dit volk door de eeuwen heen
The singer ponders how this group of people has endured so much over the ages.
Wordt verstoten
The group continues to be marginalised by society.
En ik denk aan de wereld
The singer reflects on the broader world they belong to.
Waar ik ben geboren
The singer recalls the place they came from.
De verzuurde gezichten
The singer remembers the sullen faces from home.
De berekende woorden
The singer recalls the cold, calculated words spoken in their place of origin.
Ze dansen en ze dansen
The girls start to dance happily in front of the singer.
En ze vragen en ze vragen
The girls ask the singer if they will stay with them.
Ze vragen of ik blijf
The girls are curious to know whether the singer intends to stay with them.
Maar ik moet verder op reis
The singer is obligated to continue their journey.
En ik weet dat ik morgen
The singer acknowledges that they must travel onwards tomorrow.
Verder moet reizen
They will have to travel further to reach their destination.
Maar dat ik in gedachten
Even though the singer will continue their journey, their mind will be on the place they leave behind.
Hier zal blijven
The singer will mentally remain in this place.
En ik loop verloren
The singer feels lost, unable to connect with the world around them.
Contributed by Nathaniel C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.