Singer-songwriter Stef Bos was born 1961 in Veenendaal (Netherlands) and mo… Read Full Bio ↴Singer-songwriter Stef Bos was born 1961 in Veenendaal (Netherlands) and moved to Belgium in 1984. He has been active in multiple artistic disciplines: beside cabaret and theatre he is best known for his music. He both writes for others as well as for himself, mostly in Dutch.
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.

Stemmen
Stef Bos Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

De stemmen om mij heen
Ik kan ze niet verstaan
Ik hoor niet wat ze zeggen
Ze praten door elkaar

Ze dansen met zichzelf
Ze zijn zo zelfvoldaan
De stemmen om mij heen

Ze praten door elkaar

De stemmen om mij heen
Ze dringen tot mij door
Maar het lijkt alsof ik alles
Wazig zie en half hoor

Ze praten over iets
Wat ik niet begrijp
En de afstand komt
Steeds dichterbij

Waar is het stil
Waar moet ik heen
Ik ben hier
Ik ben nu
In een andere tijd
Ik ben alleen
Maar ik ben niet alleen alleen

De mensen om mij heen
Ze kijken mij aan
Ze vragen zich af
Waarom ik stil blijf staan

Maar ik sta niet stil
Beweeg alleen maar traag
Morgen is morgen
Vandaag is vandaag

De stemmen om mij heen
Ze klinken zo koud
Het lijkt alsof het ene woord
Het ander niet vertrouwd

Ik hoor ze in de verte
Meegaan met de tijd
En de afstand komt
Steeds dichterbij

Waar is het stil?
Waar kan ik heen?
Ik ben hier
Ik ben nu
In een andere tijd

Ik ben alleen
Maar ik ben niet alleen alleen

Overall Meaning

In "Stemmen", Stef Bos is describing a feeling of disorientation and detachment from the world around him. He hears voices around him but struggles to make sense of what they are saying, as they talk over each other and seem self-absorbed. He feels disconnected from the present moment and unable to understand the conversations happening around him. He longs for a place of stillness and understanding, where he can go to escape the confusion and noise.

The lyrics suggest a sense of isolation and alienation, as Bos feels alone even when surrounded by people. He is aware of others looking at him but feels distant from them, as though he is moving through time at a different pace. The repetition of the question, "Where is it still? Where can I go?", emphasizes his need to find a place of peace, where he can escape from the chaos of the world around him. Overall, the song captures the sense of disorientation and confusion that can come from living in a busy and chaotic world, and the desire to find a sense of stillness and connection amidst it all.

Line by Line Meaning

De stemmen om mij heen
The voices around me

Ik kan ze niet verstaan
I cannot make out what they say

Ik hoor niet wat ze zeggen
I cannot hear what they say

Ze praten door elkaar
They talk over each other

Ze dansen met zichzelf
They dance with themselves

Ze zijn zo zelfvoldaan
They are so self-satisfied

Ze dringen tot mij door
They penetrate my mind

Maar het lijkt alsof ik alles
But it seems like I

Wazig zie en half hoor
See and hear everything unclearly

Ze praten over iets
They talk about something

Wat ik niet begrijp
What I don't understand