Dani Klein, the lead singer, and Willy Lambregt had previous success in the band Arbeid Adelt! and decided to form the band Vaya Con Dios together with contrabassist Dirk Schoufs, because their interests were with gypsy music, jazz and opera which are genres which they felt were underappreciated in Brussels.
Their first single "Just a Friend of Mine" has a Latin feel to it and became a big hit in France, selling over 300,000 copies. Willy Lambregt left the group and was replaced by Jean-Michel Gielen. Even though Vaya Con Dios had success in Latin countries, they remained largely unknown in the Netherlands partially due to being a Belgian band, but also because of their gypsy style. In the Summer of 1990, they finally broke through in the Netherlands with "What's a Woman?" peaking at #1 for three weeks, thus making Vaya Con Dios the second Belgian artists to have a #1 hit in the Netherlands; the first being Ivan Heylen in 1974. The song is about the difficulties of men and women who on the one hand need one another, yet sometimes have a difficult time understanding each other.
In 1991, Dani Klein and Dirk Schoufs decided to go their seperate ways and from then on the group consisted of only Dani Klein singng with various musicians. On 24 May 1991, Schoufs died of an AIDS-related illness, which he contracted due to his heroin addiction. Even though they were no longer a team, Dani was very saddened and the third album Time Flies is much more melancholic than the previous albums.
Even though the music and the composition of the band changed, Vaya Con Dios remained popular in large parts of Europe, especially France, Germany, and Scandinavia, until 1996, when Dani left the music business complaining of too much stress. She returned in 1999 as singer in the group "Purple Prose", also the title of the début album that same year. Vaya Con Dios returned in 2004 with a new album called "The Promise," released on an independent label.
In November 2006, Vaya Con Dios released a new album called 'The Ultimate Collection'. It's a CD and DVD of the acoustic concert in Brussels (Belgium) at 31 August 2006.
In total, Vaya Con Dios sold more than 7 million albums and more than 3 million singles
Muddy Waters
Vaya Con Dios Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said: "Girl you must have lost your head
Only the lazy
Stay the whole day long in bed
Your skirts need mending
And the floor cries to be swept
Don't make me scream, girl
Did you hear just what I said?"
Like so many times before
She said: "Now, listen, girl
You ain't walking through that door
Your friends may call you
You won't be hanging 'round no more
By the muddy waters"
OOh yeah, muddy waters
Mama was shouting
Said: "Girl, you better watch your step
That good-for-nothing
You couldn't trust him when he's dead
He makes no money
And though he dresses like a Lord
Sweet child believe me
He'll make your pretty eyes go sore"
She spoke up to me
Like a thousand times before
She said: "Now listen, girl
You ain't walking through that door
No little lady
You two are sailing way too close
By the muddy waters"
Ooh yeah, muddy waters
She spoke up to me
Like a thousand times before
She said: "Now listen, girl
You ain't walking through that door
No little lady
You two are sailing way to close
To the muddy waters"
Ooh yeah, the muddy waters.
I ain't gonna go
No more, no more, no more
The lyrics to "Muddy Waters" by Vaya Con Dios explore the tensions between a young woman and her mother. The mother, who is frustrated by her daughter's laziness and unkempt appearance, warns her about the dangers of getting involved with a man who is unreliable and dresses in a flashy, ostentatious way. The daughter, however, is drawn to the man's charm and takes offense at her mother's criticism. Despite her mother's warnings, she is determined to pursue the relationship, even if it means sailing "way too close to the muddy waters."
The "muddy waters" of the song's title serve as both a metaphor for the singer's risky behavior and a reference to the blues legend of the same name. In this sense, the song can be read as a warning about being seduced by the allure of music and its associated lifestyle, as represented by the flashy, unreliable man. The lyrics suggest that the singer is torn between two opposing forces: the restrictions and expectations of her mother on the one hand, and the freedom and excitement of the blues on the other. Ultimately, she chooses the latter, declaring that she "ain't gonna go no more, no more, no more."
Overall, "Muddy Waters" is a powerful evocation of the tensions between generations and cultures, as well as a tribute to the enduring influence of the blues. Through its vivid imagery and finely-crafted lyrics, it offers a compelling portrait of a young woman struggling to find her way in a complicated and often hostile world.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama was angry
The singer's mother was upset
Said: "Girl you must have lost your head
The singer's mother thinks she is being foolish or irresponsible
Only the lazy
The singer's mother believes that being lazy is bad
Stay the whole day long in bed
The artist's mother believes that staying in bed all day is lazy
Your skirts need mending
The artist's skirts are in need of repair
And the floor cries to be swept
The singer's mother thinks the floor needs cleaning
Don't make me scream, girl
The singer's mother is angry and doesn't want to have to yell
Did you hear just what I said?"
The artist's mother is making sure that her daughter understands what she said
She spoke up to me
The artist's mother is addressing her
Like so many times before
The artist's mother has said similar things many times in the past
She said: "Now, listen, girl
The singer's mother is telling her to pay attention
You ain't walking through that door
The artist's mother won't let her leave
Your friends may call you
The singer's mother acknowledges that her daughter may receive calls from friends
You won't be hanging 'round no more
The singer's mother won't let her daughter see her friends anymore
By the muddy waters
The singer's mother is warning her daughter to stay away from trouble
OOh yeah, muddy waters
The muddy waters are associated with danger or trouble
Mama was shouting
The artist's mother is yelling
Said: "Girl, you better watch your step
The singer's mother is warning her daughter to be careful
That good-for-nothing
The singer's mother thinks the daughter's love interest is worthless
You couldn't trust him when he's dead
The artist's mother thinks the love interest is untrustworthy
He makes no money
The artist's mother doesn't think the love interest is financially stable
And though he dresses like a Lord
The artist's mother thinks the love interest is trying too hard
Sweet child believe me
The singer's mother is trying to convince her daughter
He'll make your pretty eyes go sore"
The artist's mother thinks the love interest will cause harm to her daughter
No little lady
The singer's mother is continuing to address her daughter
You two are sailing way too close
The singer's mother thinks her daughter is getting too close to danger
To the muddy waters"
The muddy waters symbolize danger
Ooh yeah, the muddy waters.
The muddy waters are associated with danger or trouble
She spoke up to me
The artist's mother is talking to her again
Like a thousand times before
The singer's mother has said similar things many times in the past
She said: "Now listen, girl
The singer's mother is repeating herself
You ain't walking through that door
The artist's mother won't let her leave
I ain't gonna go
The artist is saying that she won't go against her mother's wishes
No more, no more, no more
The artist is emphasizing that she won't disobey her mother
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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