*Jan started playing in various high school bands in the 90’s.
*1999: Venus In Flames went solo and got selected by Studio Brussel (belgian national radiostation) for the Debut Rock festival, a showcase for new talent.
*2000: Venus In Flames was the winner of the bronze medal at Humo’s Rock Rally, the biggest national rock contest with over 700 competitors. Critics and press loved it and called it ‘a revelation for fans of Jeff Buckley, Elliott Smith, Neil Young or Nick Drake’.
*2001: Release of the debut EP ‘Cynthia’s Gone’ with high rotation airplay on national radios. Lots of small clubshows and support shows for o.a. Stereophonics, My Morning Jacket, Novastar, Arid, …
*2002: European tour as support act for K’s Choice. 6 amazing weeks of sold-out venues. One of the highlights of the tour was the concert at the famous Olympia in Paris.
*2003: Recording of the first full album ‘Notes Of Tenderness’ at the Jet Studios in Brussels with producer Gert Bettens. Mastering of the album at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. First single ‘Better Man’ stayed in the charts for 3 months. Tons of great reviews in the press, speaking of Radiohead, Beatles and Beach Boys.
*2004: Release in Holland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Luxemburg. Lots of touring in clubs and at festivals (o.a. Marktrock, Dranouter, Lokerse Feesten, Gentse Feesten, Pukkelpop etc). Support acts for o.a. Elbow, Counting Crows, Sarah Bettens, Simple Minds.
*2005: First headlining tour in Germany and Switzerland. Solo clubtour in Belgium. Jan got together with David Du Pré (Arid) for the recording and producing of the second album ‘Shadowlands’.
*2006: The mixing of the album took place at the Alamo Sound Services Studio (Brussels), the mastering was done in the Sterling Sound Studios in New York. First single ‘Easy Way Out’ (released on March 6 2006) got tons of airplay on Belgian stations Studio Brussel and Radio 1. The album reached number 28 in the alternative hitlist (Ultratop). Splendid press-reviews of the album came in from all sides. They called the album ‘more mature’ than the debut and compared it to the work of Radiohead, Coldplay and The Verve. It became a very busy year, including lots of summerfestivals and a fall club tour together with Mint.
*2007: In spring Jan did a double-bill club tour with Gert Bettens called ‘Double Solo’. He started writing songs for the next album and finished the year with a sold-out theatre tour with the band ‘Living Roots’, actually a bunch of musicians from all kinds of bands such as Triggerfinger, Kommilfoo, Ambrozijn, K’s Choice, Neeka etc, singing songs of their heroes.
Andalucia
Venus In Flames Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The rocks lay scattered like pills
The Andalucian sun is getting to my soul
It's making me weak in the bones
Well it's good to have you here
We'll lay down and drink a beer and watch the sky
I guess I want to be your man
I hope you feel alright
Everything is slowing down
When there is no one around
Maybe we should stay here
And forget about home
Maybe but I don't think so
Well it's good to have you here
We'll lay down and drink a beer and watch the sky
I guess I want to be your man
I sure do the best I can to make things right
I hope you feel alright
Get busy living
Get busy dying
Get busy living
Get busy dying
Well it's good to have you here
We'll lay down and drink a beer and watch the sky
I guess I want to be your man
I sure do the best I can to make things right
I hope you feel alright
The lyrics to Venus In Flames’ song Andalucia paint a vivid picture of a journey through the hills of Andalucia. The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song as the singer speaks of the rocks scattered like pills and the Andalucian sun that’s making him weak in the bones. The second verse is quite interesting as the singer speaks of wanting to be the woman’s man and doing the best he can to make things right. It gives the sense of wanting to be a strong figure in someone’s life and making a difference for them. The chorus repeats throughout the song, with the phrase “Get busy living, get busy dying” making an appearance. The song ends with the singer’s desire to do the best he can for the woman because he hopes she feels alright.
Overall, the song appears to be a love story of sorts, with the singer expressing a desire to be with the woman and treating her right. The imagery of Andalucia is a fitting backdrop for the story, as it adds a romantic and adventurous edge to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
The road leads us through these hills
We're travelling through hilly terrain
The rocks lay scattered like pills
The rocks are spread out like medication tablets on the ground
The Andalucian sun is getting to my soul
The hot sun in Andalucia is affecting me deeply
It's making me weak in the bones
The heat is physically weakening me
Well it's good to have you here
I'm glad you're with me
We'll lay down and drink a beer and watch the sky
Let's relax and enjoy the scenery with a drink
I guess I want to be your man
I think I want to be in a relationship with you
I sure do the best I can to make things right
I am committed to making things work with you
I hope you feel alright
I hope you're doing well
Everything is slowing down
The pace of life is becoming slower
When there is no one around
When there's nobody else in sight
Maybe we should stay here
Perhaps we should consider staying in this place
And forget about home
And ignore the urge to return home
Maybe but I don't think so
I'm unsure if staying here is the best idea
Get busy living
Don't waste time, pursue your goals
Get busy dying
If you're not living, you're dying
Contributed by Kennedy F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.