Wim De Craene was born in a catholic family with seven children. At the age of sixteen he began to travel. He studied nursing and drama, but broke off his studies prematurely. With the income he earned as a sweep and a barman, de Craene bought his first guitar. In late 60s, he was a member of the Flemish folkgroup Ja, and was discovered by Miel Cools.
At eighteen he went to Amsterdam to get to live closer to his mentor Ramses Shaffy. Shaffy let him perform in the café-chantant 'T Cloppertjen. As a way of saying thank you and expressing his admiration de Craene named his son Ramses.
The year 1975 was his most successful year as an artist. Tim (from his album Alles is Nog Bij Het Oude), Rozane (from his album Brussel) and his duet with Della Bosiers, Mensen Van 18, became hits.
Considering the subjects of his songs De Craene was usually inspired by people he knew. Because he found that more people would feel addressed when he used common first names, many of his songs bear titles such as Tim, Marieke, Kristien, Elke, Rikky or Marcellino. Not all of these songs are about people who bear that name. Tim, for example, is about his newborn son, Ramses, but because that name woudn't fit the melody, de Craene used the name of the son of one of his best friends. Rozane was written for actress Chris Thys, the sister of Leah Thys.
In 1977 De Craene wrote his first musical, Help, ik win een miljoen (Help, I'm winning a million).
In the second half of the 70s De Craene popularity decreased. In 1978 he organized a prestigious concert in Wetteren, Belgium for his new album Wim de Craene is ook nooit weg, but barely 70 people attended.
The singer tried to get rid of the stigma 'theatre arts' and experimented with different musical styles such as pop, rock, classical and disco. On the album Perte Total from 1980 he mixed rock, ballads and electronic music. Later that decade he was also inspired by new wave. Unfortunately, a large part of these experiments weren't popular and many of them are generally seen as failures. The experiments that did work, however, are still cherished by its admirers.
Yet De Craene felt misunderstood. In 1981 he separated his wife. In 1983 he took part in the preselection for the Eurovision with the song Kristien, looking for recognition and success. In a tumultuous finale, won by Pas De Deux, he ended third.
The hit Breek Uit Jezelf meant a brief new start in in 1987, but after that he did not sell well. In 1988 he wrote his second musical, John de Lichte.
In 1990 Decraene died. Officially he committed suicide by swallowing an overdose of antidepressants. It is generally assumed that he didn't get over a broken relationship.
In 2005 his son Ramses declared in a Humo-interview that he has always had the feeling his father was murdered.
Wim de Craene received more recognition after his death than during his life. His songs are still played and songs such as De Kleine Man, Tim, Rozane, Mensen Van 18 and Breek Uit Jezelf are now recognized as classics.
Discography
Albums
Wim De Craene (1973)
Alles is nog bij het oude (1975)
Brussel (1975)
Rozerood-oranje (1975)
Wim De Craene is ook nooit weg (1977)
Perte Totale (1980)
Kraaknet (1983)
Via Dolorosa (1988)
Singles
Recht naar de kroegen en de wijven (1970)
Portret van gisteren (1970)
De kleine man (1974)
Tim (1975)
Rozane (1975)
Marcellino (1976)
Help ik win een miljoen (1978)
St. Tropez (1980)
Ravage (1980)
Hoor (1982)
Ik kan geen kikker van de kant afduwen (1982)
Het exuberante leven van Leentje De Vries (1982)
Kristien (1983)
Rikky (1983)
Laat me met je meegaan (1983)
Breek uit jezelf (1987)
Vrijwillig (1988)
Leen (1990)
Enkel in een broekje (1990)
Harry
Wim De Craene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Daar kwam nooit een geleerde dokter van
De familie heeft eendrachtig toen besloten
We doen wat extra hersens in z'n hersenpan
De keuze viel op hersenen van ratten
Want een rat is listig en heel wijs
Dat werd zomaar in z'n hersenpan geschoven
Harry maakte toen een prachtige carriere
Heeft een mooie vrouw die gisteren heeft gebaard
Het werd een zesling, allen lieve kleintjes
Met een rattekopje en een rattestaart
Met een rattekopje en een rattestaart
The song "Harry" by Wim De Craene may seem dark and unsettling at first glance due to its lyrics about adding extra rat brains to Harry's own brain, but with a closer look, the meaning of the song goes deeper. "Harry leek niet uit het goede hout gesneden / Daar kwam nooit een geleerde dokter van" translates to "Harry didn't seem to be made of the right stuff / No learned doctor ever came to him." This suggests that Harry may have had some sort of cognitive or behavioral issue.
To combat this issue, Harry's family decided to enhance his brain by adding extra rat brains into it. The line "De keuze viel op hersenen van ratten / Want een rat is listig en heel wijs" translates to "The choice fell on brains of rats / Because a rat is cunning and very wise." The addition of the rat brains in Harry's own resulted in him excelling in his life and having a successful career and even starting a family.
However, the line "Met een rattekopje en een rattestaart" translates to "With a rat face and a rat tail," which suggests that despite Harry's successful life, he is still grappling with the consequences of his brain enhancement. Perhaps he feels a disconnect with his own identity due to the addition of the rat brains or even feels that he is not fully human. Overall, the song "Harry" is a thought-provoking commentary on the ethics surrounding enhancing human intelligence and the potential consequences that may come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Harry leek niet uit het goede hout gesneden
Harry didn't seem cut out for success
Daar kwam nooit een geleerde dokter van
No educated doctor ever showed up
De familie heeft eendrachtig toen besloten
The family then decided unanimously
We doen wat extra hersens in z'n hersenpan
Let's put some extra brains in his head
De keuze viel op hersenen van ratten
They chose rat brains
Want een rat is listig en heel wijs
Because rats are cunning and wise
Dat werd zomaar in z'n hersenpan geschoven
They just shoved it in his head
En Harry haalde vlug z'n eerste prijs
And then Harry quickly achieved his first success
Harry maakte toen een prachtige carriere
Harry then had a wonderful career
Heeft een mooie vrouw die gisteren heeft gebaard
He had a beautiful wife who gave birth yesterday
Het werd een zesling, allen lieve kleintjes
She gave birth to sextuplets, all sweet little ones
Met een rattekopje en een rattestaart
With rat-like heads and rat tails
Writer(s): Wim De Craene
Contributed by Hailey F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.