Band members are Sabien Bosselaar, Dafne Holtland and Margriet Planting.
The Dutch Zazí (note the accent on the letter i) must not be confused with zazi from Canada. Please make sure your plays are scrobbled correctly.
Biographical information for the Dutch Zazí:
You call it a fairy tale but we’d call it a necessary fate that these three musicians crossed paths one evening in Paris, singing the French drinking song Tourdion on the steps of the Sacré-Coeur. In true romantic spirit, this chance magic didn’t reunite all three ladies again for a couple years, but we know what happens when musical connections spark: luscious fireworks explode into fresh sounds- the kind that make you realize how crucial the existence of those very combinations are to the infinite world of music.
Soon, gigs for 50 year old birthday parties became performances for Queen Beatrix, weekly open mic nights became live soundtracks to German and Dutch fashion shows, a repertoire of one French cover became a catalogue of German, Dutch, French, English and Spanish- and a blooming musical collective transformed into what we now know as “Zazí.”
Graciously gliding over the crispy yellow leaves, Zazí toys with genres like the sun toys with our autumn cool, playing varieties and fusions of Chanson folk, jazz, acoustic, balkin and what else sounds nice when classification boundaries are broken so. Cellos and maracas, pianos and accordions, mandolins and ukuleles are all arranged in layers and exciting crescendos to create their signature sound- all sweetly tied together with no-question-about-it handsome vocal harmonies. Zazí holds true to a vow for creative flexibility and adaptation; performances range from festival stages to echoing music halls as well as intimate corner cafes throughout Europe, England, America and Canada. A refreshingly humorous and talent-soaked show is what results; do not miss the unconventional performance that Zazí has in store for you
Eendjes Voeren
Zazí Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
om maar naar het park te gaan
elke middag trok mijn mammie
mij mijn warmste kleertjes aan
‘want', zei mammie, ‘in de winter,
geven wij de eendjes brood
anders gaan die lieve eendjes
allemaal van de honger dood'
onderweg liep zij steeds vlugger
ik hield haar maar met moeite bij
ik kwam in het park, buiten adem
maar mams was opgelucht en blij
zij gaf mij het plastic zakje
waar het eendenbrood in zat
en dan ging ik naar het wak toe
terwijl mammie op een bankje zat
terwijl ik de eendjes brood moest voeren
praatte zij met een meneer
die meneer was blijkbaar grappig
en hij was er telkens weer
net als de zwaan en bij het voeren
stond dat beest altijd vooraan
vaak begon hij kwaad te blazen
ook al had ik niks gedaan
eenmaal heeft de zwaan gebeten
mijn handje deed toen heel erg zeer
ik hoorde mammie schaterlachen
om die grappige meneer
toen moest ik nog veel harder huilen
mammie had geen oog voor mij
terwijl ik naar het bankje holde
maakte mams haar handen vrij
die meneer heet nu oom Stefan
we wonen in zijn huis
soms voel ik me heel verdrietig
maar we blijven ‘s middags thuis
zondagmiddag komt mijn pappie
die wil met mij naar ‘t park toe gaan
en dan durf ik niet te zeggen
dat ik bang ben voor de zwaan
In Zazi's song "Eendjes Voeren," the singer describes their recent experiences of going to the park to feed the ducks with their mother. They recount how their mother had become obsessed with the idea of feeding the ducks, and how they were made to tag along every afternoon. The mother insists that they must feed the ducks in the winter, or else the ducks will all die of hunger. The singer struggles to keep up with their mother's brisk walking pace, but they finally arrive at the park.
The singer is given a plastic bag of bread to feed the ducks while their mother sits on a bench and talks to a man who is always there. The man is apparently funny and is often accompanied by a swan. This swan always rushes forward to get the first bites of bread, and if it doesn't get what it wants, it becomes aggressive and starts hissing. Eventually, the swan bites the singer's hand, causing them pain. The mother, instead of consoling the singer, laughs at the man's jokes.
As the song progresses, we learn that the man the mother has been talking to is now the singer's uncle Stefan, and they live in his house. The singer is unhappy about their living situation and wishes to stay home instead of going to the park to feed the ducks. When the father comes to visit on Sunday afternoon, the singer feels scared to tell him about the swan and their discomfort in going to the park.
Overall, Zazi's "Eendjes Voeren" is a poignant song that touches on themes of neglect, loneliness, and abuse in a subtle and sensitive way. The singer's perspective is filled with vivid emotional detail, making the experience of going to the park and feeding the ducks a powerful metaphor for the larger issues they are facing.
Line by Line Meaning
de laatste tijd had mams een manie
My mother has lately had an obsession
om maar naar het park te gaan
to just go to the park
elke middag trok mijn mammie
Every afternoon, my mother took me
mij mijn warmste kleertjes aan
and dressed me in my warmest clothes
‘want', zei mammie, ‘in de winter,
because, she said, in winter,
geven wij de eendjes brood
we give bread to the ducks
anders gaan die lieve eendjes
otherwise, those sweet ducks
allemaal van de honger dood'
will all die of hunger
onderweg liep zij steeds vlugger
On our way, she walked faster and faster
ik hield haar maar met moeite bij
and I struggled to keep up with her
ik kwam in het park, buiten adem
Breathless, I arrived at the park
maar mams was opgelucht en blij
but Mother was relieved and happy
zij gaf mij het plastic zakje
She gave me the plastic bag
waar het eendenbrood in zat
with the duck bread inside
en dan ging ik naar het wak toe
and then I went to the pond
terwijl mammie op een bankje zat
while Mother sat on a bench
terwijl ik de eendjes brood moest voeren
While I had to feed the ducks
praatte zij met een meneer
She spoke to a man
die meneer was blijkbaar grappig
who apparently was funny
en hij was er telkens weer
and he kept coming back
net als de zwaan en bij het voeren
like the swan, who was always there during feeding
stond dat beest altijd vooraan
the animal stood always in the front
vaak begon hij kwaad te blazen
often he would get angry and start hissing
ook al had ik niks gedaan
even if I had done nothing
eenmaal heeft de zwaan gebeten
Once the swan bit me
mijn handje deed toen heel erg zeer
My little hand hurt terribly
ik hoorde mammie schaterlachen
I heard Mother burst out laughing
om die grappige meneer
at that funny man
toen moest ik nog veel harder huilen
Then I had to cry even louder
mammie had geen oog voor mij
Mother didn't pay attention to me
terwijl ik naar het bankje holde
as I ran to the bench
maakte mams haar handen vrij
Mother freed up her hands
die meneer heet nu oom Stefan
That man is now called Uncle Stefan
we wonen in zijn huis
We live in his house
soms voel ik me heel verdrietig
Sometimes I feel very sad
maar we blijven ‘s middags thuis
But we stay home in the afternoons
zondagmiddag komt mijn pappie
Sunday afternoon, my daddy comes
die wil met mij naar ‘t park toe gaan
He wants to go to the park with me
en dan durf ik niet te zeggen
But then I'm too scared to say
dat ik bang ben voor de zwaan
that I'm afraid of the swan
Contributed by Evelyn A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.