PG Music Home Forums General Discussion User Showcase A Dutch song: Ik zag hem (I saw him)

Hi everyone, I was away for some time. But I was also busy making a Dutch song about me and my father, although he passed away a long time ago.
It was the picture I used for the cover, that was the trigger for this song. It is a real picture of me and him.
The song was more complicated than I thought it would be. It took me a long time to finish it. Especially the lyrics were though.
Marty and Anne-Marie Bovenkamp (RnAM) can tell you a lot about that!
But here it is: Ik zag hem https://on.soundcloud.com/HSyKyVArgKFMnnVz9

I hope you like it, but I bet you don't understand a word of it!
On SoundCloud, beneath the Dutch lyrics there is a translation in English, with the thanks to chatGpT.
Hans
============================
Some technical stuff:
Style is _RECALL.STY (Recall Grungy Soft Rock Groove)
Tempo = 110 bpm

RealTracks in song: 4656:Bass, Electric, PopPumpingSync Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 3731:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm GrungeChugSyncArp Ev 100
RealTracks in song: ~2494:Piano, Acoustic, HeldChords 120
RealTracks in song: 3181:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm AcRockDriving8thsQuinn Ev 100
RealTracks in song: 2604:Guitar, Electric, Soloist JazzRock8thsJon Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 2510:Viola, Background PopEven Ev 120 (1TrackStringQuartet)
RealTracks in song: 1604:Fiddle, Background Pop16ths Ev 110
RealDrums in Song:CountryPopBallad^01-a:Kick, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat

And violas on my keyboard and some sound effects in Logic Pro X

Hans, what a cool, powerful song you've written/performed! That's a nice rockin' band, and you've arranged/mixed them just right. LOVE your vocals and harmonies, and the vox FX chains you are using sound great. Can imagine the challenge of putting something together so deeply personal. Really enjoyed the photo and the explanation of the context as it made for an enhanced listening experience. Enjoyed it much!

(FWIW, there's a slight, trebly harshness to the vocals that just might be my ears not quite adjusting to Dutch vocalization, or it might be EQ. I'll listen again later.)

Well Hans, now I have to learn a new language. Don't you think I have enough to do?

Good solid mix. I'm sure the lyrics are good too.

Vic

Hi Ron and Vic,

Not much attention yet, but so nice words from you two! Thanks for that.


Ron, you wouldn't believe the struggles I had with this song. I liked it, I hated it, I threw it away, picked it up again, well, that kind of emotions.
And you know, at home almost no support, because they don't like me singing in Dutch. I think that's why I persisted in completing this song ;-)
Thanks for your compliments, but just tell what you think of for instance my vocals, or whatever. Don't be shy on that. If you are hearing these things, just tell me.
But I didn't hear it, so maybe it is caused because it's Dutch, a harsh language...


Hi Vic, always glad to help others learning things they forgot to learn :-))
Do you have plans to visit us?
Thanks for your compliments and if you go to the song on SoundCloud you can read the lyrics in English too!

Hans

Hi Hans
A great song
Sounds really good
Great singing and well mixed
The BiaB band is excellently put together
A great song idea and a great production
Andi ;-)

Hans,

Your voice is awesome in any language. Such tone and control. Great song and a great mix!

Loved it!

Bob

It's amazing how different you sound when you sing in your mother tongue.
I'm from Germany, so I understand some of the lines, and I love your lyrics.
I can really relate to your song, I sometimes dream about my mom and those are very happy dreams.
No one is gone as long as you have memories.

Hans, I did listen again and now I don't hear anything amiss with the vocals. Think I've tuned my ears to Dutch! Ha! LOVE your song!

Oh, man, what a complete treat, Hans. I didn't know that was actually yuou two in that photo. I think I know every word, Hans, because I know you. The feeling you infuse into the vocal confirms my assessment. I am so happy you finally finished it --let it go really. It surely reaches Heaven (even if your dad ain't there ) Can't wait to be a fly on the wall for your next one.

Hi Andi, Bob and Brain,

Thanks for listening to this song. It can be a challenge to listen to another language, although Andi and Brain are used hearing Dutch more often.
Leaves me with Bob, although... he sang about Berlin, so maybe...?


Hi Andi, just listened to your wonderful song The Last Time. It's still in my mind and I still feel a bit emotional about it.
Thanks for what you wrote on my song. It took me some time, but I wrote about that struggle in a post above this one.
Oh, and it wasn't BiaB alone for the band. I used my keyboard too for creating some strings :-)


Hi Bob, You don't want to listen to me singing in Chinese! But thanks a lot for what you wrote.
But that was also the biggest challenge, because my wife and sons don't like how I sing in Dutch.
I don't know why, but I still haven't silenced them or turned their opinions into admiration...


Hi Brain, ábout your first line; that's what I wrote to Bob about my family... But they don't see it like you do.
I send them your reply!
But thanks a lot of what you wrote. And yes, I like to cherish my memories.
Not always they are nice, but they are who I am.

Have a nice day,
Hans

Great photo that captures a moment between father and son, just as your song captures what is in your heart. Your vocal is inspired and the music is crafted well. I like that skyrocket sound effect you put in there.

Really nice song re lyrics, vocals, arrangement and production, Really enjoyed listening.

Sounds good to me, Hans, makes no difference that I don't understand the lyrics, just means I can concentrate on the melody.

Well done, enjoyed the listen. Nice picture of you and your dad!

Hans

Very skillfull production and I could hear the emotion in your voice and it is clear that making this song was a real labour of love.
I lost my father 24 years ago so I can relate to the photo connection of your narrative. Thank you for helping me rekindle my own father/son memories.
A beautiful song.

Hi Ron, Marty, Scott, Wao, Dave and Izzy,

Dutch songs aren't so populair in this forum. I know this, of course.
In my family it's a bit the same, but still I like to sing them once in a while.
It is what it is...

But I'm glad to read the comments of those who listened.
They are all very nice comments.
Some only listen to the melody and the sound of the words, some also read the translation of the lyrics.
And everyone liked that old foto. I let AI brush up the fading foto.
It worked quit well, although if you look closely to my forehead you see as if I had wrinkles of hair, or something strange.
So don't look closely at it ;-)

Ron wrote again after my reply to his first post:


Hello Ron, I am very happy with your conclusion. After your first post I listened to the song again, but I couldn't draw any other conclusion than the one I wrote to you. Luckily you confirmed this with your new post. Thank you!

And then Marty replied too. He is the only 'foreigner' (in the language) who has heard different versions of the song, my hesitations and even feelings of hatred towards the song, but always encouraged me to go on with it.
And he wrote:


Hi Marty, thank you very much for your support and confidence in me to achieve a great result. I really hope you remain that fly on my wall. Just watch out for my cats. They hunt flies...

And I received a very nice post from Scott Ezekiel;


Scott, thanks for your comment and the nice compliments about the song. Also about that fx that 'skyrocket'. Actually it was some kind of explosion on a battlefield, but here it did just what you wrote.

And Wao underlined that feeling Scott expressed;


Wao, you captured all your feelings about this song in just two lined. Very good! See how many words I use in this post :-)

And Dave, who came home from his holidays with some friend and then had to catch up with the forum;


Dave, thanks for your very nice words, after those exhausting days somewhere in the country.
You once told me your wife is originally from the Netherlands. Could she understand it a bit or was she not at home when you listened to it?

And then Izzy shared a thoughtful post in which he related it to his own experiences with his father.:


Overall, I've received very kind comments on this Dutch song, and I am grateful for that!

Have a nice day,
Hans

Beautiful, nostalgic and touching story. Old photos may have strong emotional effect.

Enjoyable arrangement with nice stops and effects, violas and fiddle blend nicely together adding "past" contrast to the contemporary feel. The solo guitarist is nicely pleasant. The dynamics of the arrangement and your sentimental vocal performance, especially when you get to sing in your native language, really express what you are feeling.

Janne

Hi, Hans.

I had a listen to the song, and then the lyrics.

The arrangement worked well - nice changes, fiddle binding parts together, and expressively sung.

Excellent write as well. You're right - I didn't understand a word of it, so thanks for supplying the translation.

It's too bad you don't get support for singing in Dutch. I find the experience of hearing a song without understanding the language interesting. Yes, Dutch can be harsh to listen to. But if that's the language the song speaks, that's the how it needs to be written.

Thanks for sharing!

"In the attic were pictures from my childhood" is a great start to a narrative.
Sounds excellent, your voice sits within the mix a little overshadowed by the fiddle but it sounds good nevertheless.
Well done.

Hi Janne, David and Ray,

Thanks a lot for you nice comments!
I thought you all knew a little Dutch, but I was wrong in that assumption... ;-))


Well Janne, you didn't include a single word of Spanish in your kind words! (that's what we say if you swrite clearly). As I mentioned earlier, creating this song was not an easy task. It took me months. And all the time I asked myself "why a Dutch song about this topic". Still don't know, but I like it as it is now. And you too, I noticed ;-)


Hi David, thanks for your words! As you say Dutch can be harsh, but as long as they make a nice song, it's a nice song...
Yes, it's too bad to face a lack of support from my own family on singing in Dutch. Other friends of mine do like the song, but that family...
I will still continue to sing in Dutch, but only occasionally. Stubborn people do that...



Hi Ray, thanks for this. And I agree with you the violin was a bit too upfront. I was aware of it, but I chose to keep it as is because I enjoyed the sound. I reduced some decibels from the violin, though I could have reduced more.

Wishing everyone a pleasant day and abundant inspiration for songwriting.
Hans

First, we love the photo!

Second, the song sounds great both vocally and instrumentally.
The violin and violas are perfect for the mood.
We enjoyed hearing you sing in your language and appreciated the translation.

Janice often dreams of her Mama and her Daddy and always feels happy upon awakening from those dreams.

A wonderful tribute and all around production!

J&B