See I Told You So is – not counting the EPs – the seventh album by The Dutch. It will be released on March 14, 2025. The successor to Solid Ground (2022) contains 11 tracks.
We worked on it with heart and soul for three years. Never before have we let the songs mature for so long. They had to surprise, sound great, the spontaneity of the moment of creation had to be preserved and, as always, they had to be textually relevant. All killers, no fillers. From I’m Always Too Late, about a recurring dream, via Bewildered, about Wilders’ followers, to Where Do We Go, on the hardening of society. There is one remix on the album: Cian’s Song, which was released as a separate single in 2023, sounds even heavier here than the original. And then there is also the vile Mr Wilson, who you may remember from This Train Is About To Explode from the album Four, who returns with evil plans in Little Do They Know.
The sound and mix of See I Told You So were in the hands of bassist Jan (de Kruijf), who has surpassed himself as a producer. Tessa van Vuren already signed for the video clip, and also designed the cover of the album.
You can listen to See I Told You So via your favorite streaming service, such as Spotify or Apple Music. In the very near future, you can also order the album on CD, via our webshop shop.thedutchband.com. Or better yet, become a member of our “front row” on Bandcamp, and you will receive the CD on your doorstep. Or even better: buy the CD at one of our live performances. The official album presentation is on June 7th in P60, Amstelveen.
Credits
All songs on See I Told You So were written by Hans Croon, Bert Croon, Jan de Kruijf and Klaas Jonkmans.
Hans Croon is lead singer and plays guitar, lap steel and keyboards.
Bert Croon plays piano, synths, samples and sings backing vocals.
Jan de Kruijf plays bass guitar and sings backing vocals.
Klaas Jonkmans plays drums and samples and sings backing vocals.
All lyrics were written by Hans Croon.
See I Told You So was mixed, produced and mastered by Jan de Kruijf.
The cover is by Tessa van Vuren, who also drew the animation video:
The album was pressed on CD by Replifact.
11 songs
- I’m Always Too Late (03:50)
- Cian’s Song (remix). (03:27)
- See I Told You So (03:24)
- Bewildered (03:32)
- Chances Are (03:18)
- All Smiles & Joy (02:44)
- Please Forgive Me (04:21)
- One Man Choir (02:25)
- The Huns At The Gate (03:24)
- Little Do They Know (04:09)
- Where Do We Go (03:21)
A brief explanation of the lyrics
I’m Always Too Late
I’m Always Too Late may sound incomprehensible, but it can seem so logical in the night hours. You’re walking in a city, in a neighborhood you vaguely recognize, probably Istanbul, while your phone is controlled by a virus. Your friends wonder where you are, the audience wants them to start without you. You want to, but you can’t because you’re pushing a cart with tortoise-necked tourists through the empty streets… you’re always too late.
Cian’s Song (remix)
When he was a few months old, Cian couldn’t do anything, still he wanted everything. Cian is going to do great things, we know that for sure. Listen to your father Cian, Luke’s a metalhead, he loves Slayer. And we’re going to support you through thick and thin, whoever you become. That’s a promise.
See I Told You So
All the little phrases we use to make our arguments stronger. They don’t mean anything but they sound convincing. “As I said”, “once again”, “with all due respect”. We have separated them from the actual content in this song. Put together, it is nonsense, yes, but bombastic nonsense. Try to argue with that.
Bewildered
We must try to understand them, the right-wing populists, our fellow countrymen who are crazy about Wilders. We must listen to them. We must do all sorts of things, fine. But more importantly: they must do something too. Stop this madness, the alternative facts, the intellectual laziness, the hatred of migrants, the destruction of democracy. You are not helpless victims of an extreme right-wing Pied Piper. You have caused this mess. You’re bewildered.
Chances Are
It could well be that Big Tech will help us rise to great heights. But it could also be that arrogance will be fatal to us, that our children will come too close to the sun and crash into the Aegean Sea like Icarus. And that we will be left behind like Daedalus and mourn. But we will have ChatGPT to express our grief.
All Smiles & Joy
About the feeling of happiness that comes over you on the boat to Newcastle, on your way to your loved ones. On the UK side, a little boy is jumping in anticipation, all smiles and joy.
Please Forgive Me
Losing sight of friends. You can make all sorts of excuses for it, but what is actually more important than friendship? A song that promises improvement.
One Man Choir
Why don’t you ever sing those nonsense lyrics, like “I am the walrus, kookookachoo”? Okay then.
Swaying, playing, hard to get
Masculine
Screaming, cleaning, laundromat
Come on and
Flower power, burning fire
Presenting the
Walking talking one man choir
The Huns at the Gate
The world is on fire and the autocrats are winning. But despite all the hate, pain, greed, injustice and violence, we must not give up hope. It’s never too late to challenge the Huns at the gate.
Little Do They Know
Together with his wife Eleanor, Mr Wilson blew up a train, we sung about that in This Train is about to Explode, from the album Four. Now he’s leaving prison with new, less visible, evil plans. Something with disinformation and AI. Mr Wilson has no good intentions.
Where Do We Go
Humanity, kindness, integrity is what we need. So why are we moving in the opposite direction?