Released as the lead single from the album In the Dutch Mountains on October 30, 1987, The Nits’ title track quickly became their signature song—an ironic ode to a landscape that doesn’t exist. Blending art-pop, folk, and new wave, the track took the Dutch trio to new creative and commercial heights, especially across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Sound: raw elegance and cinematic texture
Recorded live to two-track at Werf Studios in Amsterdam, the song captures a spontaneous, almost concert-like energy. The production trades polish for presence—jangling guitars, textured keyboards from Robert Jan Stips, and Rob Kloet’s subtle percussion create an intimate yet expansive sound. It’s warm and precise, dreamy but anchored—making it one of Dutch pop’s most enduring mood pieces.
Lyrics: irony, childhood, and imagined topography
Henk Hofstede’s lyrics weave surreal childhood memories with everyday scenes and poetic longing: school lunches, small towns, and daydreams cast against a backdrop of imaginary peaks. The title is a deliberate irony—there are no Dutch mountains—but in this song, they symbolize emotional elevation, fantasy, and escape. It’s a reflection on the landscape of memory and the topography of growing up.
Chart impact: European acclaim, global ripple
“In the Dutch Mountains” didn’t chart significantly in the UK or U.S., but it was a continental success. The single reached No. 3 in Austria, No. 9 in the Netherlands—where it spent an impressive 27 weeks on the chart—and No. 32 in Germany. It was also The Nits’ first UK release, helping establish their reputation as Dutch ambassadors of cerebral pop across Europe.
Music video: monochromatic moods and DIY storytelling
The music video was created by the band members themselves using a 16mm film camera, embracing a DIY ethos that matched their artistic independence. It features drummer Rob Kloet rowing on the Noorder Ganssloot near Jisp, and Henk Hofstede cycling through Watergraafsmeer, the Amsterdam neighborhood where he grew up. Each scene is tinted in a different monochromatic hue—sepia, muted green, blue-gray—creating a surreal, vintage atmosphere that complements the song’s reflective tone.
Initially dismissed by their label Columbia, the video gained momentum when MTV Europe began airing it in 1987, leading to widespread recognition across the continent. In the Netherlands, it was broadcast by major pop TV programs including AVRO’s Toppop, Veronica’s Countdown, and TROS’s Popformule, helping the band reach a broader national audience.
Legacy: a landmark in Dutch pop
“In the Dutch Mountains” remains central to The Nits’ legacy. It inspired Cees Nooteboom’s novel title, appears regularly on Dutch evergreen charts, and has been referenced in fields as diverse as literature, architecture, and design. More than three decades on, it continues to resonate—not just as a song, but as a lyrical space you quietly inhabit.