I read a very interesting article by Christian Thiele, a writer from Berlin and a Fellow at the Chicago Tribune. He said that while in high school (during the 80s) in Germany, his English grades vastly improved. Why? Christian says it's because the Germans were a divided country then and still very affected by the war. He said he traveled a lot to get away from that burden. When he met fellow Germans, they'd hide the fact that they were German.

Fortunately for the Germans, the times there are changing. Most of their song lyrics now are all in their mother's tongue. Thiele talks about "Die Traegheit" ("Laziness"), by Annett Louisan, "a sweet tune about the passing of a dull day, light as a feather." He says it reflects the feeling in Berlin these days.

That's good to hear!

Mein Teil


Suche gut gebauten Achtzehn- bis Dreißigjährigen zum Schalchten
Der Metzgermeister

Huete treff ich einen Herrn
Der hat mich zum Fressen gern
Weiche Teile und auch harte
stehen auf der Speisekarte

Denn du bist
was du isst
und ihr wisst
was es ist

Es ist mein teil - nein
Mein Teil - nein
Denn das ist mein teil - nein
Mein Teil - nein

Die stumpfe Klinge - gut und recht
Ich blute stark und mir ist schlecht
Muss ich auch mit der Ohnmacht kämpfen
ich esse weiter unter Krämpfen

Ist doch so gut gewürzt
und so schön flambiert
und so liebevoll aug Porellan serviert
Dazu ein guter Wein und zarter
kerzenschein
Ja da lass ich mir Zeit
Etwas Kultur muss sein

Denn du bist
was du isst
und ihr wisst
was es ist

Es ist mein teil - nein
Mein Teil - nein
Denn das ist mein teil - nein
Yes it's mein teil - nein

Ein Schrei wird zum himmel fahren
schneidet sich durch engelscharen
Vom Wolkendach fällt Federfleisch
auf meine kindheit mit gekreish

Es ist mein teil - nein
Mein Teil - nein
Denn Das ist mein teil - nein
Mein Teil - nein

-Rammstein

Ah yes, such tasteful lyrics.

The Germans have been singing rock in German for a while. You could even Peter Krause started it all with his German covers of Elvis hits. But some credit Udo Lindenberg with really starting Krautrock off with "Andrea Doria" in 1973. Anyway, by 1976, the Neue Deutsche Welle had taken off, and the Germans never really looked back. Nena, Peter Schilling, and Falco had German language (and failed English translation) hits in the USA. Cologne even has a pretty vibrant rock scene with songs in the local dialect which grew out of the tradition of Karnevalieder. In fact, one band, BAP, had several hits on the German charts, and their songs were difficult if impossible for German not from the Rheinland to understand.

Anyway, not all rock lyrics are great poetry, and not all poetry is great. Here are the dialect lyrics of Jupp (Joe), a song about a homeless person in Cologne:

(From the album "Für Usszeschnigge")

Ahn der Vringspooz triffsten,
met singe Kumpels un dä Mammutfläsch Lambrusco.
Op dä Plastiktüüt
met singe paar Klamotte steiht: "Eduscho"
Jo, dä Jupp trick jraad sing Sejel huh,
un er nimmp dich met, jedenfalls meint er et
un er verzällt sich fruh.

Om Projramm steht Weltreis,
wie jeden Daach verzällte, wat ihm wo passiert ess.
Kokosnöss un Packeis
un wie er övver dä Aquator balanciert ess.
Un övverhaup, die dausend Fraue die'e kannt
un die Messerstecherei, sick der dä Duhme fählt,
ahn singer räächte Hand.

Un eez en Katmandu,
wo er met zwei Yetis Skat jeklopp hätt.
Et woot manche Nejer blaß,
vun dämm, wat unsere Jupp och jeistig alles drop hätt.
Un dann die Wahnsinns-Zick als Robinson.
En singer eijene Welt, janz ob sich selvs jestellt.
Oh Mann, wer kann dat schon?

Jupp verzällt vum Joldrausch
un wie er Twist jedanz hätt met ner Cobra,
vun 'nem karierte Zebra,
dä blonde Fee uss Peking, namens Lola.
Nur vun Stalingraad, verzällt er nie.
"Wo litt dann Stalingrad, en welchem Land ess dat ?"
Stalingrad pack 'e nie, irjendwie.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: zmježd,

The Beatles released both She Loves You and I Wanna Hold Your Hand in German.

I for one won't feel patronised if you guys post translations as well .

(I do actually know the Rammstein one, but only because they're a top band, and I like to know what it is I'm headbanging to!)

How about a link to a site with a good translation. There are several different translations on the wb. This one explains the references as well.

Lol - that's the one I've been using! Great minds think alike, eh .

Were you at the gig last month, or had you already gone to Harrow? I got my ticket the day before on ebay, because when everyone else bought theirs I was ill and not sure if I'd be well enough in time. The gig was fab.

Nope. Never seen them. Just got the albums.

quote:

The Germans have been singing rock in German for a while.

Not according to Christian Thiele, who, as I said, lived there during the 80s. Here is a link to the article.

Old Joe
(from the Album Cut Outs)

At St Severin's Gate you meet him,
with his buddies and a huge bottle of lambrusco.
On the shopping bag he's carrying his stuff
in is the brand Eduscho.
Yeah, old Joe has set his sails high,
and he's taking you along, anyway he means to,
and he'll enjoy telling you a story.

The main program today is World Tour,
and every day he's told, what's happened to him.
Coconuts and pack-ice
and how he balanced over the equator.
And overall how many women he's known
and the knife fight in which he lost
the thumb on his right hand.

And once in Kathmandu,
where he played cards with a couple of Yetis.
And how a Negro blanched when
he saw how well endowed Joe was, brainwise, too.
And during his delirium as Robinson.
In his own world, all alone.
Oh, man, who's able to, already?

Old Joe talks about the Gold Rush
and how he danced the Twist with a cobra,
about a checked zebra,
the blond fairy from Peking by the name of Lola.
Only about Stalingrad, he never says a word.
"Where's Stalnigrad, in which country is that?"
Somehow, he's nevered come to terms with Stalingrad.

quote:

Not according to Christian Thiele, who, as I said, lived there during the 80s.

Well, according to me, who lived there in in the mid-'80s, there were many bands singing in German. And, as I said, they also sang in dialect. I have examples of singing in Bavarian, Colognish, and Swiss German. There were also many bands singing in English. Many of the hits in the '80s were in German. So, maybe Ms Thiele and I just hung out with different folks and listened to different music.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: zmježd,