May I introduce my favorite German band: “Wir sind Helden”, which translates to “We are Heroes” and is a quote from the famous David Bowie song “Heroes”. When they hit the market five years ago, they single handedly made German lyrics in pop music possible again. Their musical style is plain, laidback pop, similar to the late “Neue Deutsche Welle”. All lyrics are written by Judith Holofernes and their wit, creativity and intelligence are simply not translatable.
I’ll do it anyway! The song in the video above is called “Finally a reason to panic!” Here are some snippets from other songs I like:
You don’t Recognize Me Anymore
...Everything tired and old
And I’m painting us like outlines with chalk on asphalt
You don’t recognize me anymore (3x)
Unrecognized.
over there in the park,
I’ve burned my clothes.
I don’t recognize me anymore
It’s just my heart that still beats
And I lift up my arms to see if the warm air of night could carry me
You don’t recognize me anymore (3x)
Unrecognized.
I’m flying to the end of the city
To the end of the world
And over the brink…
We’ve Come to Stay
They say: The higher they’ll climb,
The dumber they fall.
So damn upstart,
And still standing tall.
You say: “What’s as successful as this,
Has to come down – please”
I’ll cancel this downfall
Without even looking down.
We’re not leaving but if we would leave
We’d leave in slices.
I’m sorry – but like I said
We’ve come here to stay!
We’ve come here to stay,
We won’t leave anymore.
We’ve come here to stay,
Like a perfect blotch.
We’ve come here to stay,
We won’t leave anymore.
If this blotch is on your trousers,
You can’t rub it out anymore.
I’m sorry – but like I said
We’ve come here to stay!
And you sing thank you and good-bye…
The Complaint
My voice against the whole talk-show nation,
My fists for a tired alleluia and beans,
My teeth against your tame revolution,
Visions against the total television.
It was a sellout, a bargain, a special offer:
“Swap your silly old life against a new version”
I had just tried it out at home, when I already knew
That product is out of order – now this is my complaint:
I don’t trade anymore. I want my life back! (3x)
Hello, I want my life back! (2x)
Hello, hello, I want my life back! (2x)
Hello, I admit I was delighted at first,
But your life only does not pinch and squeeze
If one bends!
You can find more information about them at the official Wir Sind Helden homepage or even in the English Wikipedia. You can even buy their records at Amazon. For example their latest CD Soundso
And here are some links to other videos: A concert in an elevator. Interview. (English) Denkmal and The Geek shall Inherit the Earth.
Related at the In-Sect: Vitas – Russian Superstar, Matthieu Chedid is ‘M’, Go Go Nana Ichi Hachi Hachi, Real Originality: Andrew Thompson, God Bless Tiny Tim!.
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