I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Zwei, drei, vier, one, two, three, it's easy to see
But it's not that I don't care, so
'Cause I hear it all the time, but they never let you know
On the TV and the radio (cha!)
She was young, her heart was pure, but every night is bright she got
She said, "sugar is sweet", she come a-rappin' to the beat
Then I knew that she was hot
She was singin'
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja, ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
You're in his eye and you'll know why
The more you live, the faster you will die
Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?
She said, "Babe, you know I miss Jill and Joe
And all my funky friends"
But my street understanding was just enough to know what she really meant
And I got to thinking while she was talking
That I know she told the story
Of those special places that she goes
When she rides with the others in the subway singin'
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
And if he talks to you and you don't know why
You say your life is gonna make you die
Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?
(Cha, cha, cha, cha, cha, cha)
(Cha, cha, cha, cha, cha, cha)
(Cha, cha, cha, cha, cha, cha)
(Cha, cha, cha, cha, cha, cha)
Well, we meet Jill and Joe and brother Herr with the whole cool gang and, oh
They're rappin' here, they're rappin' there, but she's climbin' on the wall
It's a clear case, Herr Kommissar
'Cause all the children know
They're all slidin' down into the valley
They're all slipping on the same snow
Hear the children
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
He's got the power and you're so weak
And your frustration will not let you speak
La, la, la, la, la, la
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
And if he talks to you, then you'll know why
The more you live, the faster you will die
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
(Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?)
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
But it's not that I don't care, so
'Cause I hear it all the time, but they never let you know
On the TV and the radio (cha!)
She was young, her heart was pure, but every night is bright she got
She said, "sugar is sweet", she come a-rappin' to the beat
Then I knew that she was hot
She was singin'
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja, ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
You're in his eye and you'll know why
The more you live, the faster you will die
Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?
She said, "Babe, you know I miss Jill and Joe
And all my funky friends"
But my street understanding was just enough to know what she really meant
And I got to thinking while she was talking
That I know she told the story
Of those special places that she goes
When she rides with the others in the subway singin'
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
And if he talks to you and you don't know why
You say your life is gonna make you die
Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?
(Cha, cha, cha, cha, cha, cha)
(Cha, cha, cha, cha, cha, cha)
(Cha, cha, cha, cha, cha, cha)
(Cha, cha, cha, cha, cha, cha)
Well, we meet Jill and Joe and brother Herr with the whole cool gang and, oh
They're rappin' here, they're rappin' there, but she's climbin' on the wall
It's a clear case, Herr Kommissar
'Cause all the children know
They're all slidin' down into the valley
They're all slipping on the same snow
Hear the children
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
He's got the power and you're so weak
And your frustration will not let you speak
La, la, la, la, la, la
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
And if he talks to you, then you'll know why
The more you live, the faster you will die
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
(Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?)
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
(Ja ja) Der Kommissar's in town, whoa oh oh
Lyrics submitted by numb, edited by itsyourete
Der Kommissar Lyrics as written by Robert Ponger Andrew Piercy
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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it's kind of interesting how you can translate a song pretty accurately and just by leaving out or changing one or two lines completely obscure the meaning.
translation: She was young her heart was pure But every night night is bright she got (?)
original: Jah, sie war jung,/ Yeah, she was young Das Herz so rein und weiß/ Her heart so pure and white Und jede Nacht hat ihren Preis,/ And every night she had her price
translation: And I got to thinking while she was talking That I know she told the story
original: Ich überleg' bei mir, / I think about it Ihr' Nas'n spricht dafür,/ Her nose is an argument in its favor (or: her nose is demanding it)
and herforder already translated the line about the snow we're all skiing downhill on.
Oh, and in general: "Kommissar" is (among other things) a rank of police officer. "Alles klar, Herr Kommissar" is like a sarcastic/respectful "Everything ok, officer?" to a cop
given that falco also sang a song called "mom, the man with the coke is here" and died in a car crash while supposedly doped up on alcohol, cocaine and marijuana, cocaine seems a pretty safe interpretive bet.
It's actually "Every night, it's price she got"
@jalopy Thanks for the insight. I've been going down memory lane, listening a lot of 80s music I'd not heard in years, and was suddenly struck by the fact that I had no idea what this awesome song was about. My few years of German weren't enough to lead me to the coke reference. Great insight into the song.