In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Check it out, yo
Two, three, four
Eins, zwei drei
Na, es is' nix dabei
Na, wenn ich eich erzähl' die G'schicht'
Nichts desto trotz
Ich bin es schon gewohnt
Im TV-Funk da läuft es nicht
Ja, sie war jung
Das Herz so rein und weiß
Und jede Nacht hat ihren Preis
Sie sagt: „Sugar Sweet
You got me rappin' to the heat!“
Ich verstehe, sie ist heiß
Sie sagt: „Babe, you know
I miss my funky friends“
Sie meint Jack und Joe und Jill
Mein Funkverständnis
Ja, das reicht zur Not
Ich überreiß, was sie jetzt will
Ich überleg' bei mir
Ihr Nas'n spricht dafür
Währenddessen ich noch rauch'
Die Special Places sind ihr wohlbekannt
Ich mein', sie fährt ja U-Bahn auch
Dort singen's
„Drah' di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh
Er wird di anschauen
Und du weißt warum
Die Lebenslust bringt dich um“
Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?
Hey wanna buy some stuff, man?
How did you ever rap that thing, Jack?
So rap it to the beat
Wir treffen Jill and Joe
Und dessen Bruder Hip
Und auch den Rest der coolen Gang
Sie rappen hin, sie rappen her
Dazwischen kratzen's ab die Wänd'
Dieser Fall ist klar
Lieber Herr Kommissar
Auch wenn sie and'rer Meinung sind
Den Schnee auf dem wir alle talwärts fahren
Kennt heute jedes Kind
Jetzt das Kinderlied
„Drah di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh
Er hat die Kraft und wir san klein und dumm
Und dieser Frust macht uns stumm“
„Drah di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh“
Wenn er di anspricht
Und du weißt warum
Sag eahm
Dein Leben bringt di um
Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?
„Drah di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh
Er hat die Kraft und wir san klein und dumm
Und dieser Frust macht uns stumm“
„Drah di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh“
Wenn er di anspricht
Und du weißt warum
Sag eahm
Dein Leben bringt dich um
La la la la la la
„Drah di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh“
„Drah di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh“
„Drah di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh“
Two, three, four
Eins, zwei drei
Na, es is' nix dabei
Na, wenn ich eich erzähl' die G'schicht'
Nichts desto trotz
Ich bin es schon gewohnt
Im TV-Funk da läuft es nicht
Ja, sie war jung
Das Herz so rein und weiß
Und jede Nacht hat ihren Preis
Sie sagt: „Sugar Sweet
You got me rappin' to the heat!“
Ich verstehe, sie ist heiß
Sie sagt: „Babe, you know
I miss my funky friends“
Sie meint Jack und Joe und Jill
Mein Funkverständnis
Ja, das reicht zur Not
Ich überreiß, was sie jetzt will
Ich überleg' bei mir
Ihr Nas'n spricht dafür
Währenddessen ich noch rauch'
Die Special Places sind ihr wohlbekannt
Ich mein', sie fährt ja U-Bahn auch
Dort singen's
„Drah' di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh
Er wird di anschauen
Und du weißt warum
Die Lebenslust bringt dich um“
Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?
Hey wanna buy some stuff, man?
How did you ever rap that thing, Jack?
So rap it to the beat
Wir treffen Jill and Joe
Und dessen Bruder Hip
Und auch den Rest der coolen Gang
Sie rappen hin, sie rappen her
Dazwischen kratzen's ab die Wänd'
Dieser Fall ist klar
Lieber Herr Kommissar
Auch wenn sie and'rer Meinung sind
Den Schnee auf dem wir alle talwärts fahren
Kennt heute jedes Kind
Jetzt das Kinderlied
„Drah di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh
Er hat die Kraft und wir san klein und dumm
Und dieser Frust macht uns stumm“
„Drah di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh“
Wenn er di anspricht
Und du weißt warum
Sag eahm
Dein Leben bringt di um
Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?
„Drah di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh
Er hat die Kraft und wir san klein und dumm
Und dieser Frust macht uns stumm“
„Drah di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh“
Wenn er di anspricht
Und du weißt warum
Sag eahm
Dein Leben bringt dich um
La la la la la la
„Drah di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh“
„Drah di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh“
„Drah di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um, oh oh oh“
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There are many hints in the song itself that indicate it is about cocaine. The words "snow" and all the talk about living fast that it will kill you and the police officer out to get you, etc.
This amazing 80s funk dance-pop gem is about drug use. If you dont speak German, it's hinted in the music video since he is humourously running away from a police car that is obviously a projected video. There is a better known, inferior english version by After the Fire.
R.I.P. Johann "Falco" Hölzel
Thank you for teaching me how to run from the police.
I only realized this song was about cocaine when i watched the video. Then i noticed the hints in the lyrics, with many references. Really clever. RIP Falco
@DassJennir \r\nThe funny things is, that there are even hidden hints in the lyrics. \r\n\r\nI\'m pretty sure that Falco sings "Ihr Nas\'n spricht dafür" and not "Ihr Nahsein spricht dafür" (he doesn\'t pronounce "sein", but "sen". Nahsein = being close, Nas\'n (Austrian accent) = nose. I guess it\'s about the sexual power of cocain.
The song is about the unnamed cokehead girl; Falco is just part of her crew. And the chorus is him still talking about her interaction with the cops, where she tries to pass for sober ("Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?"), fails hilarious, and goes on the run.
The video, on the other hand, is about Falco. He's the one who tries to play it straight for the cops and ends up getting chased by every cop car in Vienna. The girl is just a background character, to explain how he got into this situation.
Either way, it's still about coke, and about how the danger is part of what makes it thrilling. But by making it more first-person, I think the video makes it work even better. Or maybe it's just that his face as he gets himself ready for the "alles klar" line is the funniest thing in any music video ever.
Everyone's probably seen the official video for this song, but it's worth seeking out the others.
Falco appeared on various national clones of Top of the Pops, as with most popular European songs of the 80s. Many of them are just generic TotP-style performances, with Falco and his band lip syncing in front of trippy mirrors and video effects. But some of them, he tries to reproduce the video live, on a small stage, with no budget. I remember the Dutch one, the "police cars" in the background are replaced by blue lights shining through sheets on a laundry line.
But the best one of all—and unfortunately I don't remember the country—has him just walking around with a monkey for no apparent reason. (Touch my monkey! Liebe meine Abschminke!)
It's also worth looking for recordings of his festival performances. For one thing, getting the crowd to sing along with "cha! cha!" avoids the usual problem of half the audience not knowing the words and the other half being unable to carry the tune. And of course he's just a brilliant, energetic performer. But also, he usually throws in an extra chorus using After the Fire translation to English, which is odd the first time you hear it.