So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
A small human only pretends to die
it wanted to be completely alone
the small heart stood still for hours
so they decided it was dead
it is being buried in wet sand
with a music box in its hand
The first snow covers the grave
it woke the child very softly
in a cold winter night
the small heart is awakened
As the frost flew into the child
it wound up the music box
a melody in the wind
and the child sings from the ground
Up and down, rider **
and no angel climbs down
my heart does not beat anymore
only the rain cries on the grave
up and down, rider
a melody in the wind
my heart does not beat anymore
and the child sings from the ground
The cold moon, in full magnificence
it hears the cries in the night
and no angel climbs down
only the rain cries on the grave
Between hard oak boards
it will play with the music box
a melody in the wind
and the child sings from the ground
Up and down, rider
and no angel climbs down
my heart does not beat anymore
only the rain cries on the grave
up and down, rider
a melody in the wind
my heart does not beat anymore
and the child sings from the ground
Up and down, rider
my heart does not beat anymore
On Totensonntag they heard
this melody from god's field
then they unearthed it
they saved the small heart in the child
Up and down, rider
a melody in the wind
my heart does not beat anymore
and the child sings on the ground
up and down, rider
and no angel climbs down
my heart does not beat anymore
only the rain cries on the grave
it wanted to be completely alone
the small heart stood still for hours
so they decided it was dead
it is being buried in wet sand
with a music box in its hand
The first snow covers the grave
it woke the child very softly
in a cold winter night
the small heart is awakened
As the frost flew into the child
it wound up the music box
a melody in the wind
and the child sings from the ground
Up and down, rider **
and no angel climbs down
my heart does not beat anymore
only the rain cries on the grave
up and down, rider
a melody in the wind
my heart does not beat anymore
and the child sings from the ground
The cold moon, in full magnificence
it hears the cries in the night
and no angel climbs down
only the rain cries on the grave
Between hard oak boards
it will play with the music box
a melody in the wind
and the child sings from the ground
Up and down, rider
and no angel climbs down
my heart does not beat anymore
only the rain cries on the grave
up and down, rider
a melody in the wind
my heart does not beat anymore
and the child sings from the ground
Up and down, rider
my heart does not beat anymore
On Totensonntag they heard
this melody from god's field
then they unearthed it
they saved the small heart in the child
Up and down, rider
a melody in the wind
my heart does not beat anymore
and the child sings on the ground
up and down, rider
and no angel climbs down
my heart does not beat anymore
only the rain cries on the grave
Lyrics submitted by John M
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I don't really care what this song is about this is one of my all time faves myself, I love how it starts out with till just speaking, it sounds like he is telling a story and little kira (the girl that sings in this, richard's kid) is sitting on his lap, and its the first heavy metal use of a musicbox sound ever :p
@LadyMage and most of us listeners always find our own meanings in music. It is an amazing song really. Even with the true meaning. Til's voice is like nothing I can put into words Saying his voice is amazing and all that just doesn't seem to express what I truly think of his voice... He can sing if the most atrocious things but the way he does and his sound just wraps around my heart and head and <br /> squeezes with each pitch.
I agree with LadyMarge, who cares what it is about. Anyways, I love the way the guitar copies the keyboard/music box (whatever it is) riff in the middle of the song. It rocks
c'mon guys!!! this is a great song!!! y no comments????? totally awsum!!!
but what the fuck is it about?
This is one of my favorite songs..... surpirsed no one comments on it... wait no I'm not... cause mostly n00bs comment.... (n00bie1423: "Du Hast means 'You Hate' the fucking english fucking translation fucking says it I'll fucking send it you via fucking e-mail have a nice fucking day) GOD I hate n00bs.... anywho this song is simply a cool song about a girl who they thought was dead, but was finnaly happy because she had the world to herself...so she sang.... NOTE: I have no clue why this guy added "yes" to the end of the girl;'s lines..... because that's not how it is..... odd and several other mistakes as well.... I'll post the true lyrics....
Umm, "Du hast" Meens "You have."<br /> "Du hasst" meens you hate. Cheers. <br />
@Thauglor du hast means "you have".... Not "you hate"
This song is about a story told in Germany about a young boy who is buried alive. He had a music box with him that played a popular childrens' tuen at the time. (the music box tune played through the song) And he played it again and again and again after he woke up because there was no other way to be heard and no one to comfort him. Finally a week later when everyone came to visit the grave someone heard it playing and he was unearthed, half dead. At least--that's what my friend's German wife tells me. ;)
@katarica so maybe Til's intended meaning is that the music saved him. The boy must be terribly depressed, sitting quietly, hiding from people and in the deepest throws of despair the music saves him..... Just a theory.
ladyMage is right about one thing it is sung like till is telling a story, i think that was intended cos "Hoppe hoppe Reiter" which is the "up and down rider" is from a german kids song:
Up and down, rider if he falls, then he cries out up and down, rider if he falls, then he cries out if he falls into the marsh then the rider makes a plop Up and down, rider if he falls, then he cries out if he falls onto the rocks then his legs cause him pain if he falls in the marsh then the rider makes a plop
Up and down, rider if he falls, then he cries out if he falls into the ditch then the ravens devour him if he falls in the marsh then the rider makes a plop
that is an english translation of the kids song.
What the heck is wrong with you people, you don't care what the song is about? Then what the fcuk is your reason for liking it? You like the way it SOUNDS? That's it? Then you need to shut up when you are at a site called songMEANINGS. God...
to me this song says a lot about childhood, it potrays the innocence of children, I love it how Till can write a song to tell about a story in a poetic way but still keeps the rhythm in it that makes us feel as though he's actually telling us a story and not just "writing another song".
So it starts off describing this child as a "small human" which is perfect cause then the song is referring to another human being even if its a child. I like to think "eine melodie im wind" as the hope of that child as he plays the music box like a symbol of his innocence cause he wanted to be alone and was merely misunderstood. The lyrics somehow tell u an actual story and u tend to interpret it literally but its too good a song to interpret just literally, so when Till wrote "so they decided it was dead/it is being buried in wet sand" for me it means that a child is mistaken only because he is a child and mostly people would think childrens views are silly and so its not understood. I mean i can relate this to how i was like when i was a small you have dreams and fantasies and people around you tend to ignore them. "Between hard oak boards, it will play with the music box" tells me that the echos of the tune is heard and it surrounds the loneliness of the child. and the best thing that supports this part of lyrics above is Flake's keyboard sound thing during the song!
wow, I gotta say, this is a poor translation of this song. Please check out the band's website for the Jeremy Williams translations, they are much better. btw, Mensch is better translated as person, and is used more commonly in the german language than in english. So my understanding of this song is this: a small child is put to rest, although his soul seems to remain. This spirit is portrayed perfectly as a child singing a children's song. It is obvious that the soul is not ascending to heaven (und kein Engel steigt herab) and the fact that no one is 'crying' on the grave gives a feeling of loneliness. As the song nears it's ending, someone finally hears the child and saves it. At this point it becomes apparent that the child is being used metaphorically, to show that although a person might want to be alone, he/she might find him/herself lonely and afraid, especially of death. Rammstein's clever way of changing the song's meaning at the very end. Definately one of my favorites though :P