Rammstein's Pedigree

Rammstein defies pigeonholing. They're not straight Metal with those dance beats, they're too industrial to be Dance, they sing love songs that sound like love songs (I defy any balladeer to outdo Ohne Dich for heart-rending emotion), and they're very sure of themselves. I think Metal raped Dance and the spawn of that unlikely coupling is Rammstein. The gentler songs are a little out there, but they're very good at them, so we'll just assume a freak mutation causes those.

What are they? If you have to put them into a genre then we need a new one: Industrial Love Dance? I think they should just stay unclassified, or simply be a class unto themselves. The genre is Rammstein...

[discuss]

LILT: Rein Raus 2.1

I've done more work on the "I'm finished" verse :

I am the rider
You are my mount
When I'm on you
Your fate is bound
You moan
I soothe you
But the beast rampages through

Rein Raus

I am the hunter
You are my prey
I had you running
Now you're at bay
You hit the wall
I go straight through
And all is right when I open you

Rein Raus

Deeper, deeper
Shout it! Shout it loud!
Deeper, deeper
I'm there pounding, and hit your core
And all the thunderous beasts start to roar

I'm finished with you
You're now free
I dismount
I have to leave
Others wait that I must run
All're in my ceaseless hunt

Rein raus

Rein (deeper)
Raus (deeper)

[I am the rider
You are my horse
When I take you
It's done by force
You sob
I smile
As your gentleness was never my style]

[discuss]

LILT: Zerstören 1.3

I've sorted out the lines i didn't like, though I'm not 100% sure about the changes:

I look after my own turf
But break down yours to rock and dirt
Consuming, entombing
Defacing, and wasting
From inside me a great greed sings
I feel the need to ruin things
I'm the destroyer
All my care is just a scam
I'm the destroyer
I will take all that I can

Mine!

It's so insane you have this much
I want to have all that you touch
I'm ripping, and stripping
I'm spitting, and kicking
I'm 'here to help', don't make a sound
I'm the police, don't hang around
I'm wrecking, dissecting, rejecting
Destroying
All my care is just a scam
I'm the destroyer
I will take all that I can

Mine!

In me there is a better side
but he's along for the ride
I really want to tap your line
When I'm done it will be mine
I'm the destroyer
All my care is just a scam
I'm the destroyer
I will take all that I can

Mine!

I'm ripping, and stripping
I'm taking, and breaking
I'm tearing, and searing
I'm wrecking, dissecting
I'm crashing, and smashing
I'm rending, and bending
Defacing, and wasting
I'm spitting, and kicking

Er traf ein Mädchen, das war blind
Geteiltes Leid und gleichgesinnt
Sah einen Stern vom Himmel gehen
Und wünschte sich sie könnte sehn

Sie hat die Augen aufgemacht
Verließ ihn noch zur selben Nacht

[discuss]

LYRICS: Zerstören 1.2

Shifting Zerstören from a basic street hooligan to a global decimator isn't actually that much of a stretch. The US under GWB was the worst sort of vandal:

I look after my own turf
But break down yours to rock and dirt
Consuming, entombing
Defacing, and wasting
From inside me a great greed sings
I feel the need to ruin things
I'm the destroyer
All my care is just a scam
I'm the destroyer
I will take all that I can

Mine!

It's so insane you have so much
I will wreck all that you touch
I'm ripping, and stripping
I'm spitting, and kicking
I'm 'here to help', don't make a sound
I'm the police, don't hang around
I'm wrecking, dissecting, rejecting
Destroyer
All my care is just a scam
I'm the destroyer
I will take all that I can

Mine!

I really want to fuck you up
I'm your worst kind of luck
In me there's a better side
but he's along for the ride
I'm the destroyer
All my care is just a scam
I'm the destroyer
I will take all that I can

Mine!

I'm ripping, and stripping
I'm taking, and breaking
I'm tearing, and searing
I'm wrecking, dissecting
I'm crashing, and smashing
I'm rending, and bending
Defacing, and wasting
I'm spitting, and kicking

Er traf ein Mädchen, das war blind
Geteiltes Leid und gleichgesinnt
Sah einen Stern vom Himmel gehen
Und wünschte sich sie könnte sehn

Sie hat die Augen aufgemacht
Verließ ihn noch zur selben Nacht

[discuss]

I'll keep working on it. I'll be working more on the 'I really want to fuck you up, I'm your worst kind of luck' bit further at any rate.

Zerstören in Iraq

Rammchick has passed on some information I didn't have previously, which I find is all over the place. Thanks for the heads up.

I'll take any excuse to rip Bush a new one, and this song now becomes much more sympathetic to me. Suddenly my yellow streak seems more appropriate. I'm not putting it back in, but I will be putting a lot more work into this piece now I have this information.

The Bush administration got away with murder and vandalism. During their reign I considered the US to be one of the bad guys, something I'd never done before. I welcome the information that this song, which describes a contemptible lack of respect for others, describes GWB and his cronies. It all makes sense to me now in a way it couldn't before.

I'll post a new draft of Zerstören when I can.

[discuss]

Update 1219hrs: Our anonymous poster is no longer anonymous :)

LILT: Zerstören 1.1

Yellow streak erased from Vandal:

I look after my own gear
But break all yours beyond repair
Annoying, destroying
Defacing, and wasting
From inside me the bad urge sings
I feel the need to ruin things
I am the vandal
I will wreck all that I can
I am the vandal
Wrecking things is what I am

Why

It's so insane you care that much
I will wreck all that you touch
I'm ripping, and stripping
I'm spitting, and kicking
If I had yours I'd keep it sound
I'm glad that you don't hang around
I'm wrecking, dissecting, rejecting
The vandal
I will wreck all that I can
I am the vandal
Wrecking things is what I am

Why

I really want to fuck you up
I'm your worst kind of luck
Inside me there's a better side
but he comes along for the ride
I am the vandal
I will wreck all that I can
I am the vandal
Wrecking things is what I am

Why

I'm ripping, and stripping
I'm taking, and breaking
I'm tearing, and searing
I'm wrecking, dissecting
I'm crashing, and smashing
I'm rending, and bending
Defacing, and wasting
I'm spitting, and kicking

Er traf ein Mädchen, das war blind
Geteiltes Leid und gleichgesinnt
Sah einen Stern vom Himmel gehen
Und wünschte sich sie könnte sehn

Sie hat die Augen aufgemacht
Verließ ihn noch zur selben Nacht

[discuss]

Vandal

I want to add a small piece of background to my work on Zerstören, because I have added a tint to the song that isn't in the original, and that should be addressed.

The cowardice of my vandal does not necessarily fit with the Destroyer of the German version. I'm pretty sure the original is about vandalism, but the 'if I can get away with it' detail is entirely fabricated by me. I'm sure a lot of vandals are more blatant than mine, and I'm pretty sure Lindemann had no intent to convey this yellow streak in his song. His lyrics are more about the angst and the fury, whereas mine have that added this colouring of not caring to get caught.

It's the 'if I can get away' lines that add this. I will change them soon to remove this aspect of the story, as it's not true to the Rammstein song. This does go against my original intent with Lilt, so it's bugging me.

[discuss]

LILT: Zerstören 1.0

I started this one thinking it'd be easy, but it's been a bit tricky. Note that I've left the lullaby at the end in German. I don't plan to change this. The source material is here. My version of this song is called 'Vandal':

I look after my own gear
But break all yours beyond repair
Annoying, destroying
Defacing, and wasting
From where I sit you live like kings
I feel the need to ruin things
I am a vandal
But only if I'll get away
I am a vandal
Only if I'll get away with it

Why

It's so unfair you have so much
I will wreck all that you touch
I'm ripping, and stripping
I'm spitting, and kicking
If I had yours I'd keep it sound
I'm glad that you don't hang around
I'm wrecking, dissecting, rejecting
A vandal
But only if I'll get away
I am a vandal
Only if I'll get away with it

Why

I really want to fuck your day
But only if I'll get away
Inside me there's a better side
but he comes along for the ride
I am a vandal
But only if I'll get away
I am a vandal
Only if I'll get away with it

Why

I'm ripping, and stripping
I'm taking, and breaking
I'm tearing, and searing
I'm wrecking, dissecting
I'm crashing, and smashing
I'm rending, and bending
Defacing, and wasting
I'm spitting, and kicking

Er traf ein Mädchen, das war blind
Geteiltes Leid und gleichgesinnt
Sah einen Stern vom Himmel gehen
Und wünschte sich sie könnte sehn

Sie hat die Augen aufgemacht
Verließ ihn noch zur selben Nacht

It's been a good day. I'll work on this some more soon.

[discuss]

LILT: Rein Raus 2.0

I've also taken on board Drax's ideas with Rein Raus:

I am the rider
You are my mount
When I'm on you
Your fate is bound
You moan
I soothe you
But the beast rampages through

Rein Raus

I am the hunter
You are my prey
I had you running
Now you're at bay
You hit the wall
I go straight through
And all is right when I open you

Rein Raus

Deeper, deeper
Shout it! Shout it loud!
Deeper, deeper
I'm there pounding, and hit your core
And all the thunderous beasts start to roar

I'm finished with you
You're now free
I dismount
I have to leave
There are others waiting that I must run
They're all part of my eternal hunt

Rein raus

Rein (deeper)
Raus (deeper)

[I am the rider
You are my horse
When I take you
It's done by force
You sob
I smile
As your gentleness was never my style]

[discuss]

I originally had that 'Shout it loud!' in the first draft and replaced it, so that's one we were always going to agree on. The 'And all the thunderous beasts start to roar' line isn't quite what he suggested, but only because I replaced his offered 'begin' with 'start'.

Moral: This kind of support is worth more to a composer/creator/writer/artist/etc. than anything else. Note to those of you who don't take constructive criticism well: never turn down help, even if it means (god forbid) losing the perception that you can do no wrong.

LILT: Feuer & Wasser 2.0

Drax from the Herzeleid forums has very kindly tried my lyrics on for size, and has come up with some excellent alterations that ensure the words track better when sung. I'm edgy about line one and haven't changed that yet, but I've adopted all of his suggestions past that:

Her breaststroke's beauty to behold
It lets me see into her soul
I'm overtaken by her allure
I pursue a longed-for overture
From her loin comes a great heat
It explodes and then retreats

Fire and water can never be one
There's no fusion, they will not succumb
I have to shiver and seethe alone
And in the water I'm burned
In water I'm burned

Wet skin's beauty to behold
It vows to swallow and enfold
As her long legs move apart
The darkest cavern of her heart
Reveals to me her shadowed fire
An icy abyss for my desire

She glides by me without a glance
I'm her shadow, without a chance
I have no hope left and should have none, 'cause

Fire and water can never be one
There's no fusion, they will not succumb
I have to shiver and seethe alone
And in the water I'm burned
In water I'm burned

Her strokes cause waves that surge right through me
Yet every move from her eschews me
I reach for her with cold wet hands
And she will forever elude me
Understand

Fire and water can never be one
There's no fusion, they will not succumb
I have to shiver and seethe alone
And in the water I'm burned
In water I'm burned

[discuss]

He's also sent me advice about Rein Raus, which I'll go over shortly. This kind of feedback is priceless. Thanks Drax!

LILT: Feuer & Wasser 1.1

I don't know. I need to sleep on this, but I think I'm close to done with Feuer und Wasser. I may need to polish it, as I'm sure tomorrow I'll find grinding rhythmic problems, but I'm pretty happy with the imagery so far:

Her breaststroke's beauty to behold
It lets me see into her soul
I'm overtaken by her allure
I pursue a longed-for overture
From her loin comes a great heat
It's explosive and then retreats

Fire and water can never be one
There's no fusion, they will not succumb
I have to shiver and seethe all alone
And in the water I'm burned
In the water I'm burned

Wet skin's beauty to behold
It vows to swallow and enfold
As her long legs move apart
The darkest cavern of her heart
Reveals to me her shadowed fire
An icy abyss for my desire

She glides by me without a glance
I'm shadow to her light, without a chance
I have no hope left and should have done, as

Fire and water can never be one
There's no fusion, they will not succumb
I have to shiver and seethe all alone
And in the water I'm burned
In the water I'm burned

Her strokes cause waves that surge through me
Yet every move from her eschews me
I reach for her with cold wet hands
And she will forever elude me
Understand

Fire and water can never be one
There's no fusion, they will not succumb
I have to shiver and seethe all alone
And in the water I'm burned
In the water I'm burned

[discuss]

I'm seriously impressed by this song, and the imagery, as I've said, really zings for me. I've nailed down what I get from Feuer und Wasser. Hopefully I've done the same for you.

Thank you Mr Lindemann!

Thank You Jeremy

The translations I'm working from are absolutely brilliant. Intricacies from the original German are explained really well. I can't incorporate many of these into my own work, because what is clever in German is merely clumsy in English much of the time, but having an idea of the tricks Lindemann is using offers insight into the ideas behind the words.

Like all poetry these pieces are highly euphemistic, and that could be a big stumbling block in a direct translation if the translator didn't have a solid grasp of colloquialisms, wordplay, and punning. Jeremy's masterful work is incredibly useful to me. I can use my own appropriate euphemisms because I know what's behind the original work, and I can balance that with good meter and imagery.

I don't have a way to contact Jeremy directly, as I only have his contact form on his site as a point of inferface, but I hope he gets to read this, so he knows what a powerful tool he's given me with his work on Rammstein's lyrics.

I like the original material. I also like the prose that links that and my own efforts. I offer a toast to the the intardweb as a major portal to the minds of others!

[discuss]

LILT: Fire & Water 1.0

I'm got a somewhat embryonic draft of verse one down. There's a lot to get across, so this is a good challenge:

Her breaststroke's beauty to behold
It lets me see into her soul
I'm overtaken by her allure
I pursue a longed-for overture
From her loin comes a great heat
It's explosive and then retreats

Fire and water can never be one
There's no fusion, they will not succumb
I have to shiver and seethe all alone
And in the water I'm burned
In the water I'm burned

Wet skin's a beauty to behold
It vows to swallow and enfold
As her long legs move apart
The darkest cavern of her heart
Reveals to me her shadowed fire
An icy abyss for my desire

She glides by me without a glance
I'm shadow to her light, without a chance
I have no hope left and should have done, as

Fire and water can never be one
There's no fusion, they will not succumb
I have to shiver and seethe all alone
And in the water I'm burned
In the water I'm burned

[discuss]

Changes to this are inevitable, but it's a start. More verses to come...

Update 1057hrs: Added a second verse. This is all loaded with euphemisms. I'm sure you can tell ;)

Update 1132hrs: and another bit...

Feuer & Wasser

I'm just starting work on Feuer und Wasser. I love this one because it seems to extol those of us who aren't fortunate enough to have external genitals, as well as to bemoan us, and because it uses really solid imagery to do so.

When I listen to this song I imagine dark, cold water, viewed as a swimmer, and an elusive female form flaring light and warmth, just out of reach.

Unrequited love (or lust) can be either a very positive or a very negative thing, depending on your attitude. To someone who sees the glass as half empty it's gut-wrenching, and frustrating, and agonising. There's no positive. It's just deprivation leading to resentment. It's not a healthy thing.

To someone who sees the glass as half full it can be very positive. There's the basis for a very healthy fantasy life (so long as you know how to separate fantasy from reality) in there. There's also a challenge to try and overcome (carefully so as to avoid becoming a stalker).

If the subject of your unrequited feelings is worth knowing then there's a careful balancing act in maintaining a positive relationship with them, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Self-restraint has to be used. This isn't something that comes naturally to human beings. Impulse control is not the norm, as our over-consuming society is testament to. Unrequited feelings can teach you to exercise impulse control. That's a good thing.

I have no idea how quickly I'll be able to post a draft of this piece, but I'll post as soon as I have anything that isn't shit.

Off-topic, I really want the new album. Patience isn't a virtue I possess. I gather it's coming later in the year, which is really frustrating. At least they've got the bulk of it in the can. Now we just need them to make it shiny!

[discuss]

LILT: Rein Raus 1.1 + Switch

As ever, source is here.

I am the rider
You are my mount
When I'm on you
Your fate is bound
So you moan
I soothe you
But the beast rampages through

Rein Raus

I am the hunter
You are my prey
I had you running
Now you're at bay
You hit the wall
I go straight through
And all is right when I open you

Rein Raus

Deeper, deeper
Shout it! Shout mercy!
Deeper, deeper
I'm there pounding, and hit your core
And all of the thunderous beasts roar

I'm finished with you
You're now free
I dismount
I have to leave
There are others waiting that I must run
They're all part of my eternal hunt

Rein raus

Rein (deeper)
Raus (deeper)

[I am the rider
You are my horse
When I take you
It's done by force
You sob
I smile
As your gentleness was never my style]

[discuss]

I think I'm going to take a break on Rein Raus now, and pick up another song to work on for a bit. Rein Raus is hardening into difficult rhythms I can't loosen up, and time out from it should help.

Not Worth Reading

I am not into kink. Nor am I a sado-masochist. Nor am I personally acquainted with the sexual proclivities of Till Lindemann, or anyone else in the band. Their preferences and mine are not really relevant here.

I think I have a fairly healthy attitude to sex. This enables me to sympathise with people who favour sexual antics that I don't partake of myself, without judgement. I don't consider myself the be-all and end-all, so I'm aware that people get off on subject matter and situations that I don't find stimulating, and there's nothing wrong with that. I am simply able to use my imagination to render imagery that conveys certain messages.

Obviously there are lines I draw in the sand and choose not to cross. There has to be a limit somewhere, or we find ourselves in the antisocial or pathological areas where things just aren't 'right' by the standards we live with. Between consenting adults I think there is virtually no limit though. Sex is a very personal thing, and if you're an exhibitionist it's also very public (ha ha ha).

Anyone reading or listening to Rammstein's work, or mine, has to understand that poetic work does not necessarily represent the values or habits of those involved in its creation.

Realise that these lyrics do not make me or the band shitheads, even if you don't like the messages in the work, be they explicit or imagined. Suspend your disbelief to appreciate what the words convey, but don't take it so seriously that you start labelling the composers, or the adaptor in my case. You don't know me, and neither you or I know Rammstein. The message is not personal.

I'm posting this somewhat disclaimer-like piece because I am aware that fans of the more rabid type can easily feel they have a level of intimacy with and knowledge about their idols that simply doesn't exist in reality. That's an artifact of information-gathering. If you spend enough time and energy accumulating knowledge, be it real or fictional, about a public figure you begin to feel you have a relationship with the subject. This is NOT REAL. Don't project or assume where there are no grounds to do so.

I hope you, my small and hopefully growing readership, enjoy what I'm doing here, and that my work becomes more and more worthy of your attention. I also hope you will realise that tongue is firmly planted in cheek (no, not that cheek), and that this is entertainment, rather than a grand declaration of intent or fact.

Enjoy.

[discuss]

Update 1613hrs: Fuck, what a load of wordy crap that was. It's all true, but did I need to post that completely bloated cluster-fuck of explanation? No. Eh, who cares? Updated the post title to indicate pointlessness of this post.

The Voice

It has struck me before that any cover of a Rammstein song, be it executed in German or using my English version, or someone else's, will never quite measure up without The Voice. Since I've been working on Rein Raus that idea has become more insistent. I guess that's the beauty (and the pain for cover bands) of having such an outstanding vocalist. Lindemann in full voice is spectacular, and even when he's growling he's outstanding. Rammstein does defy imitation, both in their music and their stage shows.

[discuss]

LILT: More Rein Raus

As before, source is here.

I am the rider
You are the horse
When I have you
It's done by force
You sob
I smile
As your gentleness was never my style

[discuss]

Update 20090323 1241hrs: I'd like to add to this that this alternative verse implies an element of violence that the original lyrics don't necessarily convey. As previously noted there are a lot of possible inferences drawn from Rammstein lyrics that may or may not have been intended by the original author. I don't include this verse as a final part of my adaption of Rein Raus, but as an addendum that a performer or listener might include as part of the whole should they interpret the song to be about the more brutal aspects of casual sex.

The overall story told in the original German lyrics is one of fucking. If you take more from it, as I think I do, then by all means keep this verse in, but it's not a fixture. Nor is it final. Once again I've fallen over on the rhythmic aspect here, and will continue to work on it.

LILT: First Draft of Rein Raus

You can see the original German lyrics and the English translation here. What follows is early work from me:

REIN RAUS v.1.0 (copyright ©2009 Camilla Koutsos)

I am the rider
You are my mount
Once I'm on you
We keep the count
You tap the fount
You moan
I soothe you
Rampaging beast through a tiny tube

Rein Raus

I am the hunter
You are my prey
I had you running
You're now at bay
You hit the wall
I go straight through
Everything's good when I open you

Rein Raus

Deeper, deeper
Shout it! Shout for more!
Deeper, deeper
I'm there pounding, and hit your core
And the thunderous beasts all roar

I'm finished now
Apologies
I dismount
Have to leave
There are others that I must run
They're all part of my eternal hunt

Rein raus

Rein (deeper)
Raus (deeper)

[discuss]

I'm not happy with this. There are rhythmic hacks in there that don't flatter me, so keep in mind that this draft is a work-in-progress.

Update 1340hrs: struck line four and added replacement.

Mental Gymnastics

These lyrics are far from simple. They're made up of strata of word-play and clever metaphor. I wish I could get inside Till's head! I keep being struck by doubts about my ability to convey everything he does with the German lyrics, and it gives me pause.

As previously mentioned, I've started with Rein Raus. This is primarily because I love the rhythm of the lyrics. That aspect of the music is pronounced too for fairly obvious reasons, but the flow of words is what really gets me. It's also because these lyrics are more obvious than those from other songs. I have to start gently.

I'm going to have to dramatically change some of the imagery used, because English simply can't build the same images and work poetically. If I had more insight into Till's intent I could be much more confident in my own work. Oh how I wish the man had an online journal!

[Note that I don't use the word 'blog'. I have issues with that word. It's ugly.]

There are fairly blatant themes, such as the fact that it's about sex, possibly kink as well, and definitely a lack of real affection for the subject. I almost used the word 'victim' there, but I think the implication is that she (or possibly he) is not a victim of the sex itself, but could possibly be one of the heartless fucker the lyrics speak for.

[discuss]

First: Rein Raus

I've bought two of the Rammstein concert DVDs, and I've noticed a definite set of roles these guys adopt in their live shows.

Till very quickly establishes himself as the sinister central character. It's all about domination and humour. He's scary as hell, and very brutal, but is also comical and appealing.

Richard and Paul are his henchman. They're equally wicked and fun, and are as prone to debauchery, but also let him take the lead. They work as a team.

Ollie is somehow untouchable. He's remote and relatively contained, and is like a sentinel watching the central three. He's still part of what they're doing though. He's still a bit sinister.

Schneider is completely different. While the four described already all seem couched in violence the drummer is almost angelic in comparison to them. He's more of a guardian, watching over the warriors. He's calling the beat, but not raising a weapon if you like. He's got clean hands.

Then there's Flake. He's wonderful, because he's the only band member representing natural prey for the others. Don't get me wrong, he's no pussy, but he's very definitely some kind of indomitable prey animal, like a rabbit buck. They may be food, but they can also explode into violence if they need to. Flake attracts all Till's displays of brutality, but shakes them off. He's no loser and no weakling.

The only thing missing is the passive soul. I don't suggest the band take on another member merely to round out their character-set, but I reckon the next stage show should include a woman. A silent, passive, blank woman, as a prop for Till's antics, and a pale, sympathetic foil to his vividly rendered dark demon. It's this woman that my ideas have centred around so far. I've had a lot of them. She's developed into quite an amazing piece of stage equipment!

Anyway, back on-topic, I've started work on my first draft of the Rein Raus poem/lyrics in English. I'll post it when I've completed the draft. All I'll say for now is I've kept the 'rein, raus' refrain in German, as the English 'in, out' lacks the symmetry and flow of the German, and quite frankly sounds dumb.

I'll post more as it comes to hand/mind.

[discuss]

The Mind is a Funny Thing

In the past couple of weeks I've been thinking a LOT about Rammstein. In the last 48 hours, since lyrics and meaning have come to the fore so much, I've been thinking about stage-show design. I've come up with all sorts of ideas for a Rammstein stage-show. Rammstein has become pretty pervasive in my head, right down to designing stunts for particular song types. I think Rammstein is tattooing itself all over my mind right about now. Mad!

[discuss]

Taking Words From Another

Sometimes you hear something said in a language you don't speak yourself, and it just works, even when it's meaningless due to a lack of comprehension. Sometimes just the flow and rhythm makes it into art, simply as the aesthetics of sound make it so.

I've found that I get huge amounts of amusement and pleasure from listening to the work of Rammstein, though it's almost entirely in German, and I don't speak German myself. The lyricist is a poet, and so comprehension is not necessary for enjoyment of the words. It also helps that I like the music itself, and that I could work out some of what was being sung (or threatened in the case of some songs).

I've found that a gentleman by the name of Jeremy Williams has published English translations of the lyrics of Rammstein's music. Note these are translations, not adaptions. They are not lyrical or poetic. They bring the words from one tongue to another, and are good prose in their own right.

Having read his translations, and those of others around the place, I've become even more appreciative of the lyrics. Very simply put the lyrics are brilliant, and as far as I know they're mainly written by Till Lindemann, the primary singer, hence the name of this page.

Many of the lyrics are tongue-in-cheek, and there's a screamingly in-your-face theme of love (and its siblings hate, lust, and resentment), but it's also really beautiful, even when it's deliberately provocative or brutal. Some songs are utterly blatant, such as Rein Raus, but others are really heavily layered with ambiguity and extra meaning, so it'll be pretty tricky to try and cover everything that might be taken from the German lyrics. It's also going to be close to impossible to work in German plays on words with English. I'm going to try really hard though!

I haven't heard back from Jeremy yet, but I have asked for permission to make use of his translations, as I attempt to take poetry translated and re-lyricise it.

I also contacted Rammstein's management firm to get their blessing, but they're also not responding. At this point I figure I'll just go ahead and if they don't like it maybe they'll finally get back to me. Nothing better for whipping people out of their lethargy than doing something they don't like, right?

I'll post my work here, though not Jeremy's translations. I like what he's done with Herzeleid.Com, and will not harm that by reproducing his work in that way.

With regard to the works of Rammstein, they are absolutely within their rights to shut me down. Until they do I hope I'm not doing them any harm and that whatever I come out with is enjoyed. What I'd really like is their approval, but the odds of them acknowledging me are slim to none.

More to come...

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