He is the only artist to score a #1 Hit in the U.S. with a German language song, and his albums and singles have sold about 60 million copies worldwide.
Early Years
Born in Vienna, studying at the Vienna Music Conservatory in 1977 which he left after one semester to pursue a career in music, he lived for a short time in West Berlin while singing in a jazz-rock band. When he returned to Vienna he was calling himself "Falco," reportedly in tribute to the East German ski jumper Falko Weißpflog, and playing in the Austrian bands Spinning Wheel and Hallucination Company. En route to becoming an international rock star in his own right, he was bass player in the Austrian hard rock-punk rock band Drahdiwaberl (from 1978 until 1983). With Drahdiwaberl he wrote and performed the song "Ganz Wien" which he would also include on his debut solo album Einzelhaft.
Individual success
Falco's first hit was "Der Kommissar" from the 1982 album Einzelhaft. A German language song about drug consumption that combines rap verses with a sung chorus, Falco's record was a number-one success in many countries but failed to break big in the U.S. The song, however, would prove to have a life of its own in two English-language versions. British Rock band After the Fire recorded an English cover version, loosely based on Falco's lyrics and also called "Der Kommissar" (with "uh-oh" and "alles klar Herr Kommissar" the only other lyrics held over from the original). This time, the song shot to number three in the United States (their only major hit there) in 1983, though it failed to crack the UK Top 40. The band - who had been together more than a decade - broke up almost immediately thereafter. That same year, American singer Laura Branigan recorded a version of the song with new English lyrics, under the title "Deep in the Dark" on her album Branigan 2.
After a second album, Junge Roemer, failed to provide a repeat to his debut single's success (outside of Austria and Germany, where the album topped the charts), Falco began to experiment with English lyrics in an effort to broaden his appeal, and chose a new production team. The result would be the most popular album and single of his career.
Falco recorded "Rock Me Amadeus" inspired in part by the Oscar-winning film Amadeus, and the song became a worldwide hit in 1986. This time, his record reached #1 in the U.S. and UK, bringing him the success that had eluded him in that major market a few years earlier. The song remained in the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and his album, Falco 3, fittingly peaked at the number three position on the Billboard album charts. Unheard of at the time for a white performer, much less a European one, the Austrian rapper's single climbed to the upper reaches of the Billboard Top R&B Singles Chart (only a few years earlier called the "Black Singles" chart), peaking at number 6. Falco 3 peaked at number 18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Ultimately, "Rock Me Amadeus" went to the #1 spot in over a dozen countries including the Soviet Union and Japan. Follow-up single "Vienna Calling" was another international pop hit, peaking at #18 of the Billboard Charts and #17 on the U.S. Cash Box Charts in 1986. A double A-side 12" single featuring remixes of those two hits peaked at #4 on the U.S. Dance/Disco charts.
"Jeanny" the third release from the album Falco 3, brought the performer back to the top of the charts across Europe. Highly controversial when it was released in Germany and the Netherlands, the story of "Jeanny" was told from the point of view of a rapist and possible murderer. Several DJs and radio stations refused to play the ballad, which was ignored in the U.S., although it became a huge hit in many European countries, and inspired two sequels on later albums.
In 1986, the album Emotional was released, produced by Rob and Ferdi Bolland (Bolland & Bolland). On the Album were "Coming Home (Jeanny Part 2, Ein Jahr danach)" and the song "Kamikaze Cappa" which was written as a tribute to the late photojournalist Robert Capa. "The Sound of Musik" was another international success, and a Top 20 U.S. Dance hit, though he failed to make the U.S. pop charts. He also went on "Emotional-Tour" which was a world tour where he ended up in Japan at 1987. In 1987, he sang a duet with Brigitte Nielsen "Body Next to Body" and the single was a Top 10 hit in the Germanic countries. The Album Wiener Blut was released in 1988 but it did not get much publicity outside Germany and Austria.
After "Jeanny," there were a number of European hits, but Falco was rarely heard in the U.S. and the UK. His 1992 U.S. comeback attempt, the album Nachtflug with the song "Titanic" won a number of awards, but failed to chart in America.
Death
Falco died of severe injuries received from a collision with a bus in his Mitsubishi Pajero near the city of Puerto Plata, in the Dominican Republic on 6 February 1998, just two weeks before his 41st birthday. While it was initially reported that the autopsy showed high blood levels of alcohol and cocaine, this was disputed. At the time of his death, he was working on a comeback into the music world.
He was buried in the Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) in Vienna, Austria.
Years active: 1974 -1998
Jeanny
Hurts & Falco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steh' auf, bitte
Du wirst ganz nass
Schon spät, komm'
Wir müssen weg hier
Raus aus dem Wald
Verstehst du nicht?
Wo ist dein Schuh?
Du hast ihn verloren
Als ich dir den Weg zeigen musste
Wer hat verloren?
Du, dich?
Ich mich?
Oder
Oder, wir uns?
Jeanny, quit livin' on dreams
Jeanny, life is not what it seems
Such a lonely little girl in a cold, cold world
There's someone who needs you
Jeanny, quit livin' on dreams
Jeanny, life is not what it seems
You're lost in the night
Don't wanna struggle and fight
There's someone who needs you (hey, babe)
Es ist kalt
Wir müssen weg hier, komm'
Dein Lippenstift ist verwischt
Du hast ihn gekauft und
Und ich habe es gesehen
Zuviel rot auf deinen Lippen
Und du hast gesagt: „Mach mich nicht an“
Aber du warst durchschaut
Augen sagen mehr als Worte
Du brauchst mich doch, hmm?
Alle wissen, dass wir zusammen sind ab heute
Jetzt hör' ich sie
Sie kommen
Sie kommen dich zu holen
Sie werden dich nicht finden
Niemand wird dich finden
Du bist bei mir
Jeanny (Jeanny), quit livin' on dreams
Jeanny (Jeanny), life is not what it seems
Such a lonely little girl in a cold, cold world
There's someone who needs you (there's someone who's gonna need you, baby)
Jeanny (Jeanny), quit livin' on dreams
Jeanny (Jeanny), life is not what it seems
You're lost in the night
Don't wanna struggle and fight
There's someone who needs you (there's someone who's gonna need you, baby)
(Na na, Jeanny)
„Newsflash
In den letzten Monaten
Ist die Zahl der vermissten Personen dramatisch angestiegen
Die jüngste Veröffentlichung der lokalen Polizeibehörde
Berichtet von einem weiteren tragischen Fall
Es handelt sich um ein neunzehnjähriges Mädchen
Das zuletzt vor vierzehn Tagen gesehen wurde
Die Polizei schließt die Möglichkeit nicht aus
Dass es sich hier um ein Verbrechen handelt“
Hey ah
As long as someone's gonna need you, babe, na na
Jeanny, quit livin' on dreams
Jeanny, Jeanny, Jeanny
You're lost in the night
Don't wanna struggle and fight
Just know, there's someone who's gonna need you, baby
Jeanny (Jeanny), quit livin' on dreams
Jeanny (Jeanny), life is not what it seems
Such a lonely little girl in a cold, cold world
There's someone who needs you (there's someone who's gonna need you)
Jeanny (Jeanny), quit livin' on dreams (quit living on dreams now)
Jeanny, life is not what it seems
You're lost in the night
Don't wanna struggle and fight
There's someone who's gonna need you
Jeanny (Jeanny), quit livin' on dreams
Jeanny (Jeanny), life is not what it seems
Such a lonely little girl in a cold, cold world (cold world)
There's someone who needs you (there's someone who's gonna need you)
Jeanny (Jeanny), quit livin' on dreams
The song, “Jeanny,” by Hurts and Falco, is a haunting and mysterious track that tells the story of a girl named Jeanny. The song begins with a sense of urgency as the singer, presumably the singer or someone trying to save Jeanny, implores her to get up and leave with him. They are in the woods and Jeanny seems confused, having lost her shoe. The singer then asks if they have both lost something or if it is only Jeanny. The lyrics then become more desperate as the singer tries to convince Jeanny that she needs him, that they are together, and that she will be safe with him. They are being pursued, as evidenced by the singer hearing “them” coming to take Jeanny away. The song ends with a news report about a missing 19-year-old girl, with the implication that Jeanny has been taken or gone missing.
The song’s lyrics are intentionally vague and ambiguous, leaving the listener to draw their own conclusions about who Jeanny is, who the singer is, and what has happened to Jeanny. Some have interpreted the song as a cautionary tale about the dangers of trusting someone who offers to save you or protect you. Others have read the song as a commentary on the media’s preoccupation with missing young women and the darker implications of those stories. Regardless of how one chooses to interpret the song, it is an incredible piece of music that captures a sense of urgency, desperation, and a creeping sense of dread.
Line by Line Meaning
Jeanny, komm', come on
Encouraging the girl named Jeanny to come along
Steh' auf, bitte
Asking Jeanny to stand up
Du wirst ganz nass
Noting that Jeanny is completely soaked
Schon spät, komm'
Urging Jeanny to hurry up as it's already late
Wir müssen weg hier
Suggesting that they need to leave soon
Raus aus dem Wald
Implying that they are currently in the forest and need to leave
Verstehst du nicht?
Asking if Jeanny understands
Wo ist dein Schuh?
Asking Jeanny about her lost shoe
Du hast ihn verloren
Acknowledging that she has indeed lost her shoe
Als ich dir den Weg zeigen musste
Recalling the time when he had to show her the way
Wer hat verloren?
Questioning who is responsible for losing something
Du, dich?
Suggesting that Jeanny might be the one who has lost something
Ich mich?
Questioning whether he might be the one who has lost something
Oder
Or
Oder, wir uns?
Asking whether both of them might have lost something
Jeanny, quit livin' on dreams
Telling Jeanny to stop living in her fantasies
Jeanny, life is not what it seems
Pointing out that real life is not like her dreams
Such a lonely little girl in a cold, cold world
Describing Jeanny as a lonely girl in a difficult world
There's someone who needs you
Telling Jeanny that someone needs her
You're lost in the night
Saying that Jeanny is lost in the darkness
Don't wanna struggle and fight
Implying that she doesn't want to face difficulties
There's someone who needs you (hey, babe)
Reiterating that there is someone who needs her
Es ist kalt
Pointing out that it's cold outside
Dein Lippenstift ist verwischt
Noticing that her lipstick is smudged
Du hast ihn gekauft und
Remembering that she had bought that lipstick
Und ich habe es gesehen
Admitting that he has noticed it
Zuviel rot auf deinen Lippen
Pointing out that there is too much red on her lips
Und du hast gesagt: „Mach mich nicht an“
Recalling her previous statement of not being flirtatious
Aber du warst durchschaut
Implying that he has seen through her facade
Augen sagen mehr als Worte
Noting that eyes can often reveal more than words
Du brauchst mich doch, hmm?
Asking whether she needs him
Alle wissen, dass wir zusammen sind ab heute
Stating that everyone would know they are together from today onward
Jetzt hör' ich sie
Hearing something or someone approaching
Sie kommen
Saying that they are coming
Sie kommen dich zu holen
Saying that they are coming to take her away
Sie werden dich nicht finden
Promising that they won't be able to find her
Niemand wird dich finden
Emphasizing that no one will ever find her
Du bist bei mir
Assuring Jeanny that she will be safe with him
„Newsflash
Starting a news bulletin
In den letzten Monaten
Explaining that there have been several cases recently
Ist die Zahl der vermissten Personen dramatisch angestiegen
Reporting that there has been a significant increase in missing persons
Die jüngste Veröffentlichung der lokalen Polizeibehörde
Mentioning the latest release by the local police department
Berichtet von einem weiteren tragischen Fall
Reporting about another tragic case
Es handelt sich um ein neunzehnjähriges Mädchen
Mentioning that the victim is a nineteen-year-old girl
Das zuletzt vor vierzehn Tagen gesehen wurde
Noting that she was last seen fourteen days ago
Die Polizei schließt die Möglichkeit nicht aus
Stating that the police haven't ruled out the possibility
Dass es sich hier um ein Verbrechen handelt“
Suggesting that it might be a crime
Hey ah
Exclaiming loudly
As long as someone's gonna need you, babe, na na
Promising that someone will always need her
Just know, there's someone who's gonna need you, baby
Highlighting the fact that there will always be someone who needs her
Jeanny, Jeanny, Jeanny
Repeating her name for emphasis
Jeanny, life is not what it seems
Stating that real life is different from what she imagines
Cold world
Emphasizing that the world is harsh and unfeeling
Quit livin' on dreams
Advising Jeanny to not live only in her fantasies
There's someone who needs you
Emphasizing once again that someone needs her
Quit living on dreams now
Repeating the earlier advice with greater urgency
Lyrics © Budde Music Publishing GmbH, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johann Hoelzel, Robert Bolland, Ferdinand Bolland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind