His name Farin Urlaub is a pun on the German expression "Fahr in Urlaub!", which means "Go on vacation!", to refer to his love of traveling. He is also a pescetarian, a teetotaler, a non-smoker and a pacifist. He speaks seven languages: German, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and Japanese, and a supporter of Greenpeace and Amnesty International (amongst others). For the last few years he has been living in a village near Hamburg, where he has his own recording studio.
In 1980 he joined Bela B.'s band Soilent Grün as guitarist. When the band broke up in 1982, Urlaub, Bela B. and Hans Runge (better known as Sahnie) formed Die Ärzte, one of the most successful German pop punk rock bands of the 1980s. In 1988, at the height of their popularity, Die Ärzte disbanded.
Urlaub then formed King Køng, which remained unsuccessful, even for an indie band. Die Ärzte reunited in 1993 and have had continued success ever since. Urlaub still writes most songs for Die Ärzte which has the consequence that not all of them can be used for the band.
Therefore, in 2001, Urlaub started his solo career with the album Endlich Urlaub! ("Vacation at last!", which can also be read as pun on his name, as in "Urlaub at last!"). Am Ende der Sonne ("At the end of the Sun") was released in 2005, followed by the release of the live album Livealbum of Death in 2006. This live album was released under the name of Farin Urlaub's live band Farin Urlaub Racing Team. However, Urlaub announced that subsequent studio releases will also be made under the name Farin Urlaub Racing Team.
And so their latest studio album Die Wahrheit übers Lügen ("The truth about lying") was released in 2008, followed by a live album/video Lass es wie einen Unfall aussehen ("Make it look like an accident") in 2010. The video material was intended to become a live DVD, but was then released as a free download on the artist's website www.farin-urlaub.de, due to difficulties during the live sound recording (which led to the name).
OK
Farin Urlaub Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Absolut nichts ist ok
Verkneif dir jegliches Mitleid
Und spar dir jedes Klischee
Ja es geht mir beschissen
Ja es ist wegen dir
Doch davon willst du nichts wissen
Sonst wärst du sicherlich hier bei mir
Ich hasse dich
Ich hasse dich
Ich hasse dich
Ich hasse dich
Ich hasse dich
Absolut nichts ist mehr heilig
Absolut nichts steht noch fest
Ich hätte niemals erwartet
Dass du mich einfach verlässt
Ich hasse meine Gefühle
Und meine Hilflosigkeit
Aber ich bin mir ganz sicher
Das geht vorbei mit der Zeit mit der Zeit
(Am Morgen geht die Sonne auf)
Und ich hasse dich
(Die Welt nimmt weiter ihren Lauf)
Und ich hasse dich
(Menschen gehen von A nach B)
Und ich hasse dich
(Im Winter fällt ein bisschen Schnee)
Manchmal wünscht ich mir ich wäre tot
Keine Gefühle kein Problem
Das klingt nach 'nem verlockenden Angebot
Aber ich werds überleben und mit Glück
Bleibt nur eine Narbe zurück
The song "OK" by Farin Urlaub expresses heartbreak and anger towards a past lover who left him alone. The chorus repeatedly declares the singer's hatred towards this person. The first verse suggests the singer is going through a hard time due to the breakup but doesn't want any pity or clichés spoken to him. He acknowledges that this person caused him to feel terrible, but they refuse to acknowledge it, leaving him feeling worse. The second verse highlights that nothing is sacrosanct after the relationship and everything is up in the air. The singer admits to hating his own emotions and powerlessness but assures the listener that with time, it will pass.
Line by Line Meaning
Absolut nichts ist in Ordnung
Everything is going wrong and nothing is going the way it should be.
Absolut nichts ist ok
Nothing is okay or acceptable.
Verkneif dir jegliches Mitleid
Don't feel sorry for me or express any sympathy.
Und spar dir jedes Klischee
Don't resort to using cliches or stereotypes to console me.
Ja es geht mir beschissen
I'm feeling absolutely terrible and miserable.
Ja es ist wegen dir
It's all because of you and your actions or decisions.
Doch davon willst du nichts wissen
You refuse to acknowledge your role and responsibility in the situation.
Sonst wärst du sicherlich hier bei mir
If you truly cared or had any decency, you would be here with me right now.
Ich hasse dich
I hate you for causing me so much pain and suffering.
Absolut nichts ist mehr heilig
Everything that used to be sacred or meaningful has been destroyed or lost.
Absolut nichts steht noch fest
There is no certainty or stability left in my life.
Ich hätte niemals erwartet
I never could have predicted or anticipated what has happened.
Dass du mich einfach verlässt
You abandoned me without warning or explanation.
Ich hasse meine Gefühle
I hate that I have to feel so much pain and sadness.
Und meine Hilflosigkeit
I hate feeling helpless and powerless to change the situation.
Aber ich bin mir ganz sicher
But I am certain and optimistic.
Das geht vorbei mit der Zeit mit der Zeit
That things will get better and that time will heal my wounds.
(Am Morgen geht die Sonne auf)
(Life goes on, even if I don't want it to.)
Und ich hasse dich
And I hate you for making me feel this way.
(Die Welt nimmt weiter ihren Lauf)
(Everyone else's life continues normally despite my pain and misery.)
Und ich hasse dich
And I hate you for abandoning me and causing me so much suffering.
(Menschen gehen von A nach B)
(Life goes on and people continue with their daily routines and activities.)
Und ich hasse dich
And I hate you for being the cause of all my problems and pain.
(Im Winter fällt ein bisschen Schnee)
(Life has its own natural and insignificant occurrences, like snowfall in winter.)
Manchmal wünscht ich mir ich wäre tot
Sometimes I wish I were dead and that all this pain would just end.
Keine Gefühle kein Problem
No feelings means no problems or pain to deal with.
Das klingt nach 'nem verlockenden Angebot
That might seem like an appealing offer or solution to my problems.
Aber ich werds überleben und mit Glück
But I will survive this and hopefully, with time, heal my scars.
Bleibt nur eine Narbe zurück
And all that will be left is a scar, a painful memory of what once was.
Contributed by Kaelyn G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.