Amon Düül II (or Amon Düül 2) is a German rock band. The group is generally… Read Full Bio ↴Amon Düül II (or Amon Düül 2) is a German rock band. The group is generally considered to be one of the founders of the Krautrock scene and a seminal influence on its development.

The band emerged in 1968 out of the scene of hippies and squatters in Munich, Germany, but their strong interest in music led them to go their own way. They took their name from the old Egyptian name Amon, being an Egyptian sun god, and Düül, a character from Turkish fiction. Their personnel changed constantly, but maybe the most permanent members were Renate Knaup (vocals), Chris Karrer (guitar, violin), John Weinzierl (guitar), Peter Leopold (drums), Falk Rogner (organ, synthesizer). After several successful albums with a style that reached from long improvisation to more structured rock songs they split. Later they tried several resurrections but none of them brought back the old days of glory.

Amon Düül was initially an anarchist commune, but it split into two factions, Amon Düül (sometimes called Amon Düül I for disambiguation) and Amon Düül II. ADI was more politically inclined, but ADII preferred making music. Their anarchist tendencies are clearly seen in their music, especially on the albums Yeti, Tanz Der Lemminge, and Wolf City.

The band can be seen as having two distinct periods in their glory days, the improvisational period and the compositional period. The improvisational period consisted of albums such as Phallus Dei and Yeti, and, to a lesser extent, Tanz Der Lemminge. These albums all featured long, improvisational tracks (Phallus Dei was entirely improvised, and disc two of Yeti was as well, but Tanz Der Lemminge only featured one improvisation). Their compositional period starts with Carnival in Babylon and is highlighted by Wolf City. In this period, the band moved to more structured composed pieces. Many fans saw this as a poor move, but some believed that Amon Duul II proved that they were just as good at composing as they were at improvising.

Amon Düül II's drummer Peter Leopold died on 8 November 2006.

Bass player Lothar Meid died on 3 November 2015.

Archangels Thunderbird
Amon Düül II Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the everywhere-eye
Asks you
Who is the emperor
Of the sky
Take the Archangel's Thunderbird

Go to Edgar Allen
In the tower of sleep

He'll tell you a story
Which makes you to creep
The echo of your cries
Is falling so deep

Rent a destroyer
And sail to Cape Cod
There lives a lion
They call him God
There is no elevator to Eden
But a hole in the sky

In shock-corridors
People are standing
With their eyes in their hands
But they don't understand
Why their confessional folding-chairs
Go into the narcotic flight of stairs

Baiting soldiers are sleeping
In the melting House of Wax
Why is the audience not taking
The insurrection-axe

Thousands of windows burst open
And the alarm bells are broken

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Archangel's Thunderbird" by Amon Düül II are full of surreal and mystical imagery that are open to interpretation. The song seems to tell a story of a journey through different realms of consciousness and the quest for knowledge and understanding. The first verse suggests that there is an all-seeing eye, and it is asking who the emperor of the sky is. The answer is to take the Archangel's Thunderbird, a symbol of power and freedom that can fly above everything and see everything.

In the next verse, the lyrics refer to Edgar Allen, who is located in the Tower of Sleep. It is unclear who or what Edgar Allen represents, but he is said to tell a story that makes you creep. This could be a reference to the horror stories of Edgar Allen Poe, who was known for his macabre writing. The echo of the cries falling deep could refer to the emotional impact of the story.

The third verse references Cape Cod, where it is said that there lives a lion called God. The lion, a symbol of strength and courage, is elevated to divine status. The lyrics then suggest that there is no elevator to Eden, but a hole in the sky. This could suggest that the journey to enlightenment is not an easy path, but rather requires a leap of faith.

Overall, the lyrics of "Archangel's Thunderbird" are open to interpretation and could mean different things to different people. However, the song seems to be about a journey of self-discovery and the quest for understanding the mysteries of the world.

Line by Line Meaning

When the everywhere-eye
When the all-seeing perception

Asks you
Questions you

Who is the emperor
Who reigns supreme

Of the sky
In the heavens

Take the Archangel's Thunderbird
Take the mighty symbol of divine power

Go to Edgar Allen
Travel to Edgar Allen Poe

In the tower of sleep
Where slumber reigns

He'll tell you a story
He will share a tale

Which makes you to creep
Which gives you chills

The echo of your cries
The reverberation of your anguish

Is falling so deep
Falls deep into the abyss