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.
Ludwig
Amon Düül II Lyrics
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King Ludwig was to meet the Doc on Starnbergsee
The Doctor's will is the monarchists' politicians'
Was he bad, asks Sissi the snake
I was not mad, says Ludwig the fake
Castles were built of marble and gold
The king's left alone, suddicts were sold
Our king has lost his grip and his virility
He wasn't yet dead when Wagner wrote the requiem
Was he bad, asks Sissi the snake
I was not mad, says Ludwig the fake
Castles were built of marble and gold
The king's left alone, suddicts were sold
Is he dead? the chancellor raves
What a drag! Bavaria's pride
Was it a bet? the court is amazed
Was he a fag? he ran out of sand
The lyrics of Amon Düül II's song "Ludwig" offer a commentary on the life and death of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The song describes a peculiar bathing ritual in which the king meets with his physician on Starnberg Lake. The doctor's will is said to be the driving force behind the monarchist politicians. The song questions the reasoning behind Ludwig's supposed madness, with Sissi the snake asking if he was bad, to which Ludwig responds that he was not mad but rather a fake.
The song goes on to describe the construction of Ludwig's lavish castles using marble and gold, yet he was left alone and his subjects were sold out. The lyrics suggest that Ludwig had lost his grip and virility, leading to his eventual drowning at dawn, with the waves weeping jewels. The mention of composer Richard Wagner writing a requiem for Ludwig before he was even declared dead adds to the mystique surrounding his death.
Line by Line Meaning
A peculiar kind of bathing took place yesterday
An unusual bathing ritual occurred recently
King Ludwig was to meet the Doc on Starnbergsee
King Ludwig was supposed to meet with a doctor on Starnberg Lake
The Doctor's will is the monarchists' politicians'
The desires of the doctor are aligned with those of the politicians who support the monarchy
Was he bad, asks Sissi the snake
Sissi the snake wonders if the king was evil
I was not mad, says Ludwig the fake
King Ludwig denies being crazy, but it may not be true
Castles were built of marble and gold
The king constructed grand castles made of expensive materials
The king's left alone, suddicts were sold
The king is abandoned and his subjects were sold off
Our king has lost his grip and his virility
The king has lost control and his potency
He drowned himself at dawn the waves wept jewellery
The king committed suicide in the morning and his valuable possessions were lost in the water
He wasn't yet dead when Wagner wrote the requiem
Composer Wagner wrote a requiem for the king before he actually died
Is he dead? the chancellor raves
The chancellor wonders if the king is really deceased
What a drag! Bavaria's pride
It's a shame that such an important figure in Bavaria has passed away
Was it a bet? the court is amazed
The court is surprised and questioning if the king's death was part of a wager
Was he a fag? he ran out of sand
The court speculates that the king may have been gay and he lost his sanity
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BERND OTTO TISCHER, JOHN WEINZIERL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Metcalfe
on She Came Through the Chimney
Maybe it's "indigo sea" and not Indian sea on Sleepwalkers Timeless Bridge?