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.
Restless Skylight-Transistor-Child
Amon Düül II Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Instrumental)
Dehypnotized Toothpaste
(Instrumental)
A Short Stop at the Transylvanian Brain Surgery
Sailing master
Going to disappear
In that rain
Saving the pocket full of laughter
Mona Lisa its out of her vein
Do you see the people crying
Do you see what goes on
Do the highway
Do the speedway
Do the highway
Do the speedway
Do the hardest part, the heart of time
Do you see the bad confusion
Do you see it can't go on
Do the window
Do the high road
Do the maze of man
Do the race, race of man
Race From Here to Your Ears
Little Tornadoes
Hey country warpath path
Hupla of the golden long ago
Ah lion summer
An assurance hater
Killing bracket that's top secret
Councillorman is puck out and the cry
Vertical take-off and landing
'Til the Bank of Babylon is closed
Topilo whip hands down the Rue Bel Air
Anti-tartars and his skin
The Art of Curry
Overheated Tiara
(Instrumental)
The Flyweighted Five
(Instrumental)
Riding on a Cloud
Dry your ear
Just dry your ear
Habakuk is
Coming near
Creep no more
Oh creep no more
Syntelman is
Knocking at your door
Shut your eyes
Oh, shut your eyes
All you see is
Self-same paradise
Take your wings
And fall aground
Perverted kids
Roll into town
Over me
Look over me
Sunk cities are
Rising from the sea
Paralized Paradise
(lyrics missing)
H.G. Well's Take Off
Was war ein schöner Mond
Und nichts im Knie
Der Damenwahl
Das Leben der Hühner, rot
Das Leben möchte länger sein aber auch frei sein
The song "Restless Skylight-Transistor-Child" by Amon Düül II is a psychedelic rock song that is divided into six sections, with most of the sections being instrumental. The first two parts of this song, "Landing in a Ditch" and "Dehypnotized Toothpaste," are instrumental, setting the tone for the rest of the song. The third part, "A Short Stop at the Transylvanian Brain Surgery," starts with a sailing metaphor and quickly transitions into societal commentary. The singer asks if the listener can see the people crying and what is going on around them, before mentioning the highway, the speedway, and the hardest part of time - the heart. The fourth section, "Race From Here to Your Ears," starts with some nonsensical phrases before settling into a surreal narrative that includes a lion's summer, a Bank of Babylon, and the Art of Curry. The final two parts of the song, "Riding on a Cloud" and "H.G. Wells' Take-Off," both have lyrics. "Riding on a Cloud" is an invitation to escape society and find paradise, while "H.G. Wells' Take-Off" seems to be a stream-of-consciousness ramble that features non-sequiturs like "the life of chickens is red" and "life wants to be longer but also free."
One of the interesting aspects of this song is that it was recorded entirely with improvisation, with the band members not knowing what each other would play. Another noteworthy fact is that the title of the song is based on a dream that guitarist Chris Karrer had about a restless skylight-transistor-child. The album that this song appears on, also titled "Yeti," was considered a milestone in the development of German rock music. The album was recorded over a two-month period in a small village in Bavaria, where the band members lived together in a commune-like setting. The lyrics of the song are often described as psychedelic and surreal, with the band drawing inspiration from the counter-culture movement of the 1960s. Interestingly, the band's name, Amon Düül II, is a reference to an experimental art commune that was active in Munich in the 1960s. Finally, the song is often cited as an example of krautrock, a genre of experimental rock music that originated in Germany in the late 1960s.
Chords: Unfortunately, the chords for this song are not known.
Line by Line Meaning
Sailing master
The one who is in control and responsible for steering the ship
Of all disaster
Responsible for steering through any kind of difficult situation or adversity
Going to disappear
Intending to vanish or cease to exist
In that rain
In that downpour of something (could be emotions or a physical element)
Saving the pocket full of laughter
Retaining a sense of humor and happiness in spite of hardships
Mona Lisa its out of her vein
A reference to the famous painting being removed from the Louvre, suggesting that something central and valuable is being lost
Do you see the people crying
Are you aware of the tears and suffering of others?
Do you see what goes on
Are you fully attuned to what is happening around you?
Do the highway
Take action and move forward
Do the speedway
Take quick and decisive action
Do the hardest part, the heart of time
Face the most difficult aspects of life (which take time to overcome)
Do you see the bad confusion
Are you aware of the chaos and confusion that exists?
Do you see it can't go on
Recognize that the current situation is unsustainable
Do the window
Look out and observe the world
Do the high road
Take the ethical and morally right path
Do the maze of man
Navigate through the complex and confusing ways of humanity
Do the race, race of man
Participate in the race of life and thrive among humanity
Hey country warpath path
A battle cry that invokes a past era of conflict
Hupla of the golden long ago
The sound of a past golden era that has long since passed
Ah lion summer
The heat of summer is powerful and fierce like a lion
An assurance hater
Someone who dislikes or disbelieves in promises or assurances
Killing bracket that's top secret
Eliminate any bracket or classification that is kept secret or unknown
Councillorman is puck out and the cry
The elected official has been exposed and there is outcry as a result
Vertical take-off and landing
A reference to aviation and the ability to quickly ascend and descend
'Til the Bank of Babylon is closed
Until the seemingly never-ending institution of great wealth and power is dissolved
Topilo whip hands down the Rue Bel Air
A person named Topilo will forcefully assert their dominance down a particular street
Anti-tartars and his skin
Someone who is against Tartars (a group of people) and their identity or culture
The Art of Curry
The skill and technique behind the preparation of curry (an Indian dish)
Dry your ear
Cleanse your mind and ears to be open to new experiences
Habakuk is
A reference to the biblical prophet Habakkuk, who symbolizes chaos and confusion
Coming near
Approaching quickly
Creep no more
Stop moving in a sneaky or subtle way
Oh creep no more
A plea to stop acting in an inappropriate or harmful way
Syntelman is
A reference to the character Syntelman, who represents balance and order
Knocking at your door
Asking to enter or be welcomed into someone's life
Shut your eyes
Close your eyes and focus on your inner self
All you see is
The only thing that is visible or apparent to you
Self-same paradise
The same idealized and perfect world that has always existed in your mind
Take your wings
Take the opportunity to lift off and soar
And fall aground
Experience a harsh landing or disappointment after striving for success
Perverted kids
Youth who have gone astray or who have corrupted ideals
Roll into town
Arrive in a new place or community with their corrupt ways
Over me
Above and superseding me or my interests
Look over me
Watch over and care for me
Sunk cities are
Cities that have been lost or destroyed
Rising from the sea
Emerging anew, like a phoenix from the ashes
Was war ein schöner Mond
A reference to the beauty of the moon (in German)
Und nichts im Knie
A reference to not having a knee injury (in German)
Der Damenwahl
A reference to a popular German waltz (in German)
Das Leben der Hühner, rot
A reference to the life of red chickens (in German)
Das Leben möchte länger sein aber auch frei sein
A reference to the desire for life to be both long and free (in German)
Contributed by Miles J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
David Metcalfe
on She Came Through the Chimney
Maybe it's "indigo sea" and not Indian sea on Sleepwalkers Timeless Bridge?