As a poet songwriter his work spans across a period of more than 15 years selecting diverse topics and writing for a German-speaking audience. He has worked with international names such as Ástor Piazzolla, Dino Saluzzi, Freddie Hubbard but also with Austrian artists such as Toni Stricker, Wolfgang Ambros and Helmut Qualtinger. Heller's own poetry has been set to music. He has also sung texts by other authors. For instance, "Catherine" from 1970 was set to one of the first hits of Heller. The text came from the then still largely unknown Reinhard Mey and the music from the Austro-Canadian Jack Grunsky. Together with Werner Schneyder he created Viennese German songs translated from Jacques Brel as "Franz" (after the Brel title "Jef"). Using intimate memories of traumatic childhood experiences and insights into his life as well as his Catholic-Jewish origin he created songs with the title "Angstlied" (Verwunschen, 1980) Titles like "Miruna, die Riesin von Göteborg" (Verwunschen, 1980) are in turn influenced by the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism. "Das Lied vom idealen Park" (Narrenlieder 1985) or as a duet with Wolfgang Ambros introduced the Bob Dylan cover "Für immer jung" (Stimmenhören, 1983) are now titles that are part of the Austro-pop cannon. In 1983 he appeared on Stimmenhören with the song "Erhebet euch Geliebte", a song at the time of the peace movement in the early 1980s. Since the early 1980s he turned increasingly to large public productions, installations and performances until 1982 where his concert career came to close. In 1985, the album Narrenlieder was released.
Between 1967 and 1985 he published a total of fourteen LPs, twelve of those were gold records and earned him seven times platinum.
DAMALS
André Heller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Damals, damals – war's besser als heute
Denn die Sterne, die war'n noch Sterne
Und der Winter, der trug sich noch weiß!
Damals, damals – sagen die Leute
Damals, damals – war's besser als heute
Ein Ringelspiel war noch ein Ringelspiel
Und die Riesen noch groß!
Damals, damals – sagen die Leute –
Aber ich wünsch' mir mein Heute!
The lyrics of André Heller's song "Damals" is a reflection on the human tendency to look back at the past through rose-tinted glasses. The first two lines establish the theme by stating that people say that things were better in the past. The following lines describe how the stars were still stars and the winter was still white -- emphasizing how present-day experiences are somehow lesser than what was experienced in the past. The second verse continues with this sentiment, describing how things were simpler and more straightforward in the past. The mentioning of dwarves and giants shows a longing for a time of childlike innocence and wonder.
However, in the last line of the song, the singer expresses a different opinion. He says, "But I wish for my today!" This is a powerful statement that reveals the singer's desire to appreciate the present moment and all the opportunities it brings. It is a reminder that nostalgia can be bittersweet, that the past cannot be relived, and that we must make the best of what we have in the present.
Line by Line Meaning
Damals, damals – sagen die Leute
People always refer to the past as 'back then'
Damals, damals – war's besser als heute
They often believe that the past was better than the present
Denn die Sterne, die war'n noch Sterne
The stars appeared brighter and more distinct in the sky
Und der Winter, der trug sich noch weiß!
The winters were colder and more likely to have snow
Ein Ringelspiel war noch ein Ringelspiel
Childhood games were simpler and more innocent
Ja, die Zwerge waren klein
The small things in life seemed much more significant
Und die Riesen noch groß!
While significant, large problems still seemed solvable
Aber ich wünsch' mir mein Heute!
Despite the allure of the past, the present is still worth cherishing
Contributed by Juliana M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.