Berg was born in Krefeld. As a child she would experiment with performing short sketches at carnivals and other celebrations. She later played with a band, and also worked backstage on stage set-up and drove the band's van. During this time she supported herself working as a nurse in the intensive care and oncology departments of a hospital.
Berg's musical career began in 1992 when the producer Eugen Römer obtained a cassette of her performing. He was enthused by her voice, and within a week the first tracks had been recorded for her debut album Du bist frei ("You Are Free"), which contained the singles "Kilimandscharo" and "Schau mir noch mal ins Gesicht". Römer also produced her second album, Gefühle ("Feelings"), which proved her commercial breakthrough. The singles from the album, "Wenn du mich willst, dann küß mich doch" and "Einmal nur mit dir alleine sein", were hits. The album also featured one of her most popular songs, "Die Gefühle haben Schweigepflicht".
In 1997 she released her third album, Träume lügen nicht ("Dreams Don't Lie"), which reached #71 on the German album charts. The first single, "Warum nur träumen", was a #1 hit on some radio playlists and stayed in the charts for 15 weeks.
In summer 1998 the birth of her daughter Lena-Maria was followed by the release of the album Zwischen tausend Gefühlen ("Between a Thousand Feelings"), with twelve songs. The singles from this album were "Diese Nacht soll nie enden", "Insel der Nacht" and "Jenseits der Zärtlichkeit" (1999).
The next album was Weil ich verliebt bin ("Because I'm in Love") in 1999, with the single "Vielleicht ein Traum zu viel". This reached #3 in the ZDF-Hitparade in November 1999. Berg also reached #3 in "Hits of the Year" in January 2000 and was #1 for several weeks in the German airplay charts.
In October 2001 a best-of was released, featuring twelve of her most popular songs. The album went five-times platinum and has been in the German top 100 album chart for a record-breaking stay of over 300 weeks. Two million copies have been sold.
She has at times had as many as four releases in the German charts simultaneously.
She won the ECHO award in the German-language Schlager category in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007. From 2002 to 2007 she won Germany's prestigious Goldene Stimmgabel six times consecutively, as well as the Amadeus Austrian Music Award for best Schlager album in 2004 and 2005. Her CD Nah am Feuer went gold.
The 2006 album Splitternackt ("Stark Naked") went straight to #1 in Germany and remained there for several weeks.
The hit "Du hast mich tausendmal belogen" reached #2 in the GEMA chart of collected international sales.
Berg is known not only for her music but also increasingly for her stage outfits. She favours short miniskirts, suspenders, and knee-highs reminiscent of Pretty Woman. She has been quoted (in the Neuen Post) as saying "When you reach 40 you do have to make an effort to keep the men looking in your direction". ("Wenn man auf die 40 zugeht, muss man sich eben anstrengen, damit die Männer einem noch hinterherschauen.")
From 2002 to 2004 Berg was married to the Schlager singer Olaf Henning. In 2007 she married the football manager and hotelier Ulrich Ferber. They currently live together with her daughter in Aspach, Baden-Württemberg.
Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen
Andrea Berg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wie uns die Alten sungen, von Jesse kam die Art,
Und hat ein Blumlein bracht mitten im kalten Winter
Wohl zu der halben Nacht.
Das Roslein, das ich meine, davon Jesaias sagt,
Ist Maria die Reine uns das Blumlein bracht.
Aus Gottes ew'gen Rat hat sie ein Kind geboren
Das Blumelein, so kleine, das duftet uns so su?,
Mit seinem hellen Scheine vertreibt's die Finsternis.
Wahr' Mensch und wahrer Gott, hilft uns aus allen Leiden,
Rettet von Sund' und Tod.
O Jesu, bis zum Scheiden aus diesem Jammertal
Lass Dein hilf uns geleiten hin in den Freudensaal,
In Deines Vaters Reich, da wir Dich ewig loben.
O Gott, uns das verleih.
The lyrics are a German hymn titled "Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen" ("Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" in English), which tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The first verse describes the rose that has bloomed in the winter out of a tender root, just as the prophet Isaiah had predicted that a "shoot" would come from the stem of Jesse. The second verse introduces Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is revered as "pure" and "chaste" for bearing the holy child according to God's will. The third verse brings together the human and divine nature of Jesus, as he is described as both "true man" and "true God" who saves humankind from sin and death. The hymn concludes with a plea to Jesus to lead us to the eternal joy of God's kingdom.
The lyrics to "Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen" have been attributed to several different authors throughout history, including German mystic Johannes Tauler in the 14th century, and Michael Praetorius in the 17th century. The melody for the hymn was first published in 1599 in the hymnal "Geistliche Gesangbüchlein", and has since been arranged and recorded by many artists, including Andrea Berg.
Line by Line Meaning
Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen, aus einer Wurzel zart,
A tender root has brought forth a rose, as the ancient ones sang to us,
Wie uns die Alten sungen, von Jesse kam die Art,
This rose's lineage is from Jesse, just as the ancient ones told us,
Und hat ein Blumlein bracht mitten im kalten Winter
In the middle of cold winter, this rose has brought a little bloom,
Wohl zu der halben Nacht.
Almost in the middle of the night.
Das Roslein, das ich meine, davon Jesaias sagt,
The little rose that I mean is the one Isaiah talked about,
Ist Maria die Reine uns das Blumlein bracht.
It's the pure Mary who brought us this little bloom.
Aus Gottes ew'gen Rat hat sie ein Kind geboren
Through God's eternal counsel, she gave birth to a child,
Und blieb ein' reine Magd.
And remained a pure maiden.
Das Blumelein, so kleine, das duftet uns so su?,
This little bloom, so small, gives us such a sweet fragrance,
Mit seinem hellen Scheine vertreibt's die Finsternis.
With its bright light, it dispels the darkness.
Wahr' Mensch und wahrer Gott, hilft uns aus allen Leiden,
True man and true God, it helps us out of all suffering,
Rettet von Sund' und Tod.
Saving us from sin and death.
O Jesu, bis zum Scheiden aus diesem Jammertal
Oh Jesus, until we leave this valley of tears,
Lass Dein hilf uns geleiten hin in den Freudensaal,
Let your help guide us to the hall of joy,
In Deines Vaters Reich, da wir Dich ewig loben.
In your Father's kingdom, where we will praise you forever.
O Gott, uns das verleih.
Oh God, grant us that.
Contributed by Mia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.