Anna Depenbusch (born 17 October 1977 in Hamburg) is a German singer and mu… Read Full Bio ↴Anna Depenbusch (born 17 October 1977 in Hamburg) is a German singer and musician. Prior to her solo career she was background singer for a group called Orange Blue. In 2005 she released her first Album that united elements of pop, jazz and chanson. Anna writes lyrics always composed and produced on the lookout for the one question that everyone has asked at some time: how does love work? And why it is a constantly to the test?

Fräulein Ukulele
Anna Depenbusch Lyrics

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Es sang mit heller Kehle von Fernweh und Hawaii
Das Fäulein Ukulele so zart war sie dabei.

Sie sang aus vollem Herzen im Schatten des Vulkans
Vom Seemann und den Schmerzen, die er ihr angetan.

Hinaus sie blickt, die Ferne, Jasmin durchwebt ihr Haar
Korallenriff und Sterne, der Himmel blau und klar.

Am Horizont mit Schwermut, die Sonne küsst das Meer
Und senkt sich satt und gelb-rot, heut scheint sie nun nicht mehr.

Das Fräulein steht am Elbstrand, nicht Maui auf Hawaii
Doch ihre Ukulele, die hat sie wohl dabei.

Ihr Seemann der ist DJ, in einer Disothek
Korallenriff St. Pauli, wo er am Tresen steht.

Echt waren doch nur die Sterne, der Rest ein schöner Traum
Doch singt sie von der Südsee, spürt sie das Fernweh kaum.

Heut steht sie im Bikini, die Blumen frisch im Haar
Und tanzt mit Ukulele für Geld in einer Bar.

Overall Meaning

The first stanza of Anna Depenbusch's "Fräulein Ukulele" talks about a lady playing the ukulele and singing about the distant land of Hawaii. The ukulele is described as delicate and the lady's voice as clear and strong. She sings from the core of her heart about a sailor and the pain he caused her, while being surrounded by the shadows of a looming volcano. The second stanza describes the lady looking out into the horizon, seeing the blue sky and the coral reefs and stars of the distant land. The sun sets sadly, kissing the sea with its last rays of light. However, the lady is not actually in Hawaii, but rather standing on the Elbe beach with her ukulele in hand. Her sailor, who caused the pain she sings about, is now a DJ working in St. Pauli where he stands behind a counter serving drinks.

In the final stanza, the lady stands on the beach in a bikini with fresh flowers in her hair, singing and dancing for money in a bar. Although her dreams are of far-off places, she does what she can to continue singing about them. The song captures the yearning of the lady for a life far from where she stands at the moment, but realizing that she can still bring some of that to where she is by singing about it. The overall message is about holding onto our dreams, no matter how far they may seem, and finding ways to make them a reality.

Line by Line Meaning

Es sang mit heller Kehle von Fernweh und Hawaii
The Fräulein Ukulele sang with a clear voice about her longing for faraway places and Hawaii.

Das Fäulein Ukulele so zart war sie dabei.
The Fräulein Ukulele sang delicately and beautifully.

Sie sang aus vollem Herzen im Schatten des Vulkans
She sang with all her heart in the shadow of the volcano.

Vom Seemann und den Schmerzen, die er ihr angetan.
She sang about the sailor and the pain he caused her.

Hinaus sie blickt, die Ferne, Jasmin durchwebt ihr Haar
She gazes out into the distance, with jasmine flowers woven into her hair.

Korallenriff und Sterne, der Himmel blau und klar.
She envisions a coral reef and stars in a clear blue sky.

Am Horizont mit Schwermut, die Sonne küsst das Meer
With sadness, she watches the sun kiss the sea on the horizon.

Und senkt sich satt und gelb-rot, heut scheint sie nun nicht mehr.
The sun sinks fully, painted in shades of yellow and red, disappearing for the day.

Das Fräulein steht am Elbstrand, nicht Maui auf Hawaii
The Fräulein stands on Elbstrand, not on Maui in Hawaii.

Doch ihre Ukulele, die hat sie wohl dabei.
But of course, she has her ukulele with her.

Ihr Seemann der ist DJ, in einer Disothek
Her sailor is a DJ in a discotheque.

Korallenriff St. Pauli, wo er am Tresen steht.
He stands at the counter of the imaginary St. Pauli Coral Reef discotheque.

Echt waren doch nur die Sterne, der Rest ein schöner Traum
Only the stars were real, everything else was just a beautiful dream.

Doch singt sie von der Südsee, spürt sie das Fernweh kaum.
Although she sings of the South Pacific, she hardly feels the longing for it anymore.

Heut steht sie im Bikini, die Blumen frisch im Haar
Today she stands in a bikini, with fresh flowers in her hair.

Und tanzt mit Ukulele für Geld in einer Bar.
And dances with her ukulele for money in a bar.

Contributed by Cooper W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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