In the nineties, Vienna became famous for its electronic music scene and Bernhard Fleischmann found its unique place in it. A laptop, sound loops, rhythm patterns. A gig at the legendary picknick@rhiz festival. Indulging melodies, but never sugary, surrounded by tricky rhythm structures. Songs, not just tracks, arranged on an impressing record – “pop loops for breakfast” found the love story between Bernhard Fleischmann and the young label Morr Music in autumn 1998. The “Sidonie EP” followed in 1999. Bernhard Fleischmann became a busy live artist, touring through Austria, Germany, Europe, the USA and nearly the rest of the world. The album “Choir of Empty Beds” was released on Fuzzy Box (2000). Besides, tracks for compilations on Morr Music (“Putting the Morr back into Morrissey“) and other labels – Christof Kurzmann’s Vienna based label Charizma, for instance. Bernhard Fleischmann’s “Nico”-7inch was the opener for the Morr Music-series “a number of small things” (2001).
Later came “Welcome Tourist” (autumn 2001) featuring Christof Kurzmann.
Together with Herbert Weixelbaum Bernhard Fleischmann formed Duo 505, delicate pulsing electronica. Their album “late” was released in autumn 2005 on Morr Music.
Together with Christof Kurzmann, Burkhard Stangl, Martin Siewert and Werner Dafeldecker – those who already have played one song together on “Welcome Tourist” – he founded The Year of, a country-esque chamber orchestra with slide guitars, clarinets, interferences, echo chambers. Songs in cinemascope, electro-acoustic experiences. Their debut “Slow Days” was released in spring 2006 also on Morr Music.
And there is „The Humbucking Coil“ Bernhard Fleischmann’s third solo record released in February 2006 – euphoric pop in slow motion, rustling rhythm patterns, songs that linger and indulge. Vibraphone, piano, electric guitars in a still electronic working process. Pop songs of course.
Bernhard Fleischmann is also the composer for different film scores: Bady Mincks “Am Anfang war der Blick“ (shown in Cannes 2003); Jörg Kalts “Crash Test Dummies” (shown at the berlinale 2005); and Marc Bauders and Dörte Frankes “Jeder schweigt von etwas anderem” (shown at the Berlinale 2006).
www.bfleischmann.com
www.morrmusic.com
Nico
B. Fleischmann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mais grillés, les flics se pointent et
Contrôle d'identité, oh, nom de nom !
Je fais des ronds et je me marre en pensant à ce vieux Ronsard
Et nous dans cent années, en cendres
Je fais un hic et je me marre en pensant à ce con d'Icare
Et nos ailes brûlées.
Prisonniers, menottes aux poignets
Ça fait mal, beauté, rêver gloire
Mais n'avais-je pas vu arriver
Les fourgons blindés et leurs gyrophares ?
Je fais des ronds et je me marre en pensant à ce vieux Ronsard
Et nous dans cent années, ensemble
Je fais un hic et je me marre, dans peu de temps et pour de bon
On se sera évadés et jamais plus ils ne pourront nous retrouver.
Nos deux éperviers en plein vol d'été
Se sont fait plumer, quel cauchemar
Et moi, je voyais des larmes couler
Sur tes joues éclairées par les phares.
Piégés, accroche-toi poupée, passe-moi le briquet
Et jamais plus ils ne pourront nous retrouver.
Je fume et je finis par croire que comme cette cigarette noire
Je te nuis, ma beauté.
Mais poumons clean ou poumons noirs
Qu'est ce qu'on s'en fout, puisque demain, c'est la fin de l'été.
Car nicotine et corbillard, peu m'importe
Demain on sera des voleurs envolés.
Alors faisons des ronds et des ronsards
De fumée blonde, de fumée noire
Et souris, ma Bonnie, car jamais plus ils ne pourront nous retrouver.
The lyrics to B. Fleischmann's song "Nico" tell the story of two individuals smoking and joking around at a train station. However, their good time is disrupted when the police arrive and they are subjected to a humiliating identity check. The singer of the song then begins to contemplate the transience of life, referencing French Renaissance poet Pierre de Ronsard and the Greek myth of Icarus as symbols of the inevitable decay of human achievements. The scene then shifts to the singer and their partner being apprehended by the police, with a nod to the Bonnie and Clyde mythos, but the singer remains undaunted, choosing to continue smoking and joking with their partner as they face the uncertainty of their future.
The lyrics cleverly blend together different elements such as philosophy, political resistance, and pop culture references to create a complex narrative. The song invokes the spirit of rebellion against authority and the romanticized idea of living dangerously, while acknowledging the toll that such a lifestyle can take on one's health and sanity. It is ultimately a story of two individuals who choose to face their fate with a sense of humor and defiance, knowing that their bond is strong enough to sustain them.
Line by Line Meaning
Juré, on s'en fume une et on vide le plancher de la station
We swear, we smoke and leave the station
Mais grillés, les flics se pointent et
But caught, the police show up and
Contrôle d'identité, oh, nom de nom !
Identity check, oh, dang!
Je fais des ronds et je me marre en pensant à ce vieux Ronsard
I make circles and laugh while thinking about old Ronsard
Et nous dans cent années, en cendres
And us in a hundred years, ashes
Je fais un hic et je me marre en pensant à ce con d'Icare
I hiccup and laugh, thinking about stupid Icarus
Et nos ailes brûlées.
And our burnt wings.
Prisonniers, menottes aux poignets
Prisoners, handcuffed
Ça fait mal, beauté, rêver gloire
It hurts, beauty, to dream of glory
Mais n'avais-je pas vu arriver
But didn't I see it coming
Les fourgons blindés et leurs gyrophares ?
Armored vans and their sirens?
Je fais des ronds et je me marre en pensant à ce vieux Ronsard
I make circles and laugh while thinking about old Ronsard
Et nous dans cent années, ensemble
And us in a hundred years, together
Je fais un hic et je me marre, dans peu de temps et pour de bon
I hiccup and laugh, soon and for good
On se sera évadés et jamais plus ils ne pourront nous retrouver.
We will have escaped and they will never find us again.
Nos deux éperviers en plein vol d'été
Our two hawks in full summer flight
Se sont fait plumer, quel cauchemar
They got plucked, what a nightmare
Et moi, je voyais des larmes couler
And me, I saw the tears flow
Sur tes joues éclairées par les phares.
On your cheeks lit up by the headlights.
Piégés, accroche-toi poupée, passe-moi le briquet
Trapped, hold on doll, pass me the lighter
Je fume et je finis par croire que comme cette cigarette noire
I smoke and end up believing that like this black cigarette
Je te nuis, ma beauté.
I harm you, my beauty.
Mais poumons clean ou poumons noirs
But clean lungs or black lungs
Qu'est ce qu'on s'en fout, puisque demain, c'est la fin de l'été.
Who cares, since tomorrow is the end of summer
Car nicotine et corbillard, peu m'importe
Because nicotine and a hearse don't matter to me
Demain on sera des voleurs envolés.
Tomorrow we will be flying thieves.
Alors faisons des ronds et des ronsards
So let's make circles and Ronsards
De fumée blonde, de fumée noire
Of blonde smoke, of black smoke
Et souris, ma Bonnie, car jamais plus ils ne pourront nous retrouver.
And smile, my Bonnie, because they will never find us again.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind