DAF's most famous song is the grimly sarcastic "Der Mussolini" from the album "Alles Ist Gut", a pulsing dance song featuring the lyrics "Dance the Mussolini, move your behind, clap your hands, and now the Adolf Hitler, and now the Jesus Christ, and now the communism ...". The song caused a scandal amongst the more humourless elements of German liberal society.
In interviews they claimed to not target anything or anyone specific while creating lyrics to be taken as a parody of words and phrases floating around in the public media. "Sato-Sato" and "Der Mussolini" are both examples of songs written around Delgado-Lopez's fascination with the sound of a particular word.
The album "Alles Ist Gut" (All Is Well) received the German "Schallplattenpreis" award by the "Deutsche Phono-Akademie", an association of the German recording industry.
Following that they released two more similar albums called "Gold und Liebe" and "Für Immer", all produced by legendary Conny Plank.
After experimenting with more mainstream attempts of their particular style of contemporary dance music on the 1986 album "1st Step to Heaven" but with limited success DAF split up (1986).
A few months before the 2003 invasion of Iraq DAF released "Der Sheriff (anti-amerikanisches lied)" (An Anti-American Song) criticizing perceived American imperialism.
In the hiatus of DAF 1985-2002 both Robert and Gabi had their own careers. DAF was more or less resurrected by Gabi alone when he toured in 1994-5 as DAF OPD (On Public Demand) touring with classic and remixed DAF material. Following the success of that partial comeback he started Daf.Dos with Wotan Wilke. They released two more techno oriented albums and toured much until Gabi and Robert reunited for the album "Fünfzehn Neue DAF lieder" in 2003.
Notable is also Robert Görls contribution to Eurythmics first album In the Garden where he unmistakably plays the drums on the tracks Belinda and Caveman Head.
Gabi Delgado continued releasing music under his own name, creating the following albums: 1 (2013), X (2014), and 2 (2015).
Gabi Delgado died in March 2020, thus ending his career, but forever immortal in the music and style he created, which would inspire and spawn whole music genres in decades to come.
Kebab Träume
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Türk-Kültür hinter Stacheldraht.
Neu-Izmir ist in der DDR,
Atatürk, der neue Herr.
Miliyet für die Sowjet-Union,
in jeder Imbißstube, ein Spion.
Im ZK, Agent aus Türkei,
Kebab-Träume in der Mauerstadt,
Türk-Kültür hinter Stacheldraht.
Neu-Izmir ist in der DDR,
Atatürk, der neue Herr.
Miliyet für die Sowjet-Union,
in jeder Imbißstube, ein Spion.
Im ZK, Agent aus Türkei,
Deutschland, Deutschland, alles ist vorbei!
Kebab-Träume in der Mauerstadt,
Türk-Kültür hinter Stacheldraht.
Neu-Izmir ist in der DDR,
Atatürk, der neue Herr.
Miliyet für die Sowjet-Union,
in jeder Imbißstube, ein Spion.
Im ZK, Agent aus Türkei,
Deutschland, Deutschland, alles ist vorbei!
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
"Kebab Dreams in the Wall City" is a song by Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft about the Turkish community in East Berlin during the Cold War. The lyrics describe the separation between the Turkish culture and society from the rest of the city, as they are isolated behind barbed wire fences, and the Turkish community's loyalty to the Soviet Union. The song also mentions the presence of spies in every kebab shop and a Turkish agent in the Central Committee of the Communist Party. The chorus, "We are the Turks of tomorrow," reflects the community's sense of hope for a future in which they will no longer be isolated and oppressed.
The song references the history of Turkish immigration to Germany, which began in the 1950s as Germany invited foreign workers to rebuild the country after World War II. Many Turkish immigrants settled in East Germany, which had a labor shortage at the time. However, the East German government's treatment of the Turkish community was often discriminatory and harsh, as they were seen as foreigners and their cultural practices were often repressed. This led to the formation of tight-knit Turkish communities, isolated from mainstream East German society.
Line by Line Meaning
Kebab-Träume in der Mauerstadt,
Dreams of kebab in the wall city, referring to the longing for Turkish culture and cuisine within the divided Berlin.
Türk-Kültür hinter Stacheldraht.
Turkish culture behind barbed wire, alluding to the isolation of Turkish residents in East Germany.
Neu-Izmir ist in der DDR,
New Izmir is in East Germany, implying the creation of a small Turkish community within the socialist country.
Atatürk, der neue Herr.
Atatürk, the new master, possibly suggesting the admiration of the secular founding father of modern Turkey in the Turkish community in East Germany.
Miliyet für die Sowjet-Union,
Citizenship of the Soviet Union, highlighting the political loyalties of some Turkish immigrants in East Germany.
in jeder Imbißstube, ein Spion.
In every snack bar, a spy, insinuating the possibility of espionage activities by Turkish residents in East Germany.
Im ZK, Agent aus Türkei,
In the Central Committee, an agent from Turkey, suggesting that the Turkish community might have infiltrated the highest level of government in East Germany.
Deutschland, Deutschland, alles ist vorbei!
Germany, Germany, everything is over, showcasing a feeling of detachment and disappointment towards Germany by the Turkish community in East Germany.
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
We are the Turks of tomorrow, expressing a sense of hope and optimism for the future of the Turkish community in Germany.
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
We are the Turks of tomorrow.
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
We are the Turks of tomorrow.
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
We are the Turks of tomorrow.
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
We are the Turks of tomorrow.
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
We are the Turks of tomorrow.
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
We are the Turks of tomorrow.
Wir sind die Türken von morgen!
We are the Turks of tomorrow.
Contributed by Riley W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Ramblin-Man
RIP Gabi Delgado-Lopez, 22 March 2020, aged 61.
@Nihilistic-Mystic
Way too young
@sohb123
Zeitgeist! Bestes deutsches Wort! Wer nicht dabei war wird es nicht verstehen.
@franklaumen1078
Weltschmerz! ist nicht zu toppen...
@jesterlewandowski6107
RIP Gabi Delgado... Passed away last night...
@fredzeiss4815
RIP Gabriel Delgado-Lopez. You were my youth. I was born in the same year as him. The 80s, the decade that saw a great change in Music. I love the Music of the 80s. The Music was as versatile as it was ingenious. I am proud to have been young during this time
@nursed1957
Fabulous! Bringing back great clubbing memories in the 80s.
@christophecherel1440
oh was hab ich mir meine Jgend verschwendet mit dieser Band! Danke Gabi , danke Robert!
@matthiasschreck9738
wie seid jahrzehnten top....immer wieder gern ...danke DAF
@vivianaramos3445
D.a.f sonaba duro en las fiestas de la new wave, a qui en peru. Que tales tonos, para ronperse el oido.