Die Ärzte were formed in 1982 by Jan Vetter (alias Farin Urlaub), Dirk Felsenheimer (alias Bela B.) and bassist Hans Runge (alias Sahnie). Bela and Farin had previously played together in the punk band Soilent Grün; after that band broke up they decided to form a band playing fun songs, in contrast to the mostly political bands of the punk scene at that time. While deriving from that punk scene, their early music was heavily influenced by pop and rock and roll, especially The Beatles, whom Farin heard a lot as a child due to his mother playing their records.
In the first two years they mostly played in clubs of their hometown of Berlin. Their first release was a contribution to the sampler "20 schäumende Stimmungshits" (roughly, "20 exuberant mood hits"), which contained a strong alcohol theme. In 1983 they won a rock contest in Berlin; with the prize money they recorded their debut EP "Uns gehts Prima" ("We're doing great"). Finally Columbia Records signed them, and they released their first LP "Debil" in 1984 and the second one ("Im Schatten der Ärzte") a year later.
After the second record they parted ways with Sahnie due to internal problems. On the third record he was replaced by producer Miccey Meuser; later Hagen Liebig, better known as The Incredible Hagen, played bass for them during live performances until their breakup.
In 1987 the German Federal Centre for Media Harmful to Young Persons put the songs Geschwisterliebe ("Sibling Love", a song about incest, from Die Ärzte), Claudia hat 'nen Schäferhund ("Claudia has a German Shepherd", about zoophilia, from "Debil") and Schlaflied ("Lullaby", about a monster coming and eating you after falling asleep, also from "Debil") on the German List of Media Harmful to Young People. This prohibited the band from performing the songs live and, more importantly, promoting the two albums, and shops from openly displaying the records in their shelves. After several trials against shops that still openly sold the records a lot of shops removed Die Ärzte completely from their stock. The result was a drop in record sales and big financial problems for the band. In response they released the compilation "Ab 18" ("Adults Only") with all their songs on the index and some other old and new tasteless songs, and the greatest hits album "Ist das alles?"("Is this everything?" but also can be translated as "Is this the end?"). The album and the new singles were fairly successful, partly because of growing media interest due to the previous censorship.
The following album "Das ist nicht die ganze Wahrheit" ("That is not the whole truth") was even more successful, climbing into the top 10 in the German album charts. They decided to go out on a high note in 1988, breaking up after doing one last tour and recording a live double album that became their first number one in the album charts.
Neither Farin's new band King Køng nor Bela's Depp Jones were really successful, so in 1993 they decided to do a reunion. As bass player they invited Rodrigo Gonzales, who was guitarist in Depp Jones and a friend of Bela. Their comeback single was Schrei nach Liebe ("Cry for Love"), their first ever political song, that they published as a statement against what was perceived as growing racism and right wing extremist violence in Germany at that time.
The album was more diverse than ever, with ballads, punk, rock and traditional German sounds. Both album and single became big hits in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The follow-up "Planet Punk" was also very successful.
In 1996 they wanted to make an EP just about hair, but they wrote too many songs for an EP and made the Album "Le Frisur" ("The Hairdo") instead. It was slightly less successful than its predecessors. Apart from their own tours they also supported Kiss in that year, a dream come true for Bela and Rod.
1998 was perhaps the most successful year of their career, the single "Männer sind Schweine" ("Men are Pigs") being their first Number 1 single in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and the album 13 also being Number 1 in Germany and Switzerland. After a lot of promotion and touring in that year they decided to take a break, deciding also to never play again "Männer sind Schweine" at a concert due to the too great success this song had. They did not like the upcoming unwanted and rather unoriginal remakes by other bands as e.g. "Frauen sind Schweine" ("Women are pigs") and also did not like to see their song played at mass tourist beach parties at places like Mallorca/Spain.
In 2000 they came back with another very successful album, "Runter mit den Spendierhosen, Unsichtbarer!", and two top 10 singles. As the third single from the album they released the 30-second-song "Yoko Ono", which, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the shortest single ever released - another example of their sense of humour. On their tour in 2001 they sold the limited Album "5, 6, 7, 8 Bullenstaat" consisting of short punk songs that were written and recorded while recording the full length album published a year before, and some cover songs published in 1994 on a tour only EP.
After that they again took a break: Bela did some acting, Farin recorded his first solo album (Endlich Urlaub!). In late 2002 they did an MTV Unplugged in a school auditorium together with the school band. After that they made a new double album Geräusch that was released in 2003. On the next tour a Live DVD was recorded and published one year later.
On 2 November 2007, Die Ärzte released their latest album, Jazz ist anders ("Jazz is nothing like this", literally "Jazz is different").
In August 2011 the band announced that they are working on a new album which is set to be released in 2012 with a tour called "Das Ende ist noch nicht vorbei" ("The end is not over yet") following in the summer 2012.
The official homepage for Die Ärzte is www.bademeister.com
EINMAL EIN BIER
Die Ärzte Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Als ich mich durch die Bartür auf die Straße ergoss
In mir war keine Spur von Festlichkeit geblieben
Weshalb ich statt zu gehen über den Gehweg floss
Da war plötzlich ein Loch (wahrscheinlich irgendein Bau)
Das ich hinunter kroch (sicher nicht so schlau)
Ich tropfte in ein undurchdringliches Dunkel
Das mich dann auch vollständig verschlang
Denn ich hörte den Gesang
Der vertraut in meinen Ohren klang
Ein Bier, etwas anderes willst du nicht
Ein Bier, wir gehen mit dir ins Licht
Einmal Bier, doch vor dem Nachhausegehen
Hinein ins Glas, wir wissen, dass wir uns verstehen
Ich schwamm mit den Stimmen, es waren hunderte
Zog mit ihnen meine Bahnen und ich wunderte
Nicht darüber, dass ich mich nicht wunderte
Weder hungerte, kein Durst in mir lungerte
Da war plötzlich ein Sog (sie erfasste das Grauen)
Wenn mein Gefühl mich trog (Gefühlen darfst du nicht trauen)
Er packte mein flüssiges Ich
Und spülte mich durch ein riesiges Kupferrohr
Das kam mir schon bekannt vor
Und plötzlich wusste ich auch was
Ich landete als Bier im Glas (ein frisch gezapftes Bier vom Fass)
Ein Bier wollte ich schon immer sein
Ein Bier wie goldgelber Sonnenschein
Einmal auf die andere Seite schauen
Ein Bier wie mich muss man erstmal brauen
Ein Bier, damit wäre alles klar
Jetzt bin ich der Mann, der irgendwann mal ein Bier war
The lyrics of Die Ärzte's song "Einmal ein Bier" tell the story of a person who transforms into a beer. The song begins with the singer leaving a bar early in the morning, feeling devoid of any festivities. Instead of walking, they "flow" over the sidewalk. They encounter a hole and crawl into it, only to be consumed by darkness. However, they are not afraid because they can hear a familiar singing, which comforts them.
The chorus emphasizes the desire for a beer, as the person feels that nothing else compares. They express a willingness to go wherever it takes them, even into the light. The verses continue with the person swimming among the voices, not feeling surprised by anything that happens. They don't experience hunger or thirst, as they are now part of the beer itself. They are carried through a copper pipe, a familiar sensation, and suddenly realize that they have become a freshly poured beer in a glass.
The lyrics metaphorically explore the desire to escape reality and transform into something simpler and more enjoyable, like a refreshing beer. The song captures the whimsical idea of temporarily becoming something else to find solace and enjoyment.
Line by Line Meaning
Es war sechs Uhr in der Früh, vielleicht auch schon sieben
It was six o'clock in the morning, maybe even seven
Als ich mich durch die Bartür auf die Straße ergoss
As I poured out onto the street through the bar door
In mir war keine Spur von Festlichkeit geblieben
There was no trace of festivity left in me
Weshalb ich statt zu gehen über den Gehweg floss
That's why I flowed over the sidewalk instead of walking
Da war plötzlich ein Loch (wahrscheinlich irgendein Bau)
Suddenly there was a hole (probably some construction)
Das ich hinunter kroch (sicher nicht so schlau)
That I crawled down into (definitely not a smart move)
Ich tropfte in ein undurchdringliches Dunkel
I dripped into an impenetrable darkness
Das mich dann auch vollständig verschlang
That then completely swallowed me
Doch mir war überhaupt nicht bang
But I wasn't afraid at all
Denn ich hörte den Gesang
Because I heard the singing
Der vertraut in meinen Ohren klang
Which sounded familiar in my ears
Ein Bier, etwas anderes willst du nicht
A beer, you don't want anything else
Ein Bier, wir gehen mit dir ins Licht
A beer, we'll go with you into the light
Einmal Bier, doch vor dem Nachhausegehen
Once beer, but before going home
Hinein ins Glas, wir wissen, dass wir uns verstehen
Into the glass, we know that we understand each other
Ich schwamm mit den Stimmen, es waren hunderte
I swam with the voices, there were hundreds
Zog mit ihnen meine Bahnen und ich wunderte
I swam my laps with them and I wondered
Nicht darüber, dass ich mich nicht wunderte
Not about the fact that I wasn't surprised
Weder hungerte, kein Durst in mir lungerte
Neither hungered nor thirst lingered in me
Da war plötzlich ein Sog (sie erfasste das Grauen)
Suddenly there was a pull (it seized the horror)
Wenn mein Gefühl mich trog (Gefühlen darfst du nicht trauen)
If my feeling deceived me (you mustn't trust feelings)
Er packte mein flüssiges Ich
He grabbed my liquid self
Und spülte mich durch ein riesiges Kupferrohr
And flushed me through a giant copper pipe
Das kam mir schon bekannt vor
That already seemed familiar to me
Und plötzlich wusste ich auch was
And suddenly I also knew what
Ich landete als Bier im Glas (ein frisch gezapftes Bier vom Fass)
I ended up as beer in the glass (a freshly tapped beer from the keg)
Ein Bier wollte ich schon immer sein
I've always wanted to be a beer
Ein Bier wie goldgelber Sonnenschein
A beer like golden sunshine
Einmal auf die andere Seite schauen
Once look at the other side
Ein Bier wie mich muss man erstmal brauen
A beer like me has to be brewed first
Ein Bier, damit wäre alles klar
A beer, then everything would be clear
Jetzt bin ich der Mann, der irgendwann mal ein Bier war
Now I am the man who was once a beer
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Dirk Felsenheimer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind