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
Jag älskar Sverige
Die Ärzte Lyrics
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Und ich hör stundenlang nicht zu
Bin in Gedanken gar nicht hier,
Ich hatte wieder mal ein Rendezvous
Ach ne, das heißt ja Déjà-vu
Egal, du gehst mir auf den Geist
Und darum höre ich dir nicht zü,
Ich seh' dich an und denke meist
Wie gerne würd' ich jetzt in Schweden sein,
Weil jeder Schwede lacht und singt,
Und pausenlos das Tanzbein schwingt,
Bei 40 Grad und Sonnenschein
Ach, Schweden ist das schönste Land der Welt,
Dort, wo am Strand die Palmen stehen,
Da will ich jetzt spazieren gehen,
Weil mir mein Schweden ziemlich gut gefällt
In Schweden gehen die Uhren anders,
Und ich glaub', das liegt daran,
Dass Mangos dort und Blumen blühen, zu Schönheit noch das Vitamin
So alle zwei, drei Jahre droht,
In Schweden eine Hungersnot
Ich gebe gern, meistens Reis,
Bekomme ich jetzt den Nobelpreis?
Ach, Schweden, ruf ich, Schweden, alter Freund
In dir, da fühle ich mich wohl,
Bei Tanz, Gesang und Alkohol
Du bist so gar nicht eingezäunt
Ach, Schweden, komm und gib mir deine Hand,
Oh du beneidenswertes Land,
Wo ich damals den Punk erfand,
Du bist so anders, so entspannt
Du redest viel, du bist empört,
Du schimpfst, du schreist, du hast geweint,
Worte verhallen ungehört,
'Cause I've got Schweden on my mind
Ach, Schweden, alte Hütte, altes Pferd,
Warum hast du dich nicht vermehrt?
Auf dass die ganze Welt erfährt
Zwei Schweden wären nicht verkehrt
Kann denn nicht jedes Land wie Schweden sein?
So fröhlich und so unbeschwert
Ein Land, in das man gerne fährt
Man kommt zu zweit und geht allein
Ach, Schweden, komm und gib mir deine Hand,
Du bist so furchtbar interessant,
Ein gottverdammtes Wohlfühland,
An jeder Ecke steht ein Elefant
Schweden
Jag älskar Sverige
The German punk rock band Die Ärzte sings a playful love song to Sweden in their song "Jag älskar Sverige". The verses explain how the singer doesn't pay attention to the person they are with because they are daydreaming about being in Sweden, the happiest country in the world, where every Swede is always happy and dancing. They describe the beauty of the palm-lined beaches and the way time seems to move more slowly in the country. They then mention the periodic hunger crises that occur in the country and joke about whether their small contribution of rice would earn them a Nobel Prize. The choruses are a repeated plea to Sweden to come and take the singer's hand and let them experience the unique joy of being in the country.
The lyrics can be interpreted as a longing for a carefree and happy life, something that the singer apparently associates with Sweden. It's a playful homage to a country that many Germans see as the epitome of happiness, simplicity, and a good work-life balance. The singer is aware of their own quirks and easily distracted mind and seems to be aware of the irony of not focusing on the person they are with and instead dreaming about Sweden.
Line by Line Meaning
Du redest stundenlang mit mir,
You talk to me for hours on end,
Und ich hör stundenlang nicht zu
And I don't listen for hours on end
Bin in Gedanken gar nicht hier,
I am not really here in my mind,
Ich hatte wieder mal ein Rendezvous
I just had another date
Ach ne, das heißt ja Déjà-vu
Oops, that's called déjà vu
Egal, du gehst mir auf den Geist
Anyway, you get on my nerves
Und darum höre ich dir nicht zü,
That's why I don't listen to you
Ich seh' dich an und denke meist
I look at you and mostly think
Wie gerne würd' ich jetzt in Schweden sein,
How much I would love to be in Sweden now,
Weil jeder Schwede lacht und singt,
Because every Swede laughs and sings,
Und pausenlos das Tanzbein schwingt,
And swings their hips nonstop,
Bei 40 Grad und Sonnenschein
At 40 degrees and sunny weather
Ach, Schweden ist das schönste Land der Welt,
Sweden is the most beautiful country in the world,
Dort, wo am Strand die Palmen stehen,
Where the palms stand on the beach,
Da will ich jetzt spazieren gehen,
That's where I want to take a walk now,
Weil mir mein Schweden ziemlich gut gefällt
Because I really like my Sweden
In Schweden gehen die Uhren anders,
In Sweden, the clocks go differently,
Und ich glaub', das liegt daran,
And I believe that's because
Dass Mangos dort und Blumen blühen, zu Schönheit noch das Vitamin
Mangos and flowers bloom there, plus the beauty vitamin
So alle zwei, drei Jahre droht,
Every two to three years,
In Schweden eine Hungersnot
Sweden faces a famine
Ich gebe gern, meistens Reis,
I like to give, usually rice,
Bekomme ich jetzt den Nobelpreis?
Will I get the Nobel Prize now?
Ach, Schweden, ruf ich, Schweden, alter Freund
Oh Sweden, I call, Sweden, old friend
In dir, da fühle ich mich wohl,
I feel comfortable in you,
Bei Tanz, Gesang und Alkohol
With dance, song, and alcohol
Du bist so gar nicht eingezäunt
You are not at all fenced in
Ach, Schweden, komm und gib mir deine Hand,
Oh Sweden, come and give me your hand,
Oh du beneidenswertes Land,
Oh, you enviable land,
Wo ich damals den Punk erfand,
Where I invented punk back then,
Du bist so anders, so entspannt
You are so different, so relaxed
Du redest viel, du bist empört,
You talk a lot, you're upset,
Du schimpfst, du schreist, du hast geweint,
You curse, you yell, you've cried,
Worte verhallen ungehört,
Words echo unheard,
'Cause I've got Schweden on my mind
Because I have Sweden on my mind
Ach, Schweden, alte Hütte, altes Pferd,
Oh, Sweden, old shack, old horse
Warum hast du dich nicht vermehrt?
Why haven't you multiplied?
Auf dass die ganze Welt erfährt
So that the whole world will know
Zwei Schweden wären nicht verkehrt
Two Swedens wouldn't be wrong
Kann denn nicht jedes Land wie Schweden sein?
Can't every country be like Sweden?
So fröhlich und so unbeschwert
So happy and carefree
Ein Land, in das man gerne fährt
A country you'd love to visit
Man kommt zu zweit und geht allein
You come as a couple and leave alone
Du bist so furchtbar interessant,
You are terribly interesting,
Ein gottverdammtes Wohlfühland,
A damn feel-good land,
An jeder Ecke steht ein Elefant
An elephant stands on every corner
Schweden
Sweden
Jag älskar Sverige
I love Sweden
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Farin Urlaub
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind