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
N 48.3
Die Ärzte Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Auf der Suche nach Amusement und zügellosem Sex
In der Discothek war eine auf der Balz:
90-60-90 und Beine bis zum Hals
Keiner traute sich so richtig an sie ran
Ich sagte: "Baby, bist Du vielleicht auf der Suche nach 'nem Mann?
Die Suche ist zu Ende, Baby, ich bin hier,
Doch erst als sie bei mir zu Hause war,
Wurde mir das Ausmaß der Tragödie wirklich klar
Sie kam aus meiner Dusche und ich sah angeschissen:
Wonderbra
Push-up-bh
Ich fuhr in die Disco zurück
Beim zweiten Versuch hat man immer mehr Glück
Da sah ich auf der Tanzfläche ein Teil
Lange Haare, große Augen, die war genau mein Fall
Es war ziemlich voll und dichtgedrängt,
Aber ich zeigte ihr trotzdem wo der Tanzhammer so hängt
Ich flüsterte ihr Schweinereien ins Ohr,
Und sie schmolz dahin wie Schnee auf 'nem Ford-V8-Motor
Da zog ich sie auf's Klo, was immer zieht
Sie drehte total auf, ich wusste kaum, wie mir geschieht
Doch manchmal ist da mehr, als man erst sieht reingefallen:
Transvestit
Mädchen mit Glied
Ich hatte wirklich alle Tricks probiert
Ich war nicht mehr verzweifelt, Ich hatte resigniert
Da lächelte ein Engel mich an,
Und fragte, ob sie sich vielleicht zu mir setzen kann
Ich sah sofort, ihr Busen, der war echt
Sie sah aus, als lief sie Werbung für das schönere Geschlecht
Da fragte sie mich: "Kommst Du mit zu mir?"
Ist der Papst katholisch? Und schon waren wir bei ihr
Sie zog sich aus und fragte: "Hast Du Lust?"
Da wurde mir das Ausmaß ihrer Schönheit erst bewusst
Ich schloss sie in die Arme, dann war Schluss:
Es darf nicht wahr sein, vorzeitiger Samenerguss,
Vor dem ersten Kuss
Ich geb' mir den Schuss
The lyrics of Die Ärzte's song N 48.3 tell a story of a man's quest for sensual pleasure, which leads him to various chance encounters with women. The singer spends his Friday evening in a club, on the hunt for "amusement and promiscuous sex." He meets a woman with seemingly perfect measurements, but upon taking her home, discovers that her attractive appearance was largely due to a Wonderbra push-up bra. Undeterred, he returns to the club, where he meets another woman who initially seems like his ideal match. However, he soon discovers that she is a transvestite or "girl with a penis." Despite his increasing frustration and disappointment, he continues his search until he finally meets a woman with whom he has a genuine, fulfilling experience.
The song satirizes the shallow and superficial nature of modern dating culture, highlighting the discrepancies between appearances and reality. The singer's constant pursuit of instant gratification ultimately leaves him feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied, suggesting that true intimacy comes from genuine connection rather than physical attraction alone. The use of humor and irony in the lyrics further emphasizes this critique, as the singer's failed attempts to find happiness through sex are repeatedly portrayed as comically tragic.
Line by Line Meaning
Freitagabend und ich war unterwegs,
On a Friday night I went out,
Auf der Suche nach Amusement und zügellosem Sex
In search of amusement and unbridled sex
In der Discothek war eine auf der Balz:
There was one looking for a mate at the disco,
90-60-90 und Beine bis zum Hals
She had a great body: 90-60-90 measurements and long legs
Keiner traute sich so richtig an sie ran
Nobody dared to approach her,
Ich sagte: "Baby, bist Du vielleicht auf der Suche nach 'nem Mann?
I said, "Baby, are you maybe looking for a man?
Die Suche ist zu Ende, Baby, ich bin hier,
The search is over, baby, I'm here,
Und jetzt beeil Dich, unser Taxi steht schon draußen vor der Tür."
Now hurry up, our taxi is already waiting outside the door."
Doch erst als sie bei mir zu Hause war,
But it was only when she was at my home,
Wurde mir das Ausmaß der Tragödie wirklich klar
That I realized the extent of the tragedy
Sie kam aus meiner Dusche und ich sah angeschissen:
She came out of my shower and I saw a Wonderbra, a push-up bra
Ich fuhr in die Disco zurück
I went back to the disco
Beim zweiten Versuch hat man immer mehr Glück
The second attempt is always more successful
Da sah ich auf der Tanzfläche ein Teil
Then I saw someone on the dance floor
Lange Haare, große Augen, die war genau mein Fall
Long hair, big eyes, she was exactly my type
Es war ziemlich voll und dichtgedrängt,
It was pretty crowded and cramped,
Aber ich zeigte ihr trotzdem wo der Tanzhammer so hängt
But I still showed her how the dance hammer swings
Ich flüsterte ihr Schweinereien ins Ohr,
I whispered dirty things in her ear,
Und sie schmolz dahin wie Schnee auf 'nem Ford-V8-Motor
And she melted like snow on a Ford V8 engine
Da zog ich sie auf's Klo, was immer zieht
So I took her to the bathroom, which always works
Sie drehte total auf, ich wusste kaum, wie mir geschieht
She got really into it, and I didn't know what was happening to me
Doch manchmal ist da mehr, als man erst sieht reingefallen:
But sometimes there's more than meets the eye, and I fell for it:
Transvestit
A transvestite
Mädchen mit Glied
A girl with a penis
Ich hatte wirklich alle Tricks probiert
I had really tried all the tricks
Ich war nicht mehr verzweifelt, Ich hatte resigniert
I wasn't desperate anymore, I had resigned myself to the situation
Da lächelte ein Engel mich an,
Then an angel smiled at me,
Und fragte, ob sie sich vielleicht zu mir setzen kann
And asked if she could sit with me
Ich sah sofort, ihr Busen, der war echt
I immediately saw that her breasts were real
Sie sah aus, als lief sie Werbung für das schönere Geschlecht
She looked like she was advertising for the fairer sex
Da fragte sie mich: "Kommst Du mit zu mir?"
Then she asked me, "Are you coming with me?"
Ist der Papst katholisch? Und schon waren wir bei ihr
"Is the Pope Catholic?" And we were already at her place
Sie zog sich aus und fragte: "Hast Du Lust?"
She undressed and asked, "Do you want to?"
Da wurde mir das Ausmaß ihrer Schönheit erst bewusst
It was only then that I realized the extent of her beauty
Ich schloss sie in die Arme, dann war Schluss:
I held her in my arms, and that was it:
Es darf nicht wahr sein, vorzeitiger Samenerguss,
It can't be true, premature ejaculation,
Vor dem ersten Kuss
Before the first kiss
Ich geb' mir den Schuss
I give myself the shot
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Farin Urlaub
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind