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
Zum Bäcker
Die Ärzte Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dann, Kameraden, Auf: Zum Bäcker!
Links, Rechts; Links, Rechts; Links, Rechts; Links, Rechts:
Zum Bäcker! (Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen)
Links, Rechts; Links, Rechts; Links, Rechts; Links, Rechts:
Zum Bäcker! (Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen)
Ich Esse Gerne Brötchen
Denn Brötchen Machen Stark!
Links, Rechts; Links, Rechts;...
Danach Geh Ich Nach Hause
Denn Zu Hause, Da Wohn Ich
Frische Brötchen Ess Ich Am Liebsten Mit Honig!
Links, Rechts; Links, Rechts ...
Nur Eine Kleine Sache, Die Lässt Mir Keine Ruh:
Sonntags Ist Mein Trauertag, Da Hat Mein Bäcker Zu!
The song "Zum Bäcker" by Die Ärzte is a lighthearted ode to the simple pleasure of going to the bakery and getting fresh bread rolls. The first lines, "Wollt Ihr Das Totale Brötchen? Dann, Kameraden, Auf: Zum Bäcker!" can be translated as "Do you want the ultimate bread roll? Then, comrades, let's go to the bakery!" The song encourages the listener to join in and march along to the rhythm of the refrain which repeats the words "Links, Rechts" (Left, Right) several times before shouting "Zum Bäcker!" (To the bakery!) and celebrating the joy of getting fresh bread rolls. The lyrics go on to describe the singer's love for bread rolls, his favorite way of eating them with honey, and the disappointment of not being able to get them on Sundays when his favorite bakery is closed.
Despite its seemingly simplistic lyrics, "Zum Bäcker" can be seen as a critique of consumerist society that values products over people. The chorus, with its military-like command to march to the bakery and get as many bread rolls as possible, can be interpreted as a comment on the conformity and the herd mentality that often govern modern society. The song can also be seen as a tribute to the simple pleasures of everyday life such as a freshly baked bread roll, which can bring people together and make them happy.
Line by Line Meaning
Wollt Ihr Das Totale Brötchen?
Do you want the total bun?
Dann, Kameraden, Auf: Zum Bäcker!
Then, comrades, let's go to the baker!
Links, Rechts; Links, Rechts; Links, Rechts; Links, Rechts:
Left, right; left, right; left, right; left, right:
Zum Bäcker! (Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen)
To the baker! (Buns, buns, buns, buns)
Ich Geh Zum Bäcker, Hol Mir Brötchen Für Fünf Mark
I go to the baker, get buns for five marks
Ich Esse Gerne Brötchen
I like to eat buns
Denn Brötchen Machen Stark!
Because buns make you strong!
Danach Geh Ich Nach Hause
Then I go home
Denn Zu Hause, Da Wohn Ich
Because I live at home
Frische Brötchen Ess Ich Am Liebsten Mit Honig!
I like to eat fresh buns with honey!
Nur Eine Kleine Sache, Die Lässt Mir Keine Ruh:
Only one little thing, that doesn't leave me in peace:
Sonntags Ist Mein Trauertag, Da Hat Mein Bäcker Zu!
Sunday is my day of mourning, because my baker is closed!
Contributed by Charlotte B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mitlebenswillen2942
Wollt ihr das totale Brötchen?
Dann, Kameraden, auf: Zum Bäcker
Links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts:
Zum Bäcker (Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen)
Links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts:
Zum Bäcker (Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen)
Ich geh zum Bäcker, hol mir Brötchen für fünf Mark
Ich esse gerne Brötchen
Denn Brötchen machen stark
Links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts:
Zum Bäcker (Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen)
Links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts:
Zum Bäcker (Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen)
Danach geh ich nach Hause
Denn zu Hause, da wohn ich
Frische Brötchen ess' ich am liebsten mit Honig
Links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts:
Zum Bäcker (Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen)
Links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts:
Zum Bäcker (Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen)
Nur eine kleine Sache, die lässt mir keine Ruh:
Sonntags ist mein Trauertag, da hat mein Bäcker zu
Links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts:
Zum Bäcker (Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen)
Links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts:
Zum Bäcker (Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen)
Links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts:
Zum Bäcker (Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen)
Links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts:
Zum Bäcker (Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen)
Links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts:
Zum Bäcker (Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen)
Links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts; links, rechts:
Zum Bäcker (Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen, Brötchen)
@alexanderschellen2916
Schon 40 Jahre alt der Song. Und immer noch lustig 😝
Die bäste Bänd der Welt. Ärzte forever
@Crippledish
sowas von geil ich liebe den Song :D ärzte forever!
@isabell4954
Dann geh ich nach Hause. Denn zu Hause das wohn ich. ........Geil,lach mich schlapp
@falkz.5234
Das waren noch Zeiten sonntags kein Bäcker und unter der Woche machen die Läden 18 Uhr zu.
Absolut unvorstellbar.
@alr1173
"Ich ging nach Hause denn da wohn ich" :D genial
@RagingGoblin
Mancherorts haben Bäcker auch sonntagmorgens früh für ein paar Stunden geöffnet. :D
@annatheresewinter495
RagingGoblin damals in den 80ern noch nicht ;-)
@cube2fox
Ich geh zum Bäcker
hol mir Brötchen für fünf Mark
Ich esse gerne Brötchen
DENN BRÖTCHEN MACHEN STARK!
@danielw.2804
Modern taking
@andreaswiede4447
für 5 Mark gibt es jetzt man gerade noch 5 Stück...🙄