The band formed out of the ashes of punk band, ZK, founded 1978. The members of Die Toten Hosen (literally "The Dead Trousers" in English; "tote Hose" is a German expression meaning "lifeless", "boring", or "nothing going on") are Campino (Andreas Frege), Kuddel (Andreas von Holst), Vom (Stephen George Ritchie), Andi (Andreas Meurer) and Breiti (Michael Breitkopf). Vom replaced Wölli as the drummer in 1999 (Wölli's untimely departure from the band was due to injuries caused by a car accident), who himself had replaced Trini in 1985 and is still an honorary member of the band; Trini became the band's manager.
The band has existed for over 20 years, and their songs' focus gradually shifted from funny and nonsensical to serious; the songs from their first LP were mostly about having fun, but by the end of the 1980s they were focusing more on political and social issues such as racism.
Part of the folklore surounding the band is the story that in their early days they played for free on private birthday parties or similar events. However only under the conditions that the host provided for unlimited beer supply and paid for all damages caused by the band.
The debut single "Wir sind bereit" ("We are ready") was released in 1982, and was followed by their first album, "Opel-Gang", the next year. In 1988, Die Toten Hosen released the LP "Ein kleines bisschen Horrorschau". It refers to the movie A Clockwork Orange based on the book by Anthony Burgess. In 1993, Frank Castorf produced a German theater version of the book, in which Die Toten Hosen performed as actors and musicians.
Their 1000th concert was on 28th June 1997, in the Düsseldorfer Rheinstadium, and was attended by more than 60,000 fans. A Dutch girl died in the crowd; after various talks with security and police, the band decided to play soft songs until the end, in order not to panic the crowd. Later the band produced the song "Alles ist Eins" in memoriam for the Dutch girl.
Die Toten Hosen have collaborated with numerous other musicians (like Bad Religion, AC/DC, U2, Rolling Stones); they are also one of the few German punk bands popular outside of Germany (esp. in South America, Australia, eastern Europe) other notable bands being Die Ärzte and Rammstein.
As longtime fans of the their local soccer team Fortuna Düsseldorf they have been sponsoring the club from 2001 to 2003.
After their Unplugged concert in the end of 2005 they've taken a time-out. But they disclaimed rumors, that this is the end of the band.
In 2008 they released the Album "In aller Stille.
In 2012, Die Toten Hosen released their album Ballast der Republik. A special edition includes a bonus CD with cover versions of songs that influenced the band. On 26 April 2016, it was announced that former drummer Wolfgang Rohde had died of cancer.
Do You Remember
Die Toten Hosen Lyrics
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'Cause we remember, we do
Do you remember?
I hope you do, I'm sure you do
Do you remember?
'Cause we remember, we do
Do you remember?
Sitting on the gear, drinking from a can
That we stole from a gig in Birmingham
Motorway food, whiteline blues
Thunders on the airwaves singing "Born to lose"
Do you remember?
'Cause we remember, we do
Do you remember?
I hope you do, I'm sure you do
Yeah we remember, going back in the van
Heading back to Düsseldorf as fast as we can
We did the gig but we didn't get paid
'Cause they didn't like the racket we made
Do you remember?
'Cause we remember, we do
Do you remember?
I hope you do, I'm know you do
Who knows why we loved it? We haven't a clue
It started off being just something to do
The fun just faded and died
Now we're in the big time, oh what a shame!
Things are looking up we've come a long way
Lying by the pool in sunny L.A
Hello Cadillacs, goodbye old van
But we still remember whenever we can
Do you remember?
'Cause we remember, we do
Do you remember?
I hope you do, I'm sure you do
Do you remember? (Breakin' a string in the first number)
'Cause we remember, we do
Do you remember? (Breakin' another one in the next)
I hope you do, I'm sure you do
Do you remember? (Roadies earning more than you)
'Cause we remember, we do
Do you remember? (God bless the fucking crew)
I hope you do, I'm sure you do
Do you remember? (Never getting paid)
'Cause we remember, we do
Do you remember? (Almost getting laid)
I hope you do, I'm sure you do
Do you remember? (The old van breakin' down)
'Cause we remember, we do
Do you remember? (Miles and miles from town)
I hope you do, I'm sure you do
In "Do You Remember?" by Die Toten Hosen, the band reflects on their humble beginnings and rise to fame. The song describes their experiences as a small, struggling band that played gigs for free or barely any pay, while driving around in an old van. The lyrics suggest that these experiences were challenging but also nostalgic, as they reminisce on their past experiences, good and bad. The song mentions stealing beer from a gig in Birmingham and eating motorway food while driving to gigs. The lyrics also touch on some of the hardships the band faced, such as breaking strings during performances and losing money on unpaid gigs.
Despite the struggles they faced, the band fondly remembers their early days and recognizes that those experiences led them to where they are now. The lyrics portray a sense of appreciation for the journey the band went through to get to their current level of success. The lines "Who knows why we loved it? We haven't a clue./It started off being just something to do" suggest that even the band members themselves are not entirely sure why they pursued music in the first place, but now they are grateful for that decision.
Overall, "Do You Remember?" is a nostalgic, reflective song that speaks to the experiences of a band that worked hard to achieve their success.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you remember?
Asking if the listener remembers the band's early days
'Cause we remember, we do
The band remembers their early days
I hope you do, I'm sure you do
The band hopes the listener also remembers
Sitting on the gear, drinking from a can
Recalling the act of sitting on their gear and drinking beer
That we stole from a gig in Birmingham
The beer was stolen from a gig in Birmingham
Motorway food, whiteline blues
Talking about the loneliness of traveling on the road
Thunders on the airwaves singing "Born to lose"
Reference to a song played on the radio that fit the band's feelings
Yeah we remember, going back in the van
Remembering traveling back in their old van
Heading back to Düsseldorf as fast as we can
Fast return to Düsseldorf after a show
We did the gig but we didn't get paid
Didn't receive payment for a gig
'Cause they didn't like the racket we made
The organizers didn't appreciate the band's music
Who knows why we loved it? We haven't a clue
Questioning why they even loved their own music
It started off being just something to do
The band started playing music as a hobby
The fun just faded and died
The fun of playing music disappeared
Now we're in the big time, oh what a shame!
Regretting that they're famous now, after the fun is gone
Things are looking up we've come a long way
The band has come a long way since their early days
Lying by the pool in sunny L.A
Enjoying the luxuries of success in Los Angeles
Hello Cadillacs, goodbye old van
Replacing their old van with a new, luxurious Cadillac
But we still remember whenever we can
Despite success, the band still remembers their early days
Do you remember? (Breakin' a string in the first number)
Asking if the listener remembers breaking strings while playing
'Cause we remember, we do
The band remembers breaking strings
Do you remember? (Breakin' another one in the next)
Asking if the listener remembers breaking more strings
I hope you do, I'm sure you do
Hoping the listener also remembers broken guitar strings
Do you remember? (Roadies earning more than you)
Asking if the listener remembers roadies earning more than the band
'Cause we remember, we do
The band remembers the roadies earning more
Do you remember? (God bless the fucking crew)
Asking if the listener remembers thanking the crew
I hope you do, I'm sure you do
Hoping the listener also remembers the crew
Do you remember? (Never getting paid)
Asking if the listener remembers not being paid for a gig
'Cause we remember, we do
The band remembers not being paid
Do you remember? (Almost getting laid)
Asking if the listener remembers almost getting laid
I hope you do, I'm sure you do
Hoping the listener also remembers missed sexual opportunities
Do you remember? (The old van breakin' down)
Asking if the listener remembers their old van breaking down
'Cause we remember, we do
The band remembers their old van breaking down
Do you remember? (Miles and miles from town)
Asking if the listener remembers being far from civilization
I hope you do, I'm sure you do
Hoping the listener also remembers being stranded far away
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANDREAS FREGE, ANDREAS VON HOLST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind