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.
Hopeless Happy Song
Die Toten Hosen Lyrics
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Keeps buzzing round my head
Brings a swing to your hips, a smile to your lips,
But it makes me see red
It's good when you shop, makes your heart-rate drop,
Worries drift away
You don't have to listen to the silence,
There's a little melody ringing in my ears,
Sounds so peaceful and so sweets, soothes away my fears
There's a hopeless happy song burrowing in my brain,
It tears my heart to pieces, it's driving me insane
Can you boogie to the revolution?
Can you shimmy to the holocaust?
Can you tap your toes to your troubles and woes?
Can you join in with the words?
It's unconditional surrender,
It's the bland leading the blind
If you find your way through the dreary day,
But it's making me lose my mind
There's a little melody ringing in my ears,
Sounds so peaceful and so sweets, soothes away my fears
There's a hopeless happy song burrowing in my brain,
It tears my heart to pieces, it's driving me insane
There's a little melody ringing in my ears,
Sounds so peaceful and so sweets, soothes away my fears
There's a hopeless happy song burrowing in my brain,
It tears my heart to pieces, it's driving me insane
The lyrics of Die Toten Hosen's song "Hopeless Happy Song" describe the experience of being unable to shake off a catchy tune that seems to have a mind of its own. The song urges the listener to question whether the cheerful mood of the melody is appropriate given the darker themes it touches upon. The lyrics ask pointedly, "Can you boogie to the revolution? Can you shimmy to the holocaust?" and suggest that there is something suspect about a song that doesn't match the seriousness of the world around it.
Line by Line Meaning
What is it? Sounds like a hit,
The song is catchy and infectious.
Keeps buzzing round my head
The song keeps playing repeatedly in the author's mind.
Brings a swing to your hips, a smile to your lips,
The song brings joy to the listener causing them to dance and smile.
But it makes me see red
The author dislikes the song and finds it annoying.
It's good when you shop, makes your heart-rate drop, Worries drift away
The song is soothing and helpful for people during shopping or when they need to relax.
You don't have to listen to the silence, That's what you really hate
The song is a welcome alternative to the silence which the author hates.
There's a little melody ringing in my ears, Sounds so peaceful and so sweets, soothes away my fears
The author is experiencing the calming effects of the song's melody.
There's a hopeless happy song burrowing in my brain, It tears my heart to pieces, it's driving me insane
The author is torn between the positive and negative effects of the song, causing them inner turmoil.
Can you boogie to the revolution? Can you shimmy to the holocaust? Can you tap your toes to your troubles and woes? Can you join in with the words?
The author questions whether people can dance and sing along to serious topics such as revolution, holocaust, troubles and woes.
It's unconditional surrender, It's the bland leading the blind
The song represents giving up and blindly following something without a second thought.
If you find your way through the dreary day, But it's making me lose my mind
The song may be helpful for some people to get through tough times, but it is having a negative effect on the author's mental state.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANDREAS FREGE, MICHAEL BREITKOPF, TIMOTHY SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mr pibb
love this song