Die Toten Hosen is a punk band from Düsseldorf (NRW), Germany. They are one… Read Full Bio ↴Die Toten Hosen is a punk band from Düsseldorf (NRW), Germany. They are one of very few German-language acts who have enjoyed decades-long mass appeal in Germany.

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.

Viva la Revolution
Die Toten Hosen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jeden Morgen ein Drei-Minuten-Frühstücksei und eine Runde mit dem Hund
Pünktlich bei der Arbeit sein, pünktlich wieder Schluss
Jeden Tag in die gleiche Richtung, ohne zu fragen, wieso
Jede Nacht dieselben Gesichter in denselben Fernsehshows

Niemals würden wir so enden, haben wir uns damals gesagt
Keine Lust auf diesen Käfig mit Regeln wie Eisenstangen
Es war ein riesengroßer Aufschrei, wir waren dagegen und nie dafür

Und damit endlich etwas passiert, ritzten wir in jede Scheißhaustür

Viva la revolution, es lebe die Revolution
Viva la revolution, es gibt ein Leben vor dem Tod

Wir wollten diese Welt verändern und liefen erstmal zum Friseur
Denn irgendjemand hatte mal gesagt, dass das Aussehen wichtig wär'
Und dann warfen wir uns in den Kampf wie die Krieger von Babylon
Jeder glaubte an was anderes, weil keiner etwas verstand

Viva la revolution, es lebe die Revolution
Viva la revolution, es gibt ein Leben vor dem Tod

Viva la revolution
Viva la revolution

Der alte Marx wär' sicher stolz auf uns und unseren heiligen Krieg
Denn es ging um unsere Freiheit, Gott sei Dank haben wir gesiegt
Und heute können wir wählen zwischen SPD und CDU
Zwischen RTL und ZDF, für Pepsi oder Coke

Viva la revolution, es lebe die Revolution
Viva la revolution, es gibt ein Leben vor dem Tod

Viva la revolution, es lebe die Revolution
Dieses „Viva la revolution“ war leider auch nur Opium

Viva la revolution, whoa
Viva la revolution, whoa

Overall Meaning

Die Toten Hosen's song Viva la Revolution is about the monotony of everyday life and the desire for change. The lyrics describe a routine of having a three-minute breakfast egg, walking the dog, going to work, and watching the same faces on TV every night. The band's nostalgia for a different kind of life is evident in the line "Never would we end up like this, we said back then, no desire for this cage with rules like iron bars." The lyrics reflect a longing for something more meaningful, a longing that the band intended to channel into a revolution.

The song's chorus, "Viva la revolution, long live the revolution," expresses the desire to break free from the shackles of routine and monotony. The lyrics suggest that people should strive for change, for revolution, to live life to the fullest. The bridge further emphasizes the importance of change, highlighting the need to challenge the status quo and to embrace change to achieve greater freedom, independence, and fulfillment. The lyrics suggest that a revolutionary spirit is present in all of us and that we should embrace it.

Overall, the song's message is one of hope and the power of the people to change their lives. It challenges listeners to think about their routines and question the systems that keep them in place. The Toten Hosen are urging us to embrace the revolutionary spirit and fight for the right to live a fulfilling life.

Line by Line Meaning

Jeden Morgen ein Drei-Minuten-Frühstücksei und eine Runde mit dem Hund
Every morning, we go through the same mundane routine of having a breakfast and walking the dog.

Pünktlich bei der Arbeit sein, pünktlich wieder Schluss
We work on a strict schedule, arriving on time and leaving on time every day.

Jeden Tag in die gleiche Richtung, ohne zu fragen, wieso
We are stuck in a routine, blindly following the same path without questioning the reason behind it.

Jede Nacht dieselben Gesichter in denselben Fernsehshows
Every night, we watch the same TV shows, seeing the same faces and hearing the same content.

Niemals würden wir so enden, haben wir uns damals gesagt
We swore to ourselves that we would never end up in a monotonous life like this.

Keine Lust auf diesen Käfig mit Regeln wie Eisenstangen
We have no desire to live in a cage that comes with strict rules and limitations.

Es war ein riesengroßer Aufschrei, wir waren dagegen und nie dafür
We made a loud declaration of rebellion, expressing our dissatisfaction with the status quo.

Und damit endlich etwas passiert, ritzten wir in jede Scheißhaustür
In order to create change, we resorted to vandalism by graffiti-ing every bathroom door.

Viva la revolution, es lebe die Revolution
Long live the revolution!

Viva la revolution, es gibt ein Leben vor dem Tod
There is a life to be lived before death, and revolution is the way to make that happen.

Wir wollten diese Welt verändern und liefen erstmal zum Friseur
We wanted to change the world, but we first needed to change our own appearances by going to the hair salon.

Denn irgendjemand hatte mal gesagt, dass das Aussehen wichtig wär'
Somebody once said that appearances matter.

Und dann warfen wir uns in den Kampf wie die Krieger von Babylon
We threw ourselves into the revolution, fighting like the warriors of Babylon.

Jeder glaubte an was anderes, weil keiner etwas verstand
Each person involved held different beliefs, as none of us truly understood what was happening.

Der alte Marx wär' sicher stolz auf uns und unseren heiligen Krieg
Karl Marx would surely be proud of our holy war.

Denn es ging um unsere Freiheit, Gott sei Dank haben wir gesiegt
We fought for our freedom and, thankfully, emerged victorious.

Und heute können wir wählen zwischen SPD und CDU
Today, we have the right to vote and choose between political parties like SPD and CDU.

Zwischen RTL und ZDF, für Pepsi oder Coke
We have the freedom to choose between things like TV networks RTL and ZDF, or beverages like Pepsi or Coke.

Dieses „Viva la revolution“ war leider auch nur Opium
Sadly, our battle cry of 'long live the revolution' proved to be just like an opiate, offering no real solution.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Andreas Frege, Michael Breitkopf

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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