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.
Vogelfrei
Die Toten Hosen Lyrics
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Ist alles so viel leichter
Ihr müsst alle aufstehen
Ich schlaf' einfach weiter
Hier oben tut die Luft so gut
Ich atme alles ein
Gott macht den besten Kaffee
Und keiner spuckt mir rein
Jetzt, wo's vorbei ist
Ist alles so viel besser
Champagner aus dem Wasserhahn
Und jeden Tag Silvester
Wir feiern hier 'ne Party
Und alle rasten aus
Keiner geht heut' Nacht allein nach Haus'
Der nackte Wahnsinn
Ihr müsstet hier sein
Selbst der Teufel kommt ab und zu vorbei
All diese Farben
Und all die Schönheit
Nur hier oben fühl' ich mich vogelfrei
Jetzt, wo ich hier bin
Ist alles so schön einfach
Die Wolken ziehen weiter
Fast wie auf Jamaika
Die Engel spielen Trompete
Und schießen uns ins Licht
Durch den schwarzen Tunnel in das Nichts
Der nackte Wahnsinn
Ihr müsstet hier sein
Und all die Farben
Und all die Schönheit
Nur hier oben fühl' ich mich vogelfrei
Hier bin ich frei, hier bin ich frei, so vogelfrei
The lyrics to Die Toten Hosen's song "Vogelfrei" describe a sense of freedom and release felt by the singer after their death. The chorus repeats the phrase "vogelfrei," meaning "free as a bird," emphasizing this feeling of liberation. The singer describes the ease of being dead, as they can simply sleep and breathe in the fresh air. They then go on to describe a wild afterlife where they are surrounded by vibrant colors, beauty, and parties. The singer urges those still alive to join them in the afterlife as it is an experience to be had. The lyrics express a desire for freedom and release, both from the constraints of life and from fear of death itself.
Line by Line Meaning
Jetzt, wo ich tot bin
Now that I'm dead
Ist alles so viel leichter
Everything is so much easier
Ihr müsst alle aufstehen
You all must get up
Ich schlaf' einfach weiter
I'll just keep on sleeping
Hier oben tut die Luft so gut
The air up here feels so good
Ich atme alles ein
Breathing in everything
Gott macht den besten Kaffee
God makes the best coffee
Und keiner spuckt mir rein
And no one spits in it
Jetzt, wo's vorbei ist
Now that it's over
Ist alles so viel besser
Everything is so much better
Champagner aus dem Wasserhahn
Champagne from the faucet
Und jeden Tag Silvester
And every day is New Year's Eve
Wir feiern hier 'ne Party
We're partying here
Und alle rasten aus
And everyone is going crazy
Keiner geht heut' Nacht allein nach Haus'
No one's going home alone tonight
Der nackte Wahnsinn
The naked madness
Ihr müsstet hier sein
You should be here
Selbst der Teufel kommt ab und zu vorbei
Even the devil comes by from time to time
All diese Farben
All these colors
Und all die Schönheit
And all that beauty
Nur hier oben fühle ich mich vogelfrei
Only up here do I feel free as a bird
Jetzt, wo ich hier bin
Now that I'm here
Ist alles so schön einfach
Everything is so beautifully simple
Die Wolken ziehen weiter
The clouds keep moving on
Fast wie auf Jamaika
Almost like being in Jamaica
Die Engel spielen Trompete
Angels play trumpet
Und schießen uns ins Licht
And shoot us into the light
Durch den schwarzen Tunnel in das Nichts
Through the black tunnel into nothingness
Hier bin ich frei, hier bin ich frei, so vogelfrei
Here I am free, here I am free, so free as a bird
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Andreas Frege, Andreas Holst Von, Marten Laciny, Michael Breitkopf
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind