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.
Wir sind der Weg
Die Toten Hosen Lyrics
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Waren in Polen und Peru
Ob Buenos Aires oder Kopenhagen
Jeder Weg hat sich gelohnt
Hundertmal in Berlin versackt
In Hamburg ging's wild zu
Harte Nächte auch in Bremen
Und sogar in Magdeburg
Wir haben unser Leben noch lange nicht gelebt
Wir brauchen kein Ziel, wir sind der Weg
Hätten wir mehr Zeit
Wir stürzten die Regierung
Wir stoppten die Rezession
Wir würden so viel Gutes tun
Und noch mehr Geld für alle
Wir würden es stehlen
Und dem Roten Kreuz
Aus der Tasche ziehen
Wir haben unser Leben noch nicht gelebt
Wir brauchen kein Ziel, wir sind der Weg
Die Straße war nie gerade
Die Kurven immer steil
Wir standen oft im Regen
So wird es immer sein
Wir haben unser Leben noch nicht gelebt
Wir brauchen kein Ziel, wir sind der Weg
Wir haben unser Leben noch nicht gelebt
Solange man uns nicht auf den Friedhof legt
In the song "Wir sind der Weg" by German punk rock band Die Toten Hosen, the lyrics describe a life of adventure and spontaneity. The first verse explains that they have traveled halfway around the world, from Poland to Peru, and that every journey has been worth it. They also reminisce about wild nights in various German cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen, and even Magdeburg. The chorus asserts their belief that they haven't yet fully lived their lives and that they don't need a specific destination because they are the journey itself. The second verse suggests that if they had more time, they could even overthrow the government and stop economic recession, while also giving more money to everyone and stealing it from the Red Cross if necessary. The chorus repeats that they haven't yet experienced everything life has to offer and that they are content with just being on the road, regardless of its twists and turns or difficult weather. The final line clarifies that they will continue on this path until they die.
Overall, the song celebrates a life of freedom, exploration, and rebellion against societal norms. The band emphasizes the importance of living in the moment and pursuing one's desires without a set plan in mind. The lyrics also suggest a level of political dissatisfaction and a desire for change, which aligns with the punk rock movement. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that life is a journey, not a destination, and that the band members are content with this current state of being.
Line by Line Meaning
Sind um die halbe Welt gefahren
We've traveled around half the world
Waren in Polen und Peru
We've been to Poland and Peru
Ob Buenos Aires oder Kopenhagen
Whether in Buenos Aires or Copenhagen
Jeder Weg hat sich gelohnt
Every path has been worth it
Hundertmal in Berlin versackt
We've been stuck in Berlin countless times
In Hamburg ging's wild zu
Things have gotten wild in Hamburg
Harte Nächte auch in Bremen
We've had tough nights in Bremen
Und sogar in Magdeburg
And even in Magdeburg
Wir haben unser Leben noch lange nicht gelebt
We haven't lived our lives to the fullest yet
Wir brauchen kein Ziel, wir sind der Weg
We don't need a destination, we are the journey
Hätten wir mehr Zeit
If we had more time
Wir stürzten die Regierung
We would overthrow the government
Wir stoppten die Rezession
We would stop the recession
Wir würden so viel Gutes tun
We would do so much good
Und noch mehr Geld für alle
And give even more money to everyone
Wir würden es stehlen
We would steal it
Und dem Roten Kreuz
And give it to the Red Cross
Aus der Tasche ziehen
We would take it out of our own pockets
Die Straße war nie gerade
The road was never straight
Die Kurven immer steil
The curves were always steep
Wir standen oft im Regen
We were often standing in the rain
So wird es immer sein
That's just how it will always be
Wir haben unser Leben noch nicht gelebt
We haven't lived our lives to the fullest yet
Wir brauchen kein Ziel, wir sind der Weg
We don't need a destination, we are the journey
Wir haben unser Leben noch nicht gelebt
We haven't lived our lives to the fullest yet
Solange man uns nicht auf den Friedhof legt
As long as we're not lying in a grave
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Andreas Frege, Michael Breitkopf
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
epiphoneSGltd
das ist son richtig schönes lied zum mitgrölen xD Ist auch der grund, weiso mein Vater die CD die ganze Zeit im Auto hat xD
Frekir Frost
WIR SIND DER WEG!
Mein Name
wir sind der weg
Sonja Dietz
!!!!!
Moritz Teuer
sogar in Magdeburg