beauty
EinstÃπrzende Neubauten Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
maybe saturn, maybe jupiter, in the early night sky over
berlin, from the windows of a taxicab, near potsdamer platz.
you think: beauty
no, this is not beauty, maybe not, maybe, this is the rest of it,
maybe not, maybe, the rest of beauty, maybe not, maybe, what remains of beauty, maybe not, maybe, what is visible, certainly, uncertain.
to form an adequate gesture for beauty
(you know that, don't you?)
so beauty remains in the impossibilities of the body.
The lyrics of Einstürzende Neubauten's song "Beauty" depict the fleetingness of beauty and the difficulty in capturing its essence. The opening lines describe a scene where the singer sees the half-moon and planets, perhaps Saturn or Jupiter, in the night sky over Berlin from a taxicab near Potsdamer Platz. This picturesque moment is enough for the singer to feel a sense of awe and appreciation, but upon reflection, they question whether this is really beauty or just a small part of it. They realize that beauty is elusive and yet to be fully grasped.
The second half of the lyrics delve even deeper into the concept of beauty. The singer acknowledges that beauty cannot be fully captured or described by language, that it extends beyond what our bodies are capable of communicating. The line "so beauty remains in the impossibilities of the body" exemplifies this idea that beauty is a feeling or sense that exists beyond our physical abilities. The lyrics evoke a sense of ambiguity, as the singer isn't quite sure what beauty is, yet they know it's something valuable that cannot be easily explained.
Overall, Einstürzende Neubauten's "Beauty" is a thought-provoking song that challenges the listener's understanding of beauty as a concept. It highlights the difficulty in grasping something that is largely subjective and often associated with ephemeral moments.
Line by Line Meaning
you see half the moon, its crecent, and one of the planets,
Observing the sky at night from a taxi near Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, reveals the crecent-shaped half of the moon, along with a single planet, possibly Jupiter or Saturn.
you think: beauty
The initial thought that arises from this serene image of the moon and planet is that of beauty.
no, this is not beauty, maybe not, maybe, this is the rest of it,
Although the image initially appears to be beauty, upon further inspection, it may not fit the traditional definition. It could be what remains or what's left of beauty after everything else is stripped away.
maybe not, maybe, the rest of beauty, maybe not, maybe, what remains of beauty, maybe not, maybe, what is visible, certainly, uncertain.
The nebulous nature of beauty is difficult to pin down. It's possible that what is visible is only a part of it or even its aftermath. There's no definitive answer to what defines beauty as it can be wholly uncertain and subjective.
your arms would not be able to stretch as far as necessary to form an adequate gesture for beauty
Beauty is an elusive concept beyond a physical reach to capture or embody.
(you know that, don't you?)
The songwriter poses a rhetorical question to imply that the listener knows this truth about beauty.
so beauty remains in the impossibilities of the body.
Beauty is intangible, existing beyond the physical realm of the body, yet it persists in our minds.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind