However, Neubauten soon outgrew the confines of even the broad scope of industrial music. In their 25-plus years, they have produced a dozen studio albums, live records, a remix album and EP, scored theatre pieces, and more.
Lead vocalist Blixa Bargeld is perhaps the best-known member of the group, both for his work with Neubauten and as guitarist for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. His fellow founding members Alexander Hacke and N.U. Unruh have likewise been active in various musical roles outside the group over the years.
Bassist Mark Chung was a member of the group from 1981 to 1994. He founded the publishing house Freibank Music Publishing to handle business affairs for Neubauten and other groups, and has continued in this role (concurrently serving as a senior vice-president of Sony Music International for nine years). Percussionist FM Einheit, was a member from 1981 to 1995, and has also been active as a solo artist and member of groups such as Gry.
Since 1997 the group has also included guitarist Jochen Arbeit and percussionist Rudi Moser.
Neubauten's most recent work has been available exclusively to subscribers to their online home, www.neubauten.org. Neubauten completed the third incarnation of their online project in November 2007 and were touring Europe in 2008 in support of their latest album Alles Wieder Offen.
Currently Einstürzende Neubauten is celebrating their 30th anniversary with a tour through Europe and the United States. In October/November 2010 the band is releasing Strategies Against Architecture IV, the fourth album in the archival compilation series by Neubauten which collates the band’s output from 2002-2010.
Die Wellen
Einstürzende Neubauten Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was soll ich jetzt mit euch, ihr Wellen, ihr, die ihr euch nie
entscheiden könnt, ob ihr die ersten oder letzten seid?
Die Küste wollt ihr definieren mit eurem ständigen Gewäsch,
sie zisilieren mit eurem Kommen, eurem Gehen.
Und doch weiss niemand wie lang die Küste wirklich ist,
wo das Land aufhört, das Land beginnt, denn ständig ändert
Beständig nur ist eure Unbeständigkeit.
Siegreich letztendlich, denn sie höhlt, wie oft beschworen,
Steine, mahlt den Sand, so fein wie Stundengläser,
Eieruhren ihn brauchen, zum Zeitvermessen und für den
Unterschied von hart und weich.
Siegreich auch weil niemals müde, den Wettbewerb, wer
von uns beiden zuerst in Schlaf versinkt, gewinnt ihr, oder
du, das Meer noch immer, weil du niemals schläfst.
Obwohl selbst farblos, erscheinst du blau wenn in deiner
Oberfläche ruhig sich der Himmel spiegelt, ein Idealparkour
zum wandeln für den Sohn des Zimmermanns, das wandelbarste Element.
Und umgekehrt wenn du bist, wild, und laut und tosend
deine Brandung, in deine Wellenberge lausch' ich,
und aus den höchsten Wellen, aus den Brechern,
brechen dann die tausend Stimmen, meine, die von gestern,
die ich nicht kannte, die sonst flüstern und alle anderen
auch, und mittendrin der Nazarener;
Immer wieder die famosen, fünfen, letzten Worte:
Warum hast du mich verlassen?
Ich halt dagegen, brüll' jede Welle einzeln an:
Bleibst du jetzt hier?
Bleibst du jetzt hier?
Bleibst du jetzt hier, oder was?
The lyrics to "Die Wellen" by Einstürzende Neubauten explores the constant change and unpredictability of the ocean waves. The singer addresses the waves, wondering what to do with them as they can never make up their minds whether to be first or last. The waves try to define the coast with their constant babble and move it with their coming and going, but no one knows how long the coastline really is, where the land ends and begins, because the line is constantly changing with the moon's movements and is unreliable. The only thing that is constant about the waves is their inconsistency.
The waves' tendency to never tire and their relentless competition to see who can fall asleep first is another aspect explored in the song. The waves always win because they never sleep. Even though the waves appear colorless, they are blue when the quiet sky reflects on their surface, creating an ideal path to stroll for the son of a carpenter, who is the most changeable element. Conversely, when the waves are wild and loud, the singer listens to their roar and from the highest waves, from the breakers, thousands of voices break out, including his own, those from yesterday that he didn't know existed, that otherwise whisper and all the others too, and in the middle is the Nazarene. This section of the song highlights the power and unpredictability of the waves, and their ability to bring forth unexpected emotions and memories.
Overall, Einstürzende Neubauten's "Die Wellen" is a reflection on the ever-changing nature of the ocean waves and their impact on the people who witness them. The waves are an embodiment of unpredictability and a reminder of the vastness of the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
Was soll ich jetzt mit euch, ihr Wellen, ihr, die ihr euch nie entscheiden könnt, ob ihr die ersten oder letzten seid?
What am I supposed to do with you waves? You can never make up your mind if you want to be first or last.
Die Küste wollt ihr definieren mit eurem ständigen Gewäsch, sie zisilieren mit eurem Kommen, eurem Gehen.
You want to define the coast with your constant noise, marking it with your coming and going.
Und doch weiss niemand wie lang die Küste wirklich ist, wo das Land aufhört, das Land beginnt, denn ständig ändert ihr die Linie, Länge, Lage, mit dem Mond und unberechenbar.
No one really knows how long the coast is or where the land ends and the sea begins because you constantly change the line, length, and position with the moon, making it unpredictable.
Beständig nur ist eure Unbeständigkeit.
Your only constant is your inconsistency.
Siegreich letztendlich, denn sie höhlt, wie oft beschworen, Steine, mahlt den Sand, so fein wie Stundengläser, Eieruhren ihn brauchen, zum Zeitvermessen und für den Unterschied von hart und weich.
In the end, you are victorious because you hollow out stones, grind sand, and make it as fine as hourglasses. Egg timers need sand to measure time and the difference between hard and soft.
Siegreich auch weil niemals müde, den Wettbewerb, wer von uns beiden zuerst in Schlaf versinkt, gewinnt ihr, oder du, das Meer noch immer, weil du niemals schläfst.
You are also victorious because you never tire, always competing with us to see who falls asleep first. You, the sea, always win because you never sleep.
Obwohl selbst farblos, erscheinst du blau wenn in deiner Oberfläche ruhig sich der Himmel spiegelt, ein Idealparkour zum wandeln für den Sohn des Zimmermanns, das wandelbarste Element.
Even though you are colorless, you appear blue when the sky is reflected in your calm surface, creating an ideal path for the son of a carpenter to walk on. You are the most changeable element.
Und umgekehrt wenn du bist, wild, und laut und tosend deine Brandung, in deine Wellenberge lausch' ich, und aus den höchsten Wellen, aus den Brechern, brechen dann die tausend Stimmen, meine, die von gestern, die ich nicht kannte, die sonst flüstern und alle anderen auch, und mittendrin der Nazarener; Immer wieder die famosen, fünfen, letzten Worte: Warum hast du mich verlassen?
And when you are wild, loud, and roaring, I listen to your waves and hear a thousand voices breaking through from the highest waves and breakers. They are my voices from yesterday that I did not know, and they whisper with all the others. In the middle, there is the Nazarene, who always says his famous last five words: Why have you forsaken me?
Ich halt dagegen, brüll' jede Welle einzeln an: Bleibst du jetzt hier? Bleibst du jetzt hier? Bleibst du jetzt hier, oder was?
I fight back and yell at each wave individually: Are you staying here now? Are you staying here now? Are you staying here now, or what?
Contributed by Henry L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Øystein Stakkestad
I was completely awe-struck first hearing and seeing this song live. This video is brilliantly made, with pieces of the six hour something movie about Jesus of Nazareth
ForARide
I love that menacing vibe!
Very much influenced by Nico ´s Marble Index and Desertshore, both which were arranged and produced (the latter) by John Cale - Godfather of Goth and Industrial music!
Arman Gushchyan
Great work!
Blake Cotton
Thank you!
MrMushroom123
incredible
Mona Ghamess
❤
Tobias
Nice song and lyrics. Video is too much though.
blake cotton
🤷
ForARide
Added to my Sounds Like Hell Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNINWcxxj9hFkuc-B_ljVUYQOIWwtFPb7
mothylmaschine
there are some mistakes in the translation of the last 3? lines. He says :" du bleibts jetzt hier" means "stay!" or "don´t go!" both with ! because it´s not a question