He is the only artist to score a #1 Hit in the U.S. with a German language song, and his albums and singles have sold about 60 million copies worldwide.
Early Years
Born in Vienna, studying at the Vienna Music Conservatory in 1977 which he left after one semester to pursue a career in music, he lived for a short time in West Berlin while singing in a jazz-rock band. When he returned to Vienna he was calling himself "Falco," reportedly in tribute to the East German ski jumper Falko Weißpflog, and playing in the Austrian bands Spinning Wheel and Hallucination Company. En route to becoming an international rock star in his own right, he was bass player in the Austrian hard rock-punk rock band Drahdiwaberl (from 1978 until 1983). With Drahdiwaberl he wrote and performed the song "Ganz Wien" which he would also include on his debut solo album Einzelhaft.
Individual success
Falco's first hit was "Der Kommissar" from the 1982 album Einzelhaft. A German language song about drug consumption that combines rap verses with a sung chorus, Falco's record was a number-one success in many countries but failed to break big in the U.S. The song, however, would prove to have a life of its own in two English-language versions. British Rock band After the Fire recorded an English cover version, loosely based on Falco's lyrics and also called "Der Kommissar" (with "uh-oh" and "alles klar Herr Kommissar" the only other lyrics held over from the original). This time, the song shot to number three in the United States (their only major hit there) in 1983, though it failed to crack the UK Top 40. The band - who had been together more than a decade - broke up almost immediately thereafter. That same year, American singer Laura Branigan recorded a version of the song with new English lyrics, under the title "Deep in the Dark" on her album Branigan 2.
After a second album, Junge Roemer, failed to provide a repeat to his debut single's success (outside of Austria and Germany, where the album topped the charts), Falco began to experiment with English lyrics in an effort to broaden his appeal, and chose a new production team. The result would be the most popular album and single of his career.
Falco recorded "Rock Me Amadeus" inspired in part by the Oscar-winning film Amadeus, and the song became a worldwide hit in 1986. This time, his record reached #1 in the U.S. and UK, bringing him the success that had eluded him in that major market a few years earlier. The song remained in the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and his album, Falco 3, fittingly peaked at the number three position on the Billboard album charts. Unheard of at the time for a white performer, much less a European one, the Austrian rapper's single climbed to the upper reaches of the Billboard Top R&B Singles Chart (only a few years earlier called the "Black Singles" chart), peaking at number 6. Falco 3 peaked at number 18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Ultimately, "Rock Me Amadeus" went to the #1 spot in over a dozen countries including the Soviet Union and Japan. Follow-up single "Vienna Calling" was another international pop hit, peaking at #18 of the Billboard Charts and #17 on the U.S. Cash Box Charts in 1986. A double A-side 12" single featuring remixes of those two hits peaked at #4 on the U.S. Dance/Disco charts.
"Jeanny" the third release from the album Falco 3, brought the performer back to the top of the charts across Europe. Highly controversial when it was released in Germany and the Netherlands, the story of "Jeanny" was told from the point of view of a rapist and possible murderer. Several DJs and radio stations refused to play the ballad, which was ignored in the U.S., although it became a huge hit in many European countries, and inspired two sequels on later albums.
In 1986, the album Emotional was released, produced by Rob and Ferdi Bolland (Bolland & Bolland). On the Album were "Coming Home (Jeanny Part 2, Ein Jahr danach)" and the song "Kamikaze Cappa" which was written as a tribute to the late photojournalist Robert Capa. "The Sound of Musik" was another international success, and a Top 20 U.S. Dance hit, though he failed to make the U.S. pop charts. He also went on "Emotional-Tour" which was a world tour where he ended up in Japan at 1987. In 1987, he sang a duet with Brigitte Nielsen "Body Next to Body" and the single was a Top 10 hit in the Germanic countries. The Album Wiener Blut was released in 1988 but it did not get much publicity outside Germany and Austria.
After "Jeanny," there were a number of European hits, but Falco was rarely heard in the U.S. and the UK. His 1992 U.S. comeback attempt, the album Nachtflug with the song "Titanic" won a number of awards, but failed to chart in America.
Death
Falco died of severe injuries received from a collision with a bus in his Mitsubishi Pajero near the city of Puerto Plata, in the Dominican Republic on 6 February 1998, just two weeks before his 41st birthday. While it was initially reported that the autopsy showed high blood levels of alcohol and cocaine, this was disputed. At the time of his death, he was working on a comeback into the music world.
He was buried in the Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) in Vienna, Austria.
Years active: 1974 -1998
Charisma Kommando
Falco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the domina's swing
Für den Fall, daß wir uns wieder mißversteh'n
Die Direktorin läßt niemnaden ohne Strafe gehn
She says: uhrggg!!!
I say: what?
Hear the boys singin': do denkst nur do wärest wer, doch -
Hier bist do niemand mehr
It's been the dominas swingin'.
Nacht, lange Nacht -
Mich kein Tremor drängt
Sie ihren direktiven Steilstab - schwenkt
Do denkst nur do wärest wer, doch -
Hier bist do niemand mehr
And the boys singin':
Andiamo
Perque non tu ti amo?
Vamos!
Andiamo
Perque tu ti amo
Perque non ti amo she's a -
Charisma Kommando
She's gonna be a coldblooded thing
It's the domina's swing
Nach Karl Kraus klagt Lust um Leid
Er mein wo Leid ist, ist die Lust nicht weit
Meint ER -
ICH weiß:
Der Weg zu ist weit -
Kein Weg zu zweit, never -
...doch hier bist do niemand mehr
The games of torture, auhh -
It's been the dominas swingin'
Andiamo
Perque non tu ti amo?...
She's a -
Charisma Kommando
She's gonna be a coldblooded thing
It's the domina's swing
NO GO!
NO GO!
The lyrics to Falco's song Charisma Kommando describe an erotic and sadistic scene in which the Dominatrix is in full control, punishing those who disobey her with no mercy. The singer describes the scene in detail, from the director's strict rules to the boys' chants, and Karl Kraus' theory on pleasure and pain. The singer also refers to the Dominatrix's charisma and control over her victims, as she swings her directive baton with authority.
The lyrics to Charisma Kommando are not only about BDSM power dynamics, but also about the psychology behind them. The song takes a critical look at the pleasure and pain theory and suggests that the road to pleasure is not always an easy one. The Dominatrix's control and charisma can be seen as a reflection of her own inner turmoil, and her strict discipline as a way to deal with it. The boys' chants, on the other hand, are portrayed as a way to reaffirm their own identities and separate themselves from the Dominatrix's control.
Overall, Charisma Kommando is a dark and erotic portrayal of power dynamics, psychological control, and pleasure and pain. The song is an interesting critique of BDSM practices and a testament to Falco's unique style and creativity.
Line by Line Meaning
Charisma Kommando
This song is talking about a woman who is like a dominatrix or leader
It's the domina's swing
The woman in question is the leader here
Für den Fall, daß wir uns wieder mißversteh'n
In case we misunderstand each other again
Die Direktorin läßt niemnaden ohne Strafe gehn
The director punishes anyone who steps out of line
She says: uhrggg!!!
The director makes some sort of noise of disgust or anger
I say: what?
The singer is asking what's going on
Hear the boys singin': do denkst nur do wärest wer, doch -
The boys are singing something about thinking you're someone, but...
Hier bist do niemand mehr
But here, you're nobody
The games of torture, auhh -
The punishments and rules feel like torture
It's been the dominas swingin'.
The director is still in charge
Nacht, lange Nacht -
Night, long night
Mich kein Tremor drängt
I'm not shaking with fear
Sie ihren direktiven Steilstab - schwenkt
She swings her directive staff
And the boys singin':
And the boys keep singing
Andiamo
Let's go (Italian)
Perque non tu ti amo?
Why don't you love me? (Italian/Catalan)
Vamos!
Let's go (Spanish)
Perque tu ti amo
Because you love me (Italian/Catalan)
Perque non ti amo she's a -
Why don't I love you, she's a...
Charisma Kommando
The woman in charge is a Charisma Kommando (German for Charm Commando)
She's gonna be a coldblooded thing
The woman in charge will be ruthless and heartless
NO GO!
A final statement to say that something is not acceptable
NO GO!
Repeating the statement that this is not acceptable
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johann Hoelzel, Robert Ponger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Drum Klinik
Thank you so much for this masterpiece!
Gernot Rainer
Das coolste Video von Falco. Absolut genial gemacht. Ein Genie, das uns viel zu früh verlassen hat. Danke Falco.
Charisma Commando
This song is a true masterpiece, thanks for the full video in high definition! Only question: is this video zoomed in? Because it's missing video on the top and on the bottom
jerryfiziert
When you crop a 4:3 video to 16:9, top and bottom picture information is inevitably missing.
BenniRoR
@jerryfiziert You should have left it at 4:3.
jerryfiziert
@BenniRoR the DVD-Version is 16:9
BenniRoR
@jerryfiziert Ok, that's weird. Whoever produced this DVD then is ill informed about the best way to preserve rare videos like this.
May I ask what DVD this is from?
jerryfiziert
@BenniRoR Falco - Superstar & Rockidol [6 DVDs] https://www.amazon.de/dp/B005XQXFKI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_RN08YRTDZ4GDTJ22AMNC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Nothing to see here
1990 war perfekt, man merkt den letzten Hauch der 80er fein gemischt mit einer neuen Art von Musik. Einfach genial😍
Michael McParland
Great song off the great album Data De Groove.