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
Cyberlove
Falco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cyberlove
Cyberlove - lalalalala
Cyberlove - lalalalala
Attention - you must be older than 18
All major credit cards accepted
Ich liebe Dich I'm Internet
Computersex I'm Onlinenet
Gefühle sind total vernetzt
Jeder kommt bei jeder rein,
Gibt man nur das Paßwort ein
Die neue Droge ist geboren
Und das Virus hat verloren
Wir verhüten mit Sensoren
Cyberlove - lalalalala
She doesn't cook
Cyberlove - lalalalala
She doesn't clean
Cyberlove - lalalalala
She lives insight
Cyberlove - lalalalala
Auf au-bergine
Die Blonde oder die Brünette
Ich hab' sie alle auf Diskette
Heiße Liebe wird bestellt
In einer abgespaceten Welt
Der Preis wird vorher ausgedealt,
Danach die Lady überspielt
Kein Bedarf an Emotion
Virtuelle Erektion in der 4. Dimension
Cyberlove ...
Cyberlove - lalalalala
She loves to scream
Cyberlove - lalalalala
She loves to stay
Cyberlove - lalalalala
Here on screen
Cyberlove
As long as you pay
The lyrics of Falco's "Cyberlove" reflect on the concept of online relationships and how technology has transformed the way we perceive and experience love. The lines "Ich liebe Dich I'm Internet/Computersex I'm Onlinenet" translate to "I love you on the internet/Computer sex on online net," showcasing the ease with which people can form connections and engage in sexual activities online. The chorus "Cyberlove" is repeated frequently throughout the song, underscoring the overarching theme of technology infiltrating the realm of romantic relationships.
The song also touches on the commercial aspect of these online relationships, with lines like "All major credit cards accepted" and "Der Preis wird vorher ausgedealt" (The price is negotiated beforehand) highlighting how online love has become a commodity that can be bought and sold. The lyrics "Wir verhüten mit Sensoren" (We use sensors for birth control) also underscore the possibility of experiencing sexual pleasure without the threat of real-life consequences.
Furthermore, the lyrics suggest that traditional domestic duties like cooking and cleaning are obsolete in the age of online love, exemplified by the lines "She doesn't cook/She doesn't clean." The song's tone is both playful and cynical, reflecting the confusion and ambivalence surrounding the consequences of technology in our personal lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Cyberlove
The idea of love between individuals facilitated by the internet and technology.
Cyberlove
Reinforcement of the concept of love through technology.
Cyberlove - lalalalala
Repetition of the song's title to emphasize the idea of love through technology.
Cyberlove - lalalalala
Continuation of repetition to emphasize the idea of love through technology.
Attention - you must be older than 18
A warning to avoid engaging in internet-based romantic relationships until legal age and to prioritize safety online.
All major credit cards accepted
A joke about the idea of paying for love.
Ich liebe Dich I'm Internet
The expression of love through the internet.
Computersex I'm Onlinenet
The idea of having intimate relations through the internet and technology.
Es wird durch Bytes and Bits gehetzt
The transmission of emotions and feelings through binary data.
Gefühle sind total vernetzt
Emotions are completely interconnected through the internet.
Jeder kommt bei jeder rein,
Anyone can be with anyone else online.
Gibt man nur das Paßwort ein
Access to someone's private online space with just a password.
Die neue Droge ist geboren
The idea of love through technology is a new addiction.
Und das Virus hat verloren
The virus is no longer a threat or barrier to the spread of love through technology.
Wir verhüten mit Sensoren
Protection through the use of sensors.
Cyberlove - lalalalala
Reiteration of the song's title to emphasize the idea of love through technology.
She doesn't cook
One does not need to perform traditional gender roles in internet-based relationships.
Cyberlove - lalalalala
Reiteration of the song's title to emphasize the idea of love through technology.
She doesn't clean
One does not have to perform traditional gender roles in internet-based relationships.
Cyberlove - lalalalala
Reiteration of the song's title to emphasize the idea of love through technology.
She lives insight
The love interest only exists in the digital space.
Cyberlove - lalalalala
Reiteration of the song's title to emphasize the idea of love through technology.
Auf au-bergine
A pun intending to rhyme with the previous line.
Die Blonde oder die Brünette
Referring to women in general.
Ich hab' sie alle auf Diskette
The individual has access to many love interests.
Heiße Liebe wird bestellt
The idea of ordering intimacy through the internet.
In einer abgespaceten Welt
This intimacy takes place in a digital, futuristic world.
Der Preis wird vorher ausgedealt,
Agreeing on the cost before engaging in romantic activities.
Danach die Lady überspielt
Engaging with the love interest in the digital world after paying the fee.
Kein Bedarf an Emotion
No need for emotional connection in this kind of romantic relationship.
Virtuelle Erektion in der 4. Dimension
Digital arousal through virtual interactions.
Cyberlove ...
Continuation of the idea of love through technology.
Cyberlove - lalalalala
Reiteration of the song's title to emphasize the idea of love through technology.
She loves to scream
The love interest enjoys expressing themselves emotionally in the digital world.
Cyberlove - lalalalala
Reiteration of the song's title to emphasize the idea of love through technology.
She loves to stay
The love interest enjoys being with the individual in the digital world.
Cyberlove - lalalalala
Reiteration of the song's title to emphasize the idea of love through technology.
Here on screen
The love interest only exists in the digital world.
Cyberlove
Final reiteration of the idea of love through technology.
As long as you pay
The only requirement for this kind of relationship is payment, which emphasizes the superficial nature of this form of love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FALCO, CLAUDIA WOHLFROMM, THORSTEN BOERGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Libor Synthesizer
on Out of the Dark
super muzika ,nádhera