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
Falco
Falco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Most of the first verse sounds to me to be in German.
This is the story of a lonely man
Who's seen the world
From japan to Afghanistan
Hey! ho!
Everybody thought that I was gone for good
Hey! ho!
I've been through the snow and the storm
Felt the cold
No one to keep me warm
Agony and pain
Falco rides again, bang bang
I won't break
I won't bend
Falco rides again
It's me and my gang
I came back just like a boomerang
I'll fight 'till the end
Falco rides again
I've been up, I've been down
I've been pushed around
Beated, mistreated,
Gagged and bound
Hey! ho!
Not a soul in the world thought I would survive
Took every muscle in my body to stay alive
Hey! ho!
I'll break down the walls
No more defeat
I want the taste of victory
Revenge is sweet
Rides again!
The song Falco by Falco, also known as The Return of Falco, can be interpreted as the story of a resilient and determined man who has faced hardships in life but ultimately overcomes them. The opening lines suggest that the singer has traveled extensively and has experienced the world, but remains a lonely figure. The chorus emphasizes this man's determination to succeed and not surrender to defeat. The second verse recalls the suffering and abuse that the singer has endured, highlighting his strength in overcoming these challenges. The lyrics "I'll break down the walls / No more defeat / I want the taste of victory / Revenge is sweet" suggest that the character is now motivated by revenge and ready to fight back against those who have wronged him.
Interestingly, Falco is not only the title of the song but also the name of the artist who wrote and performed it. The song was released in 1994 and was the first single from Falco's album "Data de Groove." The song features a blend of electronic and rock music, which was typical for Falco's style. The song was a commercial success, reaching the top 10 in several countries, including Austria and Germany.
Line by Line Meaning
These are the given lyrics for this song, but to my ears,
Although the first verse sounds to be in German, I am sharing the lyrics as provided.
Most of the first verse sounds to me to be in German.
The singer is unsure of the meaning of most of the first verse because it is in German and they do not understand it.
This is the story of a lonely man
The song is about a man who is alone.
Who's seen the world
The man has traveled to different places around the world.
From japan to Afghanistan
The man has been to both Japan and Afghanistan.
Everybody thought that I was gone for good
Many people believed that the man was gone and would never return.
But I'm back, understood
The man has returned and wants people to know that he is back.
I've been through the snow and the storm
The man has faced difficult and challenging situations.
Felt the cold
The man has experienced cold and possibly harsh weather.
No one to keep me warm
The man did not have anyone to keep him warm during the cold.
Agony and pain
The man has gone through difficult and painful experiences.
Falco rides again, bang bang
Falco, the man, is back and ready to take on the world again.
I won't break
The man will not give up or break under pressure.
I won't bend
The man will not compromise or change his beliefs.
Falco rides again
The man, Falco, is back and ready to take action.
It's me and my gang
Falco is with his group of supporters.
I came back just like a boomerang
Falco has returned to where he started, just like a boomerang.
I'll fight 'till the end
Falco will continue to fight until the end of his journey.
I've been up, I've been down
Falco has experienced both good and bad times.
I've been pushed around
Others have attempted to control or manipulate Falco.
Beated, mistreated,
Falco has been physically harmed and treated unfairly.
Gagged and bound
Falco has been silenced and restrained from speaking his mind or taking action.
Not a soul in the world thought I would survive
Many people did not expect Falco to survive his challenges.
Took every muscle in my body to stay alive
Falco had to fight with all his strength and effort to stay alive.
I'll break down the walls
Falco is determined to overcome the barriers in his way.
No more defeat
Falco will not accept defeat anymore.
I want the taste of victory
Falco desires to experience success and triumph.
Revenge is sweet
Falco feels that getting revenge on those who wronged him will be satisfying.
Rides again!
The song title and chorus - Falco is back and ready for action again!
Lyrics © Budde Music Publishing GmbH, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHANN HOELZEL, ROBERT BOLLAND, FERDINAND BOLLAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@shawnbennet432
Dude rapping in German in the 80's...epic.
@sunplaying2273
Dude la enn malad🤘
@lessgo5214
Yeah. German Rap nowadays is trash.
@t.vampiro4800
He's singing about hot sauce
@lessgo5214
@@t.vampiro4800 Austrias musician
@t.vampiro4800
@@lessgo5214 I'm gonna pretend that's not true. I say tapatio. 🤣
@horsepower523
Eminem: I'm the best rapper ever
Falco: Hold my Apfelstrudel
@moonstruckmisfit3525
LMFAO
@theycallmejens4980
Kaiserschmarn*
@Wiena-ce2nm
@@theycallmejens4980 Wiener schmakal