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 Rides Again
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!
Falco Rides Again is a song filled with strength, resilience, and a spirit of never giving up. The first verse of the song is in German, and it serves to introduce the story of a man who has gone through different life experiences in various parts of the world. He, however, chooses to come back stronger.
In the rest of the song, Falco talks about his journey of being beaten, mistreated, and gagged, with nobody thinking he would survive. The chorus, "Falco rides again," shows his refusal to give in and give up. He speaks of how he will fight till the end and break down the walls of defeat to taste victory.
The lyrics are a metaphorical representation of Falco's life, which was full of ups and downs. The song also embodies Falco's attitude towards his music, and he promises to keep on fighting and not give up until he comes out victorious.
Line by Line Meaning
These are the given lyrics for this song, but to my ears,
Although the lyrics might not be entirely clear to me, I interpret this song as telling the story of a man who has traveled the world and experienced both highs and lows.
Most of the first verse sounds to me to be in German.
The opening lines of the song are in German, which makes it difficult for me to understand their meaning.
This is the story of a lonely man
The song is about a man who has faced many challenges and struggles in his life.
Who's seen the world
This man has had the opportunity to travel to various places around the globe.
From japan to Afghanistan
He has been to both Japan and Afghanistan, among other places.
Hey! ho!
This phrase is used throughout the song as a sort of rallying cry or exclamation.
Everybody thought that I was gone for good
Many people believed that this man had disappeared or died, never to be seen again.
But I'm back, understood
However, he has returned and wants people to know this.
I've been through the snow and the storm
This man has faced some very difficult and challenging situations.
Felt the cold
He has experienced a sense of isolation and loneliness.
No one to keep me warm
Despite these challenges, he has had to rely solely on himself to make it through.
Agony and pain
He has felt both physical and emotional suffering.
Falco rides again, bang bang
The song is an anthem of sorts for this man's return, with the repeated phrase 'Falco rides again' serving as a sort of battle cry.
I won't break
Despite everything that he has faced, this man is determined not to give up or break under pressure.
I won't bend
He is also unyielding - refusing to compromise his principles or beliefs.
It's me and my gang
This man has a group of supporters who stand by him and help him through tough times.
I came back just like a boomerang
He has been able to bounce back from adversity, much like a boomerang returns to its thrower.
I'll fight 'till the end
This man is willing to go to great lengths to overcome his challenges and achieve his goals, no matter how difficult the fight may be.
I've been up, I've been down
This man has experienced both success and failure in his life.
I've been pushed around
He has faced adversity and resistance from others.
Beated, mistreated,
He has been physically and emotionally abused by others.
Gagged and bound
He has been silenced and restrained by others, possibly against his will.
Not a soul in the world thought I would survive
Despite everything that he has faced, many people doubted that this man would be able to make it through his struggles successfully.
Took every muscle in my body to stay alive
It was a true challenge for him to overcome the obstacles in his path and remain alive and strong.
I'll break down the walls
This man is determined to overcome any barriers that have been put in his path.
No more defeat
He is tired of being beaten down and wants to experience success and triumph.
I want the taste of victory
This man is motivated by the desire to be successful and win at whatever he sets his mind to.
Revenge is sweet
The satisfaction of overcoming his challenges and achieving his goals is like a form of revenge for him.
Rides again!
This phrase serves as a powerful declaration of this man's return to the world stage, ready to take on whatever comes his way.
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
Libor Synthesizer
on Out of the Dark
super muzika ,nádhera